Academic Disciplinary Action

Question

Hi guys!

A quick question regarding the "Education/Academic" section of business school applications.

When the school asks you "Have you ever been subject of disciplinary action ..." is it better to be open and transparent about everything or omitting and not bringing any attention to the issue overall.

For context, I once had a test disqualified because of unknowingly breaking against test rules (shared a constitute book during a law school exam). I was investigated for academic dishonesty but the case was dismissed as there had been no cheating involved. On my study records there are no signs of the incident, and the matter has never come up before, but I am not sure whether my school keeps a record of this incident, and not sure whether it will come up if schools run background checks on this?

What are your thoughts? Any experience with how thorough background checks B-schools run with your universities? For context, my university is non-US and probably not well-known to AdCom.

Thanks a ton!

MBAGuide · Answer

jeanjoaqim The world is far from perfect, and nobody is flawless. We've all faced challenges and have had our share of missteps during our school and college days. And the B Schools understand that. As long as your actions haven't led to any legal consequences (which you must disclose if they have), you can be confident that your school won't speak ill of a high-potential former student or hinder your application to prestigious colleges. Schools want to see their alumni do well in their careers. I have known many people who at some point faced disciplinary action in school or college. And they turned out just fine in life and many attended very prestigious universities. Since there is no record of any disciplinary action in your case and no cheating was involved, this should not come up during any background checks. Also, background checks focus more on your verifying your professional history than on your behavior in school. So, you can avoid bringing this up IMO. Get candid advice tailored to your specific situation. We do not cap discussion hours with our applicants Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD MBA admissions interviewer) MBAGuideConsulting LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com

TheRedPen · Answer

Hi  jeanjoaqim ,

Since there is no legal action involved, schools will not cause a hindrance in your profile. You can not add that incident to your applications.

You can still connect with our MBA consultants to understand the situation in-depth and help you draw a plan of action for successful applications.

You can schedule your complimentary session  here 
You can also call us at +91 9820491179

Admissionado · Answer

jeanjoaqim :

You can probably omit. It somewhat depends on the precise language of the question. Can you share the full text?

If it's only what you included, then you weren't really subject to a disciplinary action. It sounds more like the matter was investigated. I also doubt that if you omitted this information they would somehow find out later on, given that it was dismissed.

Businessconquerer · Answer

When you weren't found guilty of anything, that means you weren't subjected to anything on that front (You were subjected to stress though, I get it)

Academic Disciplinary Action

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