I got accepted into a graduate program, School A in Fall of 2013. But I deferred my admission for the spring of 2014, and attended another graduate program, School B, coz it was cheaper. I was planning on transferring the credits to the School A in the Fall of 2014. But I had some serious problems and got Fs in all my classes. I wanted to quit school for good but with encouragement from my friends and family, I decided to go to school A. The admission counselor there told me that I need not have to submit the transcript of the School B(all Fs) as long as I didn't mention this to anyone else, maybe because I had already been accepted by the school last fall. Now, almost done with the program, I am beginning to realize that it might be a premise to rescind my degree later on. What should I do guys?? Help me out.
For starters, whenever someone tells you that something is "OK" as long as you "don't tell anyone about it" that should be an immediate red flag that it isn't, actually, OK. As I see it, you have two choices. Whichever one you choose is up to you. I'm not going to advise you how I might act in your situation because, for the first reason above, I wouldn't be in your situation. Choice 1: Go to someone in student advising, an academic counselor or a someone in academic services and, in writing, tell them what you just told us. If they reply back and say "No, it's cool." Keep that email forever. If anyone does, at any point, try to rescind your degree you can at least claim that you disclosed it prior to the awarding of the degree and was told it was OK. The obvious risk here is that doing this might get you booted from your program. Choice 2: Shut up and stop posting on the internet about it. Universities don't go out looking for degrees to rescind years down the road. The likely cause of them discovering you would be if it came up in the course of another investigation (i.e. you were being investigated for plagiarism or some sort of academic fraud or any number of other things). Other than that, it's unlikely someone from that school will check you against the National Student Clearinghouse after you graduate (though note that going back for more degrees reopens the likelihood of getting caught). The obvious risk here is that you take the degree and hope that you never piss someone off into investigating you because then they may very well rescind your degree. Personally, if I had to choose between the risk of getting kicked out of a program and the risk of one day getting an awarded degree rescinded, I would choose the former. Particularly given the fact that you DID ask about it and were given some very bad advice. If you are progressing well in your program you may avoid expulsion and be able to put this whole thing behind you. But, again, it's your call because it's your academic future. Good luck.
That's tough. You certainly were honest when you applied, and you did bring it to the attention of the counselor. However, it's always a bad sign when you are told to keep quiet. The way I see it you have two choices: Keep quiet. If it is brought up later (seems unlikely), defend yourself by explaining that you told the counselor about it and they said you were OK. Hope that your say so is enough. Come clean now. You run the risk of finding out everything isn't OK and not being able finish your degree. Possibly having the credits rescinded so you can't transfer them anywhere. Possibly even being expelled for academic dishonesty which would make applying anywhere else difficult. There is also the real possibility that it will be judged OK, and you will be able to proceed. I think there's no upside to doing anything more about it at this point. You did what you were supposed to.
The biggest fear I have is getting kicked out when I am almost done with the program. All this hardwork and money gone to waste. Also, even if I stay quiet, I feel like the college will find out when they do the audit before handing out the diploma. Coz, I believe there must be some computerized database in place to verify all the details.
This is exactly why people need to stop asking admissions officers things that should be discussed with registrars. Knowing who to ask is just as important as the question. You may as well have asked the cafeteria cook. Admissions 101 is that they want all your transcripts. Whether or not they award credit or whether or not you sought transfer credit was not the issue, so the admissions "counselor" was mistaken. I'm much better at answering questions that require creativity to work within the rules to improve a system - beating a system at it's own game playing by and exploiting every detail and technicality, kinda gives me a charge. This isn't my kinda question, but I'll add that Neuhaus gave you excellent advice.
Sounds like School A is just glad to have students. I seriously doubt School A will find out about your situation or bother to look into it unless you bring it up. However, you sound guilt ridden like the narrator in the Tell Tale Heart, so I think you feel compelled to disclose everything. Good luck. Either way I am sure you will be okay in being able to stay in the program.
"But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. The ringing became more distinct: --It continued and became more distinct: I talked more freely to get rid of the feeling: but it continued and gained definiteness --until, at length, I found that the noise was not within my ears. No doubt I now grew very pale; --but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased --and what could I do? It was a low, dull, quick sound --much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I gasped for breath --and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly --more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why would they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men --but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! what could I do? I foamed --I raved --I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder --louder --louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly, and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! --no, no! They heard! --they suspected! --they knew! --they were making a mockery of my horror!-this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! and now --again! --hark! louder! louder! louder! louder! "
I don't work for a university. So I can't tell you what sort of "final audit" they do prior to printing diplomas but I would be very, very surprised if it involved checking every student against the NSC. Again, that involves paying a fee per search. So they would be shelling out a lot of money to potentially deny a diploma to one or two students. There's no ROI there for the school to do that so, in that case, I'd say you're just being paranoid and letting your ignorance of the inner workings of the school mess with your head. But that should be a fear that you never receive your degree. If that scenario occurs, you'll never get your diploma. On the other hand, if you don't tell them and it comes to light years later then they will (could) actually rescind it. So the paper on your wall becomes meaningless and you need to either remove it from your LinkedIn/resume in shame or broadcast a lie. If that's the case then bringing it up NOW will spare you the shame of having the diploma yanked at the very last minute. And while you were most definitely in the wrong on this one, it at least gives you a leg to stand on that you were acting in good faith if it ends up before a disciplinary committee. I also just want to say that I almost didn't recognize Kizmet's excellent reference here. The "watch enveloped in cotton" is a line that stuck in my head ever since I first read the Tell-Tale Heart in the 8th grade. And it is incredibly appropriate for this situation. The narrator got away with murder. But his own guilt led to his downfall. Take heed, dear friend, for it seems like the beating of that hideous heart is only getting louder.
I've found the NSC fee schedule for colleges and universities. Fee Schedule for Colleges & Universities | National Student Clearinghouse
