Academic Probation question Forum

[iamsinistar]

I was on academic probation at UCLA for 1 quarter (long story) and then came off at the end of the quarter. I talked to records, and they told me that they see it in their system, but that there is no notation on my transcript. They said it is only noted if you are subject to dismissal, which would have required me to be on probation longer.

Question: If it's not on my transcript, is there any reason to answer 'yes' on all of the law school apps that ask about it and then have to write an explanation?

[03121202698008]

I was on academic probation at UCLA for 1 quarter (long story) and then came off at the end of the quarter. I talked to records, and they told me that they see it in their system, but that there is no notation on my transcript. They said it is only noted if you are subject to dismissal, which would have required me to be on probation longer.

Question: If it's not on my transcript, is there any reason to answer 'yes' on all of the law school apps that ask about it and then have to write an explanation?

Yes, because if C&F finds out about it and you didn't disclose, you could be denied admission to the bar and have wasted all of your tuition money getting a jd. Especially stupid since it isn't likely going to affect you all that much.

[emilybeth]

Definitely no reason to answer "yes" truthfully if asked specifically about it and then have to go through the enormous trouble of writing an addendum. Much better to just skim over the question and the part where you sign the application to attest to the truth of the statements made within, and do whatever's going to be easiest/most preferable to you.

Law school is all about finding the shortcuts and taking them more quickly than your classmates do. Looks like you've found your very first one!

[Bildungsroman]

I was on academic probation at UCLA for 1 quarter (long story) and then came off at the end of the quarter. I talked to records, and they told me that they see it in their system, but that there is no notation on my transcript. They said it is only noted if you are subject to dismissal, which would have required me to be on probation longer.

Question: If it's not on my transcript, is there any reason to answer 'yes' on all of the law school apps that ask about it and then have to write an explanation?

Yes, the main reason you would want to answer "yes" is because answering "no" would be a lie. Law schools get pissed off when applicants lie to them. The bar gets pissed off when applicants lie to law schools. If you think you can get away with this, ask yourself: if someone in records could easily see that you had been on academic probation, do you really want to gamble that nobody else will check for the next 40 years? It's probably a bad idea to start off your legal career by signing a document with known falsehoods in it.

Plus the ethical/moral implications of lying on a law school application, etc.

[iamsinistar]

Actually I should have been more specific. Many applications just say "disciplinary action" while others say "academic probation."

If asked specifically about probation I have no problem answering yes. But when it is not specified, should I assume "disciplinary action" includes probation, even if (technically) no disciplinary action has been taken?

[P. Bateman]

Just answer Yes.

The app will ask you for an addendum anyway if you said yes, so you can explain in there that it was an academic probation, not some disciplinary thing because you got caught selling crack out of your dorm room or something. Much better to be straight up than lying/withholding information on your application.

[wonkymonkey]

It is definitely important for you to answer yes to ANY question that discusses disciplinary action or probation at a school. Most law schools require dean certification letters before actually being fully enrolled in at a school. This means that if you don't report something on your application, your acceptance could be taken away. Even worse, the ABA does a more extensive review of your files and you could be denied admission to the bar. Better to not take shortcuts on something that probably won't even hurt your chances of admission in the first place.