Rescinded offer?

[ReallyAMcCoy]

I’ll keep this very brief. I’ve been offered an acceptance to a school and am worried about the background. Many years ago (15+) I received two DUI convictions within a short time during a very tough time in my life (no excuses, just a very dumb kid with a chip on his shoulder). Since then, no issues whatsoever; and no, I do not have any alcohol/substance issues whatsoever.

The question is, will the school rescind its acceptance offer based on these expunged convictions? I plan on answering every question truthfully but not volunteering information that is not asked (ie, if it asks me to exclude expunged records in disclosure, I will). Should I be worried that this acceptance will not stick based on these records (rather than any dishonesty about them)? And yes, please be assured that I feel absolutely terrible whenever I think that I could have ever been such a selfish punk kid. I would never, ever repeat any such thing or anything even remotely close. Thanks everyone.

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[GoSpursGo]

As you said, answer questions truthfully. If they did not ask on their secondary then you likely are fine. Main caveat and the one place where I’ve seen students get tripped up is if any rotations at the school are at a VA or other federal facility, as oftentimes the background check is much more intense for those institutions

 

[Goro]

I’ll keep this very brief. I’ve been offered an acceptance to a school and am worried about the background. Many years ago (15+) I received two DUI convictions within a short time during a very tough time in my life (no excuses, just a very dumb kid with a chip on his shoulder). Since then, no issues whatsoever; and no, I do not have any alcohol/substance issues whatsoever.

The question is, will the school rescind its acceptance offer based on these expunged convictions? I plan on answering every question truthfully but not volunteering information that is not asked (ie, if it asks me to exclude expunged records in disclosure, I will). Should I be worried that this acceptance will not stick based on these records (rather than any dishonesty about them)? And yes, please be assured that I feel absolutely terrible whenever I think that I could have ever been such a selfish punk kid. I would never, ever repeat any such thing or anything even remotely close. Thanks everyone.

As long as they didn't ask about it, and as long as you were truthful, you have nothing to worry about

 

[ReallyAMcCoy]

Thanks, appreciate it. I was just worried that multiple DUIs could be a deal breaker for a school regardless of honesty.

 

[LunaOri]

It would be a dealbreaker if the DUIs were recent. 15 years ago, not so bad!

 

[wook]

As others have said, I would suggest answering truthfully.

If asked if you've ever been arrested, I would suggest being forthright.

As has been pointed out, depending on how your criminal background check is run, there may be evidence of expunged or sealed records. In one of my previous lives, I would run background checks. My access would demonstrate that someone had a sealed or expunged record.

It is your call, but you are going to have background checks in school, residency, licensing, credentialing, etc. Be prepared to talk to it, and don't make it look like you are hiding anything as it may give people the impression you are not truthful and/or trustworthy. I would especially be careful when it comes to licensure. There are often criminal implications if not completely honest, and if you are denied a license, every state after that may also not issue a license for integrity issues.


Wook

 

[Med Ed]

Navigating this process in three easy steps:
1. If the question says you don't have to disclose expunged offenses, then don't disclose
2. If the question says you have to disclose expunged offenses, then disclose
3. If the question doesn't specify, then request clarification from the body asking the question

The "system" for aggregating, storing, and disseminating criminal records is extremely fragmented, and subject to the whims of individual localities and states. Given the likelihood of mistakes, I generally recommend that everyone investigate themselves at least once to make sure their records are accurate. Fieldprint is good for doing a national/FBI search, and contact the state police in the state(s) where your offenses occurred to request a state-level search.

Sometimes a court will expunge the court-related documents, but the police will retain the arrest information, which can make its way into the state police database. When that happens you may have to start a new expungement process for those records.