emmbar53 wrote:So IU-Bloomington has the following question on their app:
D. Within the meaning of the general phrase "good moral character," are there any incidents that might challenge your character, honesty, and integrity?
Then it wants an addendum explaining any incidents. So, does this technically mean that I have to disclose the time I went to a strip club, tried to procure a blow job from a dancer, blacked out for three hours, and came to when a bouncer started punching me in the face?
I hate these catch-alls. Better than one app for a TTT I applied to (looking for full-scholly) that asked about freaking parking tickets and juvenile history though. I had one other app with a similar question and I did disclose some stuff on it.
Everybody has stuff they're not proud of so I think the point is if there is anything you anticipate may actually come up in an official way so as to "challenge your etc etc etc" rather than anything more generally that wasn't entirely 'above board' in your life. I think ultimately it does come down to what you are comfortable with in terms of your own conscience- if you honestly feel the question demands of you to put something then I think not putting it could haunt your conscience. However, if you feel compelled I would do more research first and consult with more people. I would also carefully analyze the question further in your own mind and see if there is a way that you can construe it in your own mind (in a logically defensible way) such that it legitimately doesn't require a yes answer.
If taken at face value without this type of reflection, I think the only honest answer for every human is 'yes'. That's why this question sucks so much- it really puts people on the spot, and may even encourage outright dishonesty. Nevertheless, if you feel you can't answer 'no' in a defensible and honest way based on logical interpretation of the question, then I think it's probably important to either not answer it (not apply there) or just f-ing write whatever it is that you're not proud of.
I seriously think schools like this lose qualified applicants because of this type of C & F question. I noticed that the very top schools I looked at had relatively easy C & F sections from what I remember, I think it is prob because they didn't want to lose any qualified applicant to BS like this. Good luck.