Discipline Question

The discipline question is an open-ended question that appears on many American college applications. In addition to transcripts, recommendations, and college entrance exams, students are expected, on applications that present this "question" to submit descriptions of any disciplinary incidents throughout their high school career. It often takes a form such as:

(This is only an example.) In addition to submitting your application materials, candidates for admission are expected to be forthcoming about discliplinary history. Please disclose any disciplinary actions more severe than detention which have been measured against you, and the charges leveled against you.

Minor disciplinary infractions can be ignored, so the discipline question is a non-issue for most American college-bound students. For some, however, it represents a serious threat. Students and parents fear that, if a student is forthcoming about details of a discipinary infraction, it may mean certain rejection in America's highly competitive admissions process. On the other hand, to omit such details would be dangerous, were the incident to surface in teacher's recommendations or guidance reports.

The discipline question is often debated in college admissions guides. Anecdotal evidence indicates that omission is, in general, more successful than disclosure, especially for mid-level infractions. Severe infractions, usually involving violence or criminal activity are highly likely to be disclosed by guidance counselors and school officials, for ethical reasons, whereas more minor indicants are often hidden.