Is Expulsion Problematic?

[ryansparx]

A few weeks into my freshman year at the academy I was attending the principal called me to the office. He told me that my views differed from those of the school and that he didn't want me influencing any of my peers. This was a Christian academy and I had become an atheist towards the end of eighth grade (needless to say I was failing my mandatory Bible class for my contentious essays). Anyway, private academies reserve the right to terminate their students' enrollment at any time for any reason, so even though the reason that I got expelled was laughable (and probably discriminatory), there was nothing I could do about it and that expulsion now goes on my academic record (supposedly). Now I had only had 2 detentions prior to my expulsion (between 6-9 grade), so my misbehavior isn't really severe (I went once for taking a toy switchblade comb to school, and again for cutting my wrists), but an expulsion is viewed as something that is very bad. Is this going to hurt my chances of getting into university? Will I be able to explain the situation? Will my explanation have any weight?

My parents flipped about it initially and some of their fear has become my own.

[veregudmen]

Generally it is problematic, however there is no hard and fast rule like that. Your current school's college counsellor should explain in your applications. Additionally, I think most application systems (Common App, UCA, etc) have a section where you can add information about extenuating circumstances and discplinary information.

Given that there isn't any element of violence or anything criminal in your situation, I doubt there would be a problem. Either way, you and your counsellor will have to explain it.

It isn't necessarily bad, it just is what it is.

You might want to leave out the cutting wrists part, though.

[Charliepants]

Detention and expulsion are not shown on your IB Diploma when you receive it, so I don't think the university will know, since the diploma is the only "proof" you'll have of your high school education.

So I wouldn't worry too much about it

[Guest Positron]

Well, if you apply to a fairly liberal place and tell them that you got expelled for not being Christian, I can hardly imagine the admissions counselor doing anything but laughing his a*s off and thinking that at least you're someone who can stand up for your views. You've done nothing wrong for having your own beliefs, and to be frank any university that would hold that against you is most probably a place that you wouldn't want to go to in any case.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Positron