Suspended for three days?

bjkmom
Sun, 28 May 2017 16:37:57 +0000

OK, you want to know how it will effect college applications, so I’ll keep the judgements out.

Problem number one: A three day suspension is a big deal. It means the administration of your school felt the offense was serious enough that pulling you from school was more important than those three days of instruction. It means they considered in house suspension, a single day, and two days, and felt that none of those reactions matched the seriousness of the offense. This is not likely to be seen by anyone but you as “just a mistake.” There are a whole list of options that come before a 3 day suspension, and your offense was serious enough that they weren’t taken.

Problem number two: you indicate that this is part of an ongoing behavior pattern. That probably indicates that your guidance folder is already filling up, and not in a good way. It means that in 2 years, when your guidance counselor starts to look at her rising seniors in order to write them letters of recommendation, yours will be tricky. She’ll do the best she can, of course; we all want the best opportunities for our kids, even those with spotty records, in the hope that they’ll grow up in college-- a lot do. But the reality is that she’s got to write the truth; she’s not going to risk her professional reputation on any one kid. So she’ll stick to the facts: Bobbybob444555 has an average of ___, participated in the following sports or activities, and so on. The very best she’ll be able to write is something along the lines of “After a rough start, Bobbybob444555 really grew up as a Sophomore. He began to take responsibility for his actions, and to take the needs and feelings of others into account”— that’s best case. Worst case is a simple listing of your grades and activities; the adcoms will know what’s missing and can connect the dots on their own.

Problem number three: If I’m reading this correctly, the odds are good that you already have a bit of a reputation around your school— and again, not in a good way. That means you’re less likely to be chosen for any of those special opportunities along the way that help enhance an application. Any of the positions of leadership tend to go to those kids who have built positive reputations. Anything requiring student input will also be off the table, as kids, even those who haven’t been victimized by a bully, tend to hate bullies.They fully understand the idea of “There but for the grace of God go I…” So all those things that can help beef up an otherwise weak resume may be off the table, or at best a long shot.