Academic Dishonesty and grad apps.

[throwawayaandgoaway]

I'm currently a rising dual degree (B.A. History and B.S. in Political Science) senior at an R1 school, looking to apply to T5 Phd programs in polisci and UChicago's MA in IR next year. T5 - based on US news but also all the other schools at that level in other rankings. 

The summer after my freshman year, I committed an act of academic dishonesty in a summer class by using a public solution for an online quiz, and was caught. I was brought before a hearing panel, sentenced as guilty, and sanctioned with an F and transcript notation of failing due to dishonesty, one year of probationary status, and a required remediation course. I took the remediation course and got the probationary status and transcript notation lifted a month after the sanction. I also retook the course and got an A. I'm not going to give you excuses for my behavior, and I still feel ashamed of it to this very day. I also don't know the status of this in terms of documentation in university bureaucracy, but the worst case is that its open to anybody who comes calling. 

Stats: 

Degrees/Minors/Certs - B.A. History; B.S. Political Science, Minor in Economics, Graduate certificate in IR from MIA/MPA program at University.

Cumulative - 3.83

Major - 3.94 (History) and 3.95 (Political Science)

Blemishes - D in a language course freshman year, two classes P/F in freshman year (all Passes), The F. 

GRE - 164 Q/ 167 V

CV: 

Pubs - co-authorship on 6 mid to high-impact journal publications, a bunch of sole author pubs in undergraduate/MA candidate journals, some analytical stuff in blogs and online publication, which was submitted to a high impact journal, and working on my political science degree thesis this upcoming semester. 

Research Exp: I've got two RAships, a couple TAships, and a multi-year research assistant ship at the grad MIA/MPP program at my university (where all of the coauthored high impact pubs come from), and an internship at the dept. state. 

Skills n stuff - Near native proficiency in Mandarin, native in Hindi, and Gujarati.Worked with R and Stata in multiple methods classes, used R to analyze data for a publication. 

Reccs - Come from well regarded profs in their field that have had me in two classes each and I am a research assistant to.

My question: When applying, besides disclosing everything, what can I do to address this issue? Will my app be thrown in the garbage as soon as they see this? Especially at the higher echelon programs? 

[sloth_girl]

Could be worth having your letter writers contextualize it. Especially if it's been awhile, I think you'll still have a shot. 

[throwawayaandgoaway]

Ok, so would I approach them and ask them to provide a quick explanation of how this doesn't represent my character/something along those lines?

None of my recommenders know anything about the situation as far as I know. Also congrats on Stanford and the technical Gauntlet!

Edited July 20, 2020 by throwawayaandgoaway

[raduan]

I respectfully disagree with sloth_girl. I agree that would be nice to have the tetters on your side. But, imagining myself in the admission committee, I would pay much more attention of what you have to say on the matter at your statement of purpose

[sloth_girl]

3 hours ago, raduan said:

I respectfully disagree with sloth_girl. I agree that would be nice to have the tetters on your side. But, imagining myself in the admission committee, I would pay much more attention of what you have to say on the matter at your statement of purpose

I think that's fair too. Could be worth doing both in a calculated way: talking about what you have to say, briefly, in your SOP, and letting maybe one letter writer know your concern. If they've had a good experience with you, they could signal (without blatantly saying anything), how you're hardworking, honest, etc. All in all, while it's a blemish, I don't think it's a huge one, especially if you've grown from it and signal in your SOP that integrity in research matters to you.

[polsciguy88]

Assuming that it's no longer noted on your transcript, I would recommend completely avoiding any discussion of it if I were you.

Admissions committee members often barely even look at transcripts, if at all. People also fail classes. Failing a class is not grounds for rejecting someone from admission to a grad program, particularly if their GPA is good overall.

However, cheating in a class resulting in failing it is definitely grounds to instantly throw out your application. 

You discuss it in your SOP and get your letter writers to talk about it, and all of a sudden you have a target on your application for a committee that has way too many applications compared to open slots.

Edited July 20, 2020 by polsciguy88

[munch22]

No one on this forum has any idea what an admissions committee will do or what the best course of action is. It’s going to vary by school as well. Talk to the advisor you are closest with to find out the best course of action, especially if you are at an R1. 

Edited July 21, 2020 by munch22

[psstein]

On 7/20/2020 at 6:50 PM, polsciguy88 said:

You discuss it in your SOP and get your letter writers to talk about it, and all of a sudden you have a target on your application for a committee that has way too many applications compared to open slots.

I very strongly agree with you. It's to your detriment, if you want to get into any of the programs worth attending (in terms of academic job placement) to portray yourself in the strongest possible light. And, in some cases, that means omitting the "struggles" that far too many people think give an application depth.

[Sigaba]

Non disclosure is not without risks if:

• one consents to a background check that goes beyond transcripts;
  • Imagine someone who performs background checks and is worried about losing a job because of COVID-19 and decides to prove his value by really leaning into his work and checking and re-checking every fact.
• a school has a code of ethics that hold students accountable for conduct before enrolling;
  • the very act of non disclosure could be deemed as not within an institution's accepted standards of behavior
• one admits to the misconduct later and the new information gives professors and others the opportunity to reconsider their opinion of the student.
  • a professor could conclude "I'd never have worked with this person had I known..."

So, OP, if you decide to go the non disclosure route, I recommend that you first read and reread all the "fine print" you can find related to each school's policies on background checks, full disclosure in the application process, student conduct, and, maybe, a department's position on academic misconduct. If non disclosure works, as a graduate student, and later, as a professional academic, do not mention the incident to anyone with whom you don't have a legally privileged relationship. ("Everything is discoverable," is a key lesson of risk management training in the private sector.)

And DO NOT cultivate a reputation as a firebrand when it comes to academic integrity. This is to say, when it's time to do your job and bust someone for academic dishonesty, do it without fanfare. 

Finally, you might consider the benefits of doing something about your sense of shame. You made a mistake, you have learned your lesson, you've paid the price, (and may continue to do so). Do not let a mistake of your youth become a burden that puts you in positions where you can be emotionally or psychologically compromised.

[Artifex_Archer]

On 7/21/2020 at 10:25 PM, Sigaba said:

Non disclosure is not without risks if:

• one consents to a background check that goes beyond transcripts;
  • Imagine someone who performs background checks and is worried about losing a job because of COVID-19 and decides to prove his value by really leaning into his work and checking and re-checking every fact.
• a school has a code of ethics that hold students accountable for conduct before enrolling;
  • the very act of non disclosure could be deemed as not within an institution's accepted standards of behavior
• one admits to the misconduct later and the new information gives professors and others the opportunity to reconsider their opinion of the student.
  • a professor could conclude "I'd never have worked with this person had I known..."

So, OP, if you decide to go the non disclosure route, I recommend that you first read and reread all the "fine print" you can find related to each school's policies on background checks, full disclosure in the application process, student conduct, and, maybe, a department's position on academic misconduct. If non disclosure works, as a graduate student, and later, as a professional academic, do not mention the incident to anyone with whom you don't have a legally privileged relationship. ("Everything is discoverable," is a key lesson of risk management training in the private sector.)

And DO NOT cultivate a reputation as a firebrand when it comes to academic integrity. This is to say, when it's time to do your job and bust someone for academic dishonesty, do it without fanfare. 

Finally, you might consider the benefits of doing something about your sense of shame. You made a mistake, you have learned your lesson, you've paid the price, (and may continue to do so). Do not let a mistake of your youth become a burden that puts you in positions where you can be emotionally or psychologically compromised.

I agree—I would be VERY wary of non-disclosure, especially if, as is the case for most of the schools to which you're applying, there's a section on the application that specifically asks if you've ever been convicted of academic dishonesty or plagiarism. 

 

I would also imagine that, even if it's not on your transcript, there is a record of this incident, linked to your name, somewhere in the annals of your university's bureaucratic proceedings. And top-tier schools will go hunting when it comes to a background check, especially when making final cuts. 

 

There is an opportunity to reach out to POIs, and, after establishing initial contact, explaining the issue and asking for their advice on how to address the issue—whether there's something that they would like to know, or see, that would help them feel assured that this will not happen again. [Essentially, you're not just asking, 'how do I keep this from hurting me?'; you're asking, 'what can I do to put your/others' minds at ease about this issue?'] I wouldn't put this in your first email. You'd at least wait for a positive reply first, and ideally wait until there's some rapport established. But profs are busy, especially now, so you might be lucky to even get an initial reply [totally normal and not a death-knell for your admission prospects if you get radio silence].   

 

Otherwise, on most apps there is a space for you to add 'any additional information relevant to your application' or attach other files. That might be a place to include a brief note explaining the situation further—depending, it could even be a note from the course instructor.

 

You have a wonderful profile besides that, and no one is blemish-free. Best of luck!

[polsciguy88]

1 hour ago, Artifex_Archer said:

would also imagine that, even if it's not on your transcript, there is a record of this incident, linked to your name, somewhere in the annals of your university's bureaucratic proceedings. And top-tier schools will go hunting when it comes to a background check, especially when making final cuts. 

This is completely false. There is absolutely zero chance of any school conducting ''background checks" on applicants prior to acceptance. Departments do not have the time nor the resources to conduct background checks on applicants.

[Sigaba]

1 hour ago, polsciguy88 said:

This is completely false. There is absolutely zero chance of any school conducting ''background checks" on applicants prior to acceptance. Departments do not have the time nor the resources to conduct background checks on applicants.

FWIW...

https://grad.jhu.edu/apply/admission-privacy-policy/

https://gradschool.princeton.edu/policies/rescinding-offer-admission

https://gsas.harvard.edu/admissions-policies/rescinding-admissions

IMO, I think that you should reconsider your practice of making comments that suggest you have absolute knowledge of how every program and graduate school conducts its business.

 

 

[polsciguy88]

25 minutes ago, Sigaba said:

FWIW...

https://grad.jhu.edu/apply/admission-privacy-policy/

https://gradschool.princeton.edu/policies/rescinding-offer-admission

https://gsas.harvard.edu/admissions-policies/rescinding-admissions

IMO, I think that you should reconsider your practice of making comments that suggest you have absolute knowledge of how every program and graduate school conducts its business.

 

 

IMO you should actually read what people state.

No department has the resources to do background checks on applicants. It's much too expensive and time-consuming. What your links point to is background checks may be done FOLLOWING acceptance, not while academic departments are reviewing applications and making acceptance offers. To suggest otherwise is completely incorrect.

Edited July 26, 2020 by polsciguy88

[GradSchoolGrad]

I think it is a matter of risk.

I heard of people in some schools getting removed after discovering false or incompletely provided information during their application. I also knew of someone in my graduate school who committed a federal judicial authority punished activity and not only got away from not disclosing it, but actively and openly bragged about it after matriculating into the program.

HOWEVER... I think a smarter way to think about it is to think beyond the school and think towards employers. Some of them may actually pay for thorough background checks (also depending on industry). If they find out that you were deceptive to your graduate school in any way, it could be game over for you. 

That being said, you may want to pay close attention to the policy + specific directions of each graduate school application. As in, read the fine print. 

[Artifex_Archer]

On 7/26/2020 at 12:59 PM, polsciguy88 said:

This is completely false. There is absolutely zero chance of any school conducting ''background checks" on applicants prior to acceptance. Departments do not have the time nor the resources to conduct background checks on applicants.

I wasn't blowing smoke. I have heard from professors that they do exactly this—yes, it's in the later stages of culling the field, but it occurs prior to acceptance. 

And really, wouldn't that make sense? If you extend an offer of admission only to have to rescind it, you run a high risk of losing out on other competitive. applicants, whom you could have admitted instead, to other competitive schools. 

We're a bit off-topic, and I don't mean to attack. But my remarks came from a place of having heard from several people about this, as well as doing my own research into what schools conduct what sorts of 'background checks,' formally or otherwise—and when. 

ETA: Also, what difference does it make when the background check occurs? If a university finds out that someone has entered fraudulent information on their application—especially if it regards academic dishonesty—they'll probably rescind an offer. I'd rather that not happen to the OP. 

Edited July 31, 2020 by Artifex_Archer

[SocialKonstruct]

Non-disclosure can lead to revocation of degree and credits if found out.

[polsciguy88]

15 hours ago, Artifex_Archer said:

I wasn't blowing smoke. I have heard from professors that they do exactly this—yes, it's in the later stages of culling the field, but it occurs prior to acceptance. 

ETA: Also, what difference does it make when the background check occurs? If a university finds out that someone has entered fraudulent information on their application—especially if it regards academic dishonesty—they'll probably rescind an offer. I'd rather that not happen to the OP. 

Once again, you are stating completely false information. Departments do not run background checks on applicants during the admissions process. It only *may occur* by the graduate school when and if the accepted applicant accepts the position. And yes, stating false information matters - to suggest otherwise is ridiculous.

[polsciguy88]

I see a lot of people discussing the potential risks of non-disclosure, yet I have seen no one advise the OP to lie about anything in their application. There's a difference between not putting it all over your SOP and LORs that you got caught cheating/plagiarizing during your undergrad, and *lying* about it in your application. I don't recall many applications asking that question on the application - but I might not be remembering well so someone may correct me on that. If there's a box then click it. I just wouldn't mention it in my SOP or LORs, which is an entirely different thing than not disclosing it when asked.

Edited July 31, 2020 by polsciguy88

[Artifex_Archer]

On 7/31/2020 at 2:13 PM, polsciguy88 said:

I see a lot of people discussing the potential risks of non-disclosure, yet I have seen no one advise the OP to lie about anything in their application. There's a difference between not putting it all over your SOP and LORs that you got caught cheating/plagiarizing during your undergrad, and *lying* about it in your application. I don't recall many applications asking that question on the application - but I might not be remembering well so someone may correct me on that. If there's a box then click it. I just wouldn't mention it in my SOP or LORs, which is an entirely different thing than not disclosing it when asked.

All of mine did ask that question. I believe you that yours may not have [honestly; I’m not just being snarky], so I won’t accuse you of stating ‘completely false’ information. I also agree with you that not all admissions committees run background checks on applicants prior to admission. However, from my personal conversations, some admissions committees and/or faculty do just that. In that sense, neither one of us is giving ‘completely false’ information. 
 

If it’s not a question on the app, sure; the OP can leave it out, although I’d read very carefully to make sure it isn’t on there—because it was on all of mine and I assumed that was pretty standard. If it is on the app, all of us seem to agree that the OP should address it. In that case, my advice remains the same: add a note to the application if there’s an opportunity to do so, and/or better yet, mention it to a POI in advance.