How Can a Juvenile Conviction Affect College Admissions?

 Posted on November 28, 2019 in Juvenile Crimes

Regardless of how stellar a student’s high school transcript is, and no matter how well they scored on the SATs, if they have any type of juvenile conviction on their record, it will make it much more difficult for them to get into college. This is just one of the consequences of being convicted of a crime, even if that conviction came in the form of adjudication in the juvenile system.

So, if your child has been adjudicated, how will it affect their chances of getting into the school of their dreams? How can you help ensure they will not feel those consequences?

Criminal History Questions on College Applications

Approximately half of all public colleges and universities will ask about a student’s criminal history on their applications for admittance. This number increases to between 60 to 80 percent for private institutions. Approximately half of all two-year community colleges will ask students about their criminal background, while most four-year colleges will conduct a full background check.

The questions asked will typically include any offenses a student committed as a juvenile. Applicants may be asked to include information about previous arrests, if they faced charges as a result, if the charges were dropped, or if they were found guilty or innocent.

It is important students are honest when answering these questions. Schools that ask these questions will typically run a background check anyway, and any prior arrests will show up on those checks. If there are discrepancies between what a student states on their application and what shows up on a background check, it will only work against the student.

How a Criminal History Affects College Admission Decisions

Not only do college and university applications ask about a student’s criminal background, but they typically ask for more detail than even employment applications. Elite schools, particularly those that are highly competitive, will likely not accept students that have a criminal record.

Other schools may deny students with a criminal background financial aid. With most students requiring this type of help, that alone could mean they will be unable to attend school. Two types of convictions or adjudications that could really hurt a student’s chance of admission or those involving violence and sex crimes. Schools around the country are trying to severely cut down on the number of these instances happening on campus and so, these crimes will likely hamper a student’s efforts the most. However, petty crimes such as vandalism and low-level marijuana offenses will likely be overlooked.

Get the Help You Need from an Illinois Criminal Defense Attorney

Unfortunately, once a student has a conviction or adjudication on their record, it is often very difficult to get rid of it. As such, the only way to help ensure these won’t affect their college or university application is to retain the help of a dedicated Rolling Meadows criminal defense attorney. At the Law Offices of Christopher M. Cosley, we know how to prepare defenses when minors are charged with a crime so it does not affect their chances of getting into a post-secondary school or any other part of their life. If your child has been charged with a crime, call us today at 847-253-3100 for your free consultation to learn more about how our attorney can help you and your family.

Source:

https://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/cfjc/documents/ParentHandbook.pdf