Let bygones be bygones. Clean slate. Forgive and forget. These are all comforting phrases that, if you believe them, can actually be quite destructive. The truth is, any mistakes you make in high school or college, or any unjust discipline your school levies against you, will almost certainly affect your career.

The Professional Landscape Is as Competitive as Ever, Making Your Margin for Error Razor-Thin

Though university enrollment saw a marked decline during the pandemic, data indicates that the fall in college enrollment numbers may soon reverse course. Plus, this is only a tiny snapshot in time. Decades-long inflation of the post-secondary student population means that employers have a vast number of post-grads to choose from when filling any given position.

Furthermore, competition for spots at America's top-tier universities remains as feverish as ever, as students rightfully see a degree from a good college as a ticket to a lucrative career and stable life.

When millions of students and postgraduates are competing for a finite number of college entrances and jobs, a single instance of formal discipline can be devastating.

And yet, research from the University of Michigan suggests that schools at all levels enforce disciplinary policies unevenly. While a college entrance board or prospective employer may assume that a student did something to warrant discipline, this is not always the case.

What Students Can Do to Avoid the Damage of University-Issued Discipline

For a high schooler accused of behavioral or academic misconduct, experiencing any kind of formal discipline may:

• Decrease the number of universities they are accepted into
• Affect their eligibility for financial aid
• Lead them to go to a lesser university than they would have were it not for formal discipline

University students accused of wrongdoing may face academic probation, suspension, dismissal, or a formal reprimand. Such discipline could knock them down employers' lists of eligible candidates and may even disqualify them from certain employers' candidate pools.

To avoid these potentially life-altering consequences, hire Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team to work with your school's administrators and Office of General Counsel. We will fight for a resolution that protects your name and keeps any mistake you've made a private matter.

Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or submit your case information online. We're ready to help you today.