<p>on the common application, where it tells us to list our extra- curricular activities, and lets say, we're part of a club, but in order to make ourself look better on the application, we exagerate the position of like PRESIDENT of the club or something along those lines...</p>
<p>my concern is, do they investigate our EC's? like any proof required? such as documents, teacher references, etc? </p>
<p>If not, then how do they know we are telling the truth? i mean, couldn't every applicant lie and say they were president of this, or co-chair of that??</p>
<p>THANK YOU SO MUCH IF YOU GUYS COULD ANSWER THIS! HONESTLY MEANS SO MUCH!!</p>
<p>Do not make up officer positions. It is dishonest and stupid. I know the UCs have a protocol for investigating ECs, I’m sure someone on here can elaborate on that, though mostly there just isn’t time to investigate. Everyone embellishes their applications, but you cannot just make things up or forge recommendations.</p>
<p>A lot of schools have a random pool that they choose to ask for proof regarding EC’s.
I agree with the above post in that taking credit for something you didn’t do is absolutely stupid.</p>
<p>I think there’s a difference between presenting your factually accurate application in the best light possible and outright fabrication. I think listing yourself as President of a club that you’re not actually President of would probably fall under the latter category. As to whether colleges actually check, I think most admissions committees neither have the time nor the resources to call each applicant’s school and verify each and every statement on the Common App. That doesn’t mean lying is the right (or safe) thing to do, either. Chances are that you wouldn’t get called on it, but on the off chance that an admissions officer does contact your school to verify (or if, more likely, something in your letters of recommendation or something doesn’t match up with what you’ve listed), it probably wouldn’t bode well.</p>
<p>That being said, I think there’s definitely ways to present oneself well while still being honest. The way you describe your ECs, for instance, is one place where you can phrase things in a certain way to help your case a bit. There’s plenty of ways to do this, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s even a thread that’s stickied on this topic. You don’t have to lie to make your ECs stand out. If this helps illustrate my point at all, it’s the difference between saying: “I do nails” and “I’m a nail technician”. (I heard that a billion times during the admissions process…) The latter isn’t a lie, it’s just a more glamorous way of presenting the truth.</p>
<p>If you lie/exaggerate about something significant, it’s very easy for colleges to check. If it’s something that’s not very easy for colleges to check, it’s probably not important enough to make a difference in your application…</p>
<p>It is ironic that the OP thanks others for answering the question by saying “honestly [this] means so much!”
You either were the president, or you were not…there is no such thing as “exaggerating” in this case.</p>
<p>There is a difference between exaggerating(which can have a positive connotation) and lying.
Saying that you are the president of a club when you are not is LYING.
Saying that you were a captain for you JV sports team when you were a captain for only one game/practice is exaggerating. It is not a flat out lie, but it is putting one of your achievements into a better light. Not fabricating one completely.</p>
<p>Hey guys thanks a lot for your answers, i really appreciate them! </p>
<p>I’m not from the US, so my next question is does everyone in the US have your mentality? In regards to no fabrication of EC’s at all? Because from an international student’ point of view, many people around me suggest to fabricate stories in order for the admissions officers to pay more attention to my application. So basically, the whole mentality that i’ve recieved from people around me is that because you are already an international student, you are already at a disadvantage, thus, fabricating increases your chances.</p>
<p>^is that correct?
i’m sorry if i seem clueless i’m only a freshman, but please help if you can!</p>
<p>^^To answer your question: YES! In the US, lying/fabricating has a very negative connotation, especially in regards to educational institutions.</p>
<p>thank you! Where I live everyone thinks that everyone makes stuff up for uni applications! nice to know that you guys stay true and honest. thanks again!</p>
This is a good answer–the point is that it is never worth the risk to lie on an application. Even the insignificant lie might be discovered, and it would wreck your chances over something that wouldn’t have helped you anyway. No college admissions decision is going to turn on whether somebody was the president of the Science Club or not.</p>