Help please. Academic probation disclosure Forum

[idkmanidk]

So I've seen a fair number of threads discussing the impact of admonishments on law school admissions, but there is one area I was hoping to get some guidance on. In my junior year of college (at an ivy) I made a very stupid mistake and lied to a professor about a paper that was not submitted in time. I know that excuses don't really count, but just to give you context in case you think that is helpful, there was a serious health issue I was dealing with at the time but was embarrassing to talk about to a professor. In the end when it all came to light I got academic probation (the lightest possible sentence under the policy guidelines) and the professor chose to give me 0 marks on that assignment but otherwise let me stay in the class (there was one other mitigating factor that both the dean and the professor recognized but I won't get into detail about here). Can you comment on whether I should even consider law schools? I have a 178 LSAT and 3.67 GPA (the grade I got in the class because of the zero marks really tanked my GPA) plus 2 years of work experience at a top biglaw firm as a legal assistant, but I didn't realize that the need to disclose this on the application (it definitely is on my record in some shape even though it does not appear on my transcript) and the C&F portion of a bar exam might preclude me entirely from applying. I know plagiarism is especially frowned upon; is lying to a college official equally or more frowned upon? I would be grateful for any guidance you can give me. If you could, please don't cite my post as I might have to edit out some details for privacy/identifying information concerns.

[cbbinnyc]

You should probably speak to an expert about this (if you went to an Ivy they probably have a prelaw adviser who can help you). I imagine you'll probably underperform your numbers and have a less predictable cycle, but I have a couple friends who had drug charges on their record, went to T14 schools with money, and passed the bar with no issues, so I would imagine with a C&F issue that resulted in probation you'll probably be ok.

[idkmanidk]

Thanks for weighing in and for the anecdotes. I'm kind of surprised because I've seen people being told they should kiss their dreams of being a lawyer goodbye for lesser offenses...

I haven't asked a pre-law adviser mostly because I find it difficult/embarrassing to discuss but I know I will have to do that sooner rather or later. Thank you again.

[Abraham Lincoln Uni.]

As noted above, it is recommended to talk to a pre-law advisor or counselor at your university.

It is important to always be honest with information because it may and will come up in the future when applying for Moral Character and Fitness. There also may be a section in the application for you to explain this further if needed to show how you remedied the situation or learned from that event.

Best of luck!