Max. traffic tickets for your application? Forum

[kalvano]

I just said I had several and gave a listing of dates and places and the specific offense.

I didn't bother trying to explain anything.

[CG614]

Given two candidates with similar stats, I think the Adcoms may pick the one without the 5 tickets. So, it can matter.

Highly doubtful.

In fact, many applications specifically ask you to exclude minor traffic infractions in listing any criminal history.

Having a ton of tickets didn't seem to hold me back any.

What did you say about all your tickets? Did you list them individually, or did you just mention you had gotten tickets.

Also: Does NYU really make you disclose speeding tickets? I read the application, and it doesn't say "excluding minor violations" or anything, but I still didn't think you needed to disclose that hardcore..

I e-mailed them when I was applying to ask if it would exclude traffic violations. The response was that nothing was excluded.

[CanadianWolf]

You would think that an ultra urban school like NYU would be more interested in jaywalking citations than traffic tickets.

[ajmanyjah]

Well this makes me glad I managed to get my underage drinking ticket thrown out and that I lived in cities with public transit.

Seriously, NYU makes you disclose? The hilarity of a city in a heart of Manhattan where most students take the Subway or PATH to forcing you to disclose traffic tickets is hilariously ironic...probably just trying to ID the Jersey kids like me

[swc65]

You will probably be fine as long as you honestly disclose. Law schools are just making sure you would pass character and fitness. Usually, that's only a problem for people who don't properly disclose or people whose conduct shows willful disregard for the law- generally, 4-5 speeding tickets is nowhere close to that point.

I had around 20 traffic violations. Mostly speeding.

Yikes. What do you drive?

What and where so I can avoid you on the road!

[09042014]

The DF addendum so IUB would shut the fuck up and show me the money.

I have gotten three speeding tickets, one in May 2004, one in June 2004, and one in June 2009, the first two in XXXXXX and the third YYYYYY. All were for going under 20 over the speed limit. Further information is available upon request.

[kalvano]

You will probably be fine as long as you honestly disclose. Law schools are just making sure you would pass character and fitness. Usually, that's only a problem for people who don't properly disclose or people whose conduct shows willful disregard for the law- generally, 4-5 speeding tickets is nowhere close to that point.

I had around 20 traffic violations. Mostly speeding.

Yikes. What do you drive?

What and where so I can avoid you on the road!

Why? I'm a very safe driver. I'm usually past you before anything can happen.

[Patriot1208]

speeding =/= bad driver.

In fact, most accidents seem to either be caused by those who do things that distract them (texting, playing with the radio too much, etc.) or those who drive so slow and cautiously that they actually become dangerous. Not fast drivers.

[rockstar4488]

5 tickets in 5 years, with the most recent being this past May, does show a pattern of disregard for the law. That being said, most apps allow you to omit traffic violations. For the ones that don't, write a good addendum explaining that you have learned your lesson or something. You should be fine, even on the apps that make you disclose it.

This is poor advice. Just disclose them. If the admissions reps think that it is a problem (and I really doubt it will be), then you wont get into that school.

However, realize the gravity of intentionally lying on this disclosure. It could cause your membership to the bar association and your JD (once earned) to be revoked.

[CG614]

5 tickets in 5 years, with the most recent being this past May, does show a pattern of disregard for the law. That being said, most apps allow you to omit traffic violations. For the ones that don't, write a good addendum explaining that you have learned your lesson or something. You should be fine, even on the apps that make you disclose it.

This is poor advice. Just disclose them.

Where do I say not to disclose them?

[rockstar4488]

You say to write an addendum about how you learned. To be more clear, what I mean, is _only_ disclose them.

[CG614]

You say to write an addendum about how you learned. To be more clear, what I mean, is _only_ disclose them.

All the apps make you write an addendum if you answer yes to that question. So, your advice is to not address the 5 tickets in 5 years at all? I stick by the advice stating that you have learned from them. A traffic ticket is a violation of the law, in some sense, so you should address it, IMO.

[rockstar4488]

The addendum is the disclosure.

[kalvano]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

[CG614]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

[rockstar4488]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I think it is extremely presumptuous. Unless you actually have something to say, don't pay lip service to the issue. And I sincerely doubt someone with 5 tickets learned a damn thing.. other than where the best parking at the local courthouse is.

[kalvano]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I had probably a dozen on my disclosure. I didn't say anything about them except to list the ones I can remember.

[CG614]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I think it is extremely presumptuous. Unless you actually have something to say, don't pay lip service to the issue. And I sincerely doubt someone with 5 tickets learned a damn thing.. other than where the best parking at the local courthouse is.

Take your own advice.

[CG614]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I had probably a dozen on my disclosure. I didn't say anything about them except to list the ones I can remember.

And how do you know that it had zero effect on your application?

[kalvano]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I had probably a dozen on my disclosure. I didn't say anything about them except to list the ones I can remember.

And how do you know that it had zero effect on your application?

Because I got in everywhere I expected to get in, and didn't get in everywhere I didn't expect to get in.

They don't care. Application committees don't give 1/10 of one shit about your traffic tickets. Every place I spoke to said they don't care, it's purely for the bar.

[CG614]

Because I got in everywhere I expected to get in, and didn't get in everywhere I didn't expect to get in.

They don't care. Application committees don't give 1/10 of one shit about your traffic tickets. Every place I spoke to said they don't care, it's purely for the bar.

Well, who am I to argue with that sound logic.

[rockstar4488]

There is no need to go over how sorry you are or what you learned when it comes to minor traffic tickets.

Agreed, for a few. But one a year for five years. I'd say something. I doubt it will even come into play, unless the candidate is borderline and there is a comparable candidate that does not have the tickets. Regardless, it certainly wouldn't hurt to add an extra sentence, and it could potentially help.

I think it is extremely presumptuous. Unless you actually have something to say, don't pay lip service to the issue. And I sincerely doubt someone with 5 tickets learned a damn thing.. other than where the best parking at the local courthouse is.

Take your own advice.

I wasn't giving irrelevant lip service to this issue. I firmly believe that it is a poor idea to write an addendum saying that you learned something from getting traffic tickets. Obviously, the exception being that you really did learn some lesson and that you are able to convey that.

[CG614]

I wasn't giving irrelevant lip service to this issue. I firmly believe that it is a poor idea to write an addendum saying that you learned something from getting traffic tickets. Obviously, the exception being that you really did learn some lesson and that you are able to convey that.

I would hope after 5 speeding tickets, one would learn to slow down a bit and pay more attention to the law (posted speed limits).

And, how is that poor advice?

[ert335]

does anybody have any idea how schools handle alcohol tickets like an MIP/PI?

[rockstar4488]

I think as long as they are civil citations they really don't matter.