General Petty theft on academic record, what to do?

[SDN]

Hi, I received a warning for petty theft at a school bookstore. I had to meet with the director of the office that deals with student conduct, they told me that it was minor and the fact that I had written a reflection beforehand showed that I was immediately remorseful for this action and that I take complete responsibility. I am looking to apply to veterinary school this upcoming summer. Should I just take a gap year or still apply? I have been seeing a therapist since the theft because I was going through a hard time then.

Hi, this is a tough situation.

Gap year or not, you'll need to explain what happened and make it clear that this was a one-time issue that will not happen again.

How is your GPA, sGPA and have you taken the GRE already?

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[SDN]

Thanks. I plan to explain it on my application, if I didn't it wouldn't be honest. It will be on my record for 7 years. My GPA is 3.5, prerequisite GPA is 3.7 and I have not taken the GRE yet. I also have a lot of volunteer hours regarding animal experience as well as working with veterinarians and forming relationships with them. I think overall my application looks decent and I am able to get letters from various DVMs, professors and previous managers.... it's just this is obviously an ethical issue and a blemish on my application. I don't plan to do it ever again because it was super humiliating but also my dream is to be a DVM and to be one I need to correlate my values with one.

I think you've got the right strategy. Be upfront and make it clear that this was a one-off that was a maladaptive reaction to a traumatic event. If you were depressed due to your grandfather's death, it is not unusual for people experiencing depression to make choices that are out of character.

I don't see a benefit for you in taking a gap year. Focus on doing well with GRE and I expect you'll have a good shot at achieving your goal.