Academic Dishonesty and How It Will Affect Me?

I'm going to be honest with you—it's not great, and it could definitely impact you as you go to apply for colleges. But it also sounds like you need to find out some additional information from your school to be able to tell for sure what effect it might have.

Basically, if they JUST failed you for that class, that's not great but it's not the worst outcome, and having one failed course in high school isn't going to lock you out of your college choices. However, if they are putting a mark on your transcript (which no one here will be able to tell you for sure; only your school can) that indicates academic dishonesty, that can follow you a lot further. It doesn't ruin your chances of going to any college, but it will make the road to any that are competitive significantly harder.

If I were you, honestly, I would appeal—at least to get a meeting with whoever is going to decide how this looks on your transcript. When you go to them, be understanding, remorseful, and show that you know what you did wrong. If there are particularly salient reasons why you helped your classmate, go through those as well. Promise never to do it again, and ask them how this will be represented on your record. See if you can get it just to be a failing grade on that class and a warning; if they're reasonable enough and you show that you won't do it again, you might be able to prevent anything more than that showing up on your transcript.

And, of course, this should go without saying, but don't do it again. One academic dishonesty mark is bad but not impossible to come back from. More than one absolutely will screw you up for a long time because it shows a pattern of behavior.

Hello! Whilst this type of scenario has never happened to me, I'm sorry that it happened to you! I cannot say 100% confidently that it will not be on your transcript, but if your dean has not taken any action against you, it probably will not show up on your transcript. I do not think that one incident will as you say, "completely ruin" all your chances at getting into your dream school, especially if it doesn't show up on your transcript. I just wouldn't recommend asking the teacher from that class for a letter of recommendation... or something might be revealed that you would rather keep hidden! In the meanwhile, try to do all you can to make it up to your teachers, or even take inspiration from it for a potential college essay about resilience or learning from mistakes... I definitely feel you though, it must be a very disheartening moment for you, especially if you are a junior/senior! I am fairly sure that you will get into the schools you apply for and you will be fine!! Best of luck!