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Will Frosh Honor Code Violation Impact Admission Chances?

Written by Sally Rubenstone | Feb. 10, 2011

Question: I a high school freshman. I have one Honor Code Violation so far. I copied ONE sentence from a classmate on a homework assignment. I don't intend on getting a second one because I won't make that mistake again. Does this hurt my chances of applying to Stanford University or New York University?

If you were suspended from school (or put on some sort of "probation") for your honor-code violation, you will have to report it on your college applications. In this case, you should write a supplementary letter or use the "Additional Information" section on your applications to explain exactly what you did and the lessons you learned from it.

Since you are just in 9th grade, and your misdeed was a common one that doesn't suggest deep character flaws or the likelihood that you will have a damaging impact on your college community, admission officials will probably disregard it ... especially if you've maintained a clear record ever since and you've provided excellent recommendations from your teachers and school counselor.

If you were NOT suspended for this violation, it need not be reported to colleges.

In either case, in the years ahead, heed the words of my late Nana and "Keep your nose clean." ;)

(posted 2/10/2011)

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.