<p>Im an international student, currently studying in Chile, and have finished 1 semester in college, which means that I <code>cant</code> apply as a freshman because I have completed more than 12 credits (16 to be exact...FML).</p>
<p>I dont want to apply as a transfer because most of the courses I took cant be convalidated since they are specific to my country....so basically I wanna apply as a freshman but I shouldnt because thats what the rules say...</p>
<p>This is so retarded why cant I just apply as a freshman?
Can I lie and say Ive never been to college?
Can they find out Im lying considering I didnt go to college in the USA?</p>
<p>First of all, in my country the policies are quite different than from the USA and I assumed they were similar. Here you can start fresh at distinct universities even if you have been enrolled previously (no time limit or credit limit).</p>
<p>I know its unethical but I think its unfair that I HAVE TO apply as a transfer even though:</p>
<ol>
<li>its significantly harder to get in college as a transfer than a freshman (and my college GPA that semester blew because I didnt really try my best because I thought the grades wouldnt matter since I was start fresh in the US, not to mention that I changed my mind on what major to follow and failed maths badly)</li>
<li>most of my credits wont get transferred</li>
<li>college policies here are much more different</li>
<li>this one is personal but still; I had no idea that I couldnt apply as a freshman if I had been enrolled in more than 12 credits…and I passed 16…I couldve failed on purpose if I would have known this to meet the freshman criteria!</li>
</ol>
<p>This isnt fair!
Do you get where Im coming from?</p>
<p>this doesnt make any sense. if most of your credits wont transfer, then why would you not be admitted as a freshman? if you really care, why not just not show them your transcript and “start over”</p>
<p>It is fair because the same policies apply to all students including US students. Many credits from other US universities do not transfer school to school either. Many US schools are notoriously fussy about what sorts of transfer credits they will accept.</p>
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<p>Yeah, I get it. You are asking if it is okay to be a liar. But I can tell you that if the US school finds out you lied on your application they will rescind your acceptance. If they find out after you are already enrolled they will kick you out and invalidate all your course work. If they find out after you have graduated they will invalidate your degree. Do you want to spend the rest of your life hoping they don’t find out? </p>
<p>Only you can decide whether or not you are going to be an honest, honorable person. Your decision.</p>
<p>“All things being equal you wan’t to be as truthful as possible. But sometimes all things aren’t equal.”</p>
<p>With that philosophy it’s easy to rationalize lying about anything and everything. Because in real life things are never equal. That’s the way life works. Either you are an honest person in your application to college or not. The choice is up to you.</p>
<p>phone a US university, somewhere you’re NOT planning to apply to. explain your situation, and ask very politely if it’s possible to apply as a freshman. see what they say.</p>
<p>Think of it this way: you lie, you get caught, you get rejected.</p>
<p>Getting caught: “explain what you’ve been doing for the past year.” or Recommendations: “Loco10 was very unfocused when leaving HS, but after one year, has turned a corner.” or tests/transcript that show dates, etc. </p>
<p>In other words, there are plenty of ways you’d get caught, so why chance it? If you really “like” risks, apply as a transfer to a super reach! But don’t start your college career unethically. Ask Marilee Jones if she’d do it again:
You get expelled. If you get caught once you already have your degree, your degree gets revoked.</p>
<p>And yes, they can find out. It amazes me that the generation that is so free with information on the Internet believes that things can be “secret.” They can’t.</p>
<p>So if you bend the rules when you apply to college, how do you manage with the implicit rules of “character” that are part of the college education.</p>
<p>I’m especially impressed by the Honor Code at Davidson College:</p>
<p>Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from cheating (including plagiarism). Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from stealing. Every student shall be honor bound to refrain from lying about college business. Every student shall be honor bound to report immediately all violations of the Honor Code of which the student has first-hand knowledge; failure to do so shall be a violation of the Honor Code. Every student found guilty of a violation shall ordinarily be dismissed from the College. Every member of the college community is expected to be familiar with the operation of the Honor Code.</p>
<p>I find it odd (albeit not surprising) that the complexity and opaqueness of the college application process clouds the importance of integrity.</p>