Punished for being real? Turn it into a resume-booster.

If you’re worried about speaking up to a toxic teacher and getting graded down, or getting suspended for selling food to kids who are too grossed out by school lunch to eat…

You don’t have to be. Speaking out is a strength: all you have to do is explain what you were doing while staying humble, self-aware, and true to yourself.

Here’s how to explain a bad grade, suspension, or detention in your college application.

Pick your battles. Do not explain away every little detail - pick the largest issue on your transcript. This is NOT a place to complain about a B+. This is a place to explain systemic adversity and inequity you faced in school that you fought to overcome.
Keep it short.

Samples:

Great, based on a true story -

My American History teacher made me and my female peers feel unsafe in the classroom. His casual misogyny and dismissive comments when we participated escalated when he bragged about keeping a gun in his car on school property, a violation of state law. Bringing this up with administrators, I was met with silence. Many of my friends stopped attending his class. I kept going almost out of fear: I needed to prove that I could outdo him, and the only way I knew how was raising my hand. I challenged his revisionist history, becoming a sassy, charismatic thorn in his narrative.

He stopped calling on me when I raised my hand and marked me down to zero on participation, 20% of my grade. That is why I have a B in 10th grade American History.

Short -

My history teacher, after making the classroom such an unsafe environment for female students that many stopped attending, stopped calling on me when I raised my hand. I kept going to class almost out of fear: I needed to prove that I could outdo him, and the only way I knew how was to speak out against his revisionist narrative. I received a zero on participation, 20% of my grade. I have a B in 10th grade American history.

Templates -

My classroom became such an unsafe environment that [X happened (keep it short)]. I tried [healthy, safe solution - asking another adult for help/having a conversation with the teacher], but it didn’t work. This left me [distressed/overwhelmed/your emotion], and I decided to [take more serious action]. I received a [zero on participation, an essay, be as specific as possible — but keep it frank. Just make the statement]. I have a [grade letter] in [class].

My school was an unsafe environment: the administration [did X (keep it short)]. I tried [healthy, safe solution - speaking at a school board meeting]. Where the [teacher’s union can go on strike/parents can vote in a new school board/principals can resist state policy (choose a relevant example)], students have no recourse. I had to [the unconventional solution you tried - protest, walkout, subversive tactics], and the consequence was [a suspension, detention, note on my record].

Log into the Common App website. Go to the “Common App” tab, select “Writing” from the sidebar, and click on “additional information.”

Add what you wrote!

“I was shocked to see how many applicants failed to distinguish themselves. Their strong academics and hard-earned personal credentials could come across as predictable and lifeless. Occasionally I came across an Additional Information section that was like a cold splash of water or an electric shock; it made the student come alive… these students seemed to know that in order to understand them, I HAD to know this dimension of their experience, personality, upbringing, bliss, or adversity. It made me believe they had something important to contribute to the university."

–Bates Admissions Officer

Here’s two options on how to do it in your resume.

In your EDUCATION section:

Bridgewater High School

GPA 3.3 May 2024

[Organized student walkout against / created school lunch alternatives to address food insecurity], raising [percentage class time spent learning / percentage of students who ate a hot meal daily] from X% to Y%, [(if you feel the need to mention this, especially if you’re also sending a transcript) “leading a 1-week suspension”].

Coursework: AP Microeconomics, AP Computer Science.

Or…

Add “Student Advocate” to your work experience section, and list at least two bullet points of action you took to improve school.

Here’s how to explain the situation to a company that asks for your high school transcript.

Templates:

Thank you for requesting my transcript - I’ve attached it here, and I’d like to provide some brief context:

My classroom became such an unsafe environment that [X happened (keep it short)]. I tried [healthy, safe solution - asking another adult for help/having a conversation with the teacher], but it didn’t work. I decided to [take more serious action]. I received a [zero on participation, an essay, be as specific as possible — but keep it frank. Just make the statement]. I have a [grade letter] in [class].

I hope you can understand my motivation. I’m excited to work with you at [company] in an intentional, collaborative environment where I’ll have many constructive avenues to communicate and address workplace challenges.

Thank you for requesting my transcript - I’ve attached it here, and I’d like to provide some brief context: