Failed a class for cheating - lie or be honest?

The first semester of my freshman year, I cheated in a non-business-related class and got caught. It was pretty bad cheating that spanned multiple instances (didn't get caught till the end of the class). I failed the class, and the cheating went on an internal record, but not my transcript. I'm recruiting for banking right now, and a SA app is asking for my transcripts. Assuming they even give me an interview, if they ask me why I failed that class, do I come clean or do I make up something else? 

7 Comments
 

You're incredibly lucky they're not putting it on your transcript. Don't cheat in college, it's not worth it. The consequences can be severe. Similar thing happened in one of my classes. During the final exam, the professor had a TA catch someone cheating. He was nice enough to fail the kid but said he will not report him. He didn't even ask for the student's name. He just threw away his exam.

Very tough class, I think I got a B or a C in it but took a L rather than took the risk of cheating (which I know he got caught but this course had a notorious cheating scandal that occurred a year before, used to be an easy class).

 

If they ever ask just lie. No upside to telling the truth but make the lie realistic. Also, stop cheating.

 

I don’t think that someone would ask for your transcripts prior to an interview to comment on it. You should not speak about it if no one asks for obvious reasons, but I would also advise on NEVER lying in case someone raises the issue. Integrity really matters and I believe that if yo keep this mindset of honesty you will think a nice place to work at that will value your integrity.

Cheating is bad but man everyone makes mistakes and that’s life, just learn not too make thé same mistake twice.

Good luck!

 

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