Character and Fitness Adendum for High School Suspension

devinstelter

I have been looking at different blogs and in chat rooms as well as directly at law school admission pages and have not come to a conclusive answer to my question. In my senior year of high school I was suspended for two days for a sexually suggestive joke I made toward a faculty member.

I understand that in most people's case they would not have to send their high school transcript to law schools, however I earned college credit while in my Senior year from the local community college. I am pretty sure I will need to send them my high school transcript, so that opens the door to questions regarding disciplinary action in high school, correct? I know the general rule is to err on the side of full disclosure and it will depend on the specific wording of the Character and Fitness questions, it is just a difficult situation to explain. I was essentially just an immature Senior who didn't think twice about the joke I made until I was called into the principle's office.

Thanks for the help!

devinstelter

Or would the high school transcript even be required, as the credit was from a community college (that I ended up attending after HS graduation)? Would they just need the community college transcript?

LindsMitch

I think they would just need the CC transcript, so you potentially don't need to worry about it. Lots of students have taken credit in high school that they then got transferred and I've not heard or read of any one needing to send in high school transcripts. Maybe I'm wrong though?

By telling admissions committees, you may be going above and beyond the required disclosure. I have no real proof, but I would assume that a fair number of applicants have likely dealt with minor disciplinary issues in high school and have not disclosed. If you feel like you are being deceitful by keeping it out of your application, then go ahead and write an addendum, I'm just saying I have not heard of adcoms expecting the same high level of disclosure for events that took place pre-undergrad.

If anyone has any more well-informed insight on this topic, then listen to them but that is my two cents

Leah M B

I don't think you should have to send in a high school transcript. If you received college credit, you send in a transcript from the college. That's what happened for me. I had a couple of high school classes that resulted in credit from my local community college, so I got a transcript from the CC.

That said, yes you will just have to read the C&F prompt closely for each application. Every one is stated differently. For most, I don't think you would have to disclose that. But it may be relevant in some. That said, I did have in school suspension once in middle school and I literally never thought of it until this moment lol. I highly doubt anyone would care.

I don't think it would end up being relevant, but if a C&F prompt sounds like it would require disclosure of a high school suspension, then I would disclose it. A brief addendum can explain what you did and what you learned from it, and I don't think it will be an issue.

FixedDice

I don't think you need to submit your high school diploma. In fact, I don't think suspensions are recorded on high school transcripts.

In any case, I think both law school admission offices and bar associations have better things to worry about than applicants' pre-undergraduate records. I don't know about chronic contempt for laws or incidents involving unusual violence or illegal substances; but a single instance of unmeditated innuendo... probably not.

devinstelter

Thanks for commenting! Once I remembered the class was on my CC transcript I assumed that would be what schools want, I’m just excessively paranoid on this issue haha