<p>before you would say anything, I would say it took my whole courage to write this. And I really need your help on here. If you'd prefer to judge me and say something negative, I'd prefer you not to say anything.</p>
<p>I'm an international student who just applied to a Uni through common app.
when It came to the school form, my counselor allowed me to make my own recommendation for myself, and upload the report cards by myself.</p>
<p>I was so tempted, and I made the biggest mistake in my life. I cheated on my secondary report cards grades. I edited and made them higher. I also made fake accounts of teachers for my recommendations. I was not thinking very deep that time. Now I am fully aware that this could be a big problem for me, since I already submitted the forms, and now I'm just wishing that they would not accept me.</p>
<p>Other than that I am confused of what to do. Could you give me some advice? can I cancel my common app?</p>
<p>I definitely think that the Wheeler story holds up as what not to do and why. And the why is that you’re taking a spot of someone who deserves it based on their own merit. I worked hard through high school under difficult conditions and if someone who just made stuff up got into one of my schools instead of me, I’d be very upset. The other thing is that 10 years of probation, while not jail time, is still a stiff penalty. Imagine looking for a job with that on your application. Please withdraw your apps.</p>
<p>This kind of thing could haunt you for the rest of your life. For example, 30 years later in your career, if you end up in the public eye or running for office, people could dig up this information about you. Please follow your conscience and withdraw your apps. Start over again with paper applications to different schools. You’ll be able to sleep at night!</p>
<p>Withdraw. Take a year off and apply to a different set of colleges next year with the truthful information.</p>
<p>By the way, this in no way absolves you of guilt in this situation but your counselor needs to lose his/her job. What you were allowed to do is an egregious breach of professional ethics. Should it come to light, (and it’s likely that it will), by allowing you to provide your own (false) information your counselor has essentially brought into question any information about every applicant from your school. At this point any college can look at any application from anyone at your school and reasonably ask: Is any of this information true?</p>
<p>Well, its more complicated than that. The school must send the official transcript of your grades anyway, sealed. Putting them on your common application is only your statement of what they are. Its still a lie and it will be noticed. </p>
<p>As for the recommendations, that is also a lie and your counselor should also be fired. It will make your school look very bad for other students this year and years to come. </p>
<p>You need to address this with your counselor and headmaster/principal immediately. You need to withdraw your application to those schools who got this fraudulent information. And you need to decide if you are a good candidate for any school in the United States where integrity is a critical and essential part of the college admissions system as well as your collegiate career. </p>
<p>But admitting your error is critical right now. Otherwise it could result in very serious charges.</p>
withdraw your application and go to college in another country or take a gap year and redo your apps.
live with it. Go to the college which accepts you and don’t open your mouth for the rest of your life. Sure the guilt will kill you but thats just something you have to learn to live with. </p>
<p>Personally I would go with the first option. But its up to you. </p>
<p>Going with the second option is not entirely ruled out. You can live in the glory of getting that better college offer. The end result justifies the means.
There is a LOT that has happened in the past and we do not know the full story. History is written by the victor. The question is if you can stoop to this level. Its a question of morals and righteousness. Its your call buddy.
If you do take the second option and gain a GREAT college offer because of it. Then stop cheating. Don’t get carried away.</p>
<p>The deadline has not been reached for many colleges. Submit new applications to new colleges, and quietly ask that the fradulent applications be withdrawn. There is no need to give a reason for the withdrawal.</p>
<p>P.S. - I understand that if the College Board becomes aware of fraud, they can provide information to colleges that effectively blackball you from almost all colleges. If you withdraw an application, the file will be deleted or shredded and no one will know.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone else that you should definitely withdraw your applications, and that what you did was very foolish and unethical. However, to the people who claim that this is a punishable offense: no, it’s not. The OP cannot be convicted of falsifying information unless he or she matriculates at a college in the US and the truth somehow comes out while he/she is a student there. At this point, as an international living abroad (and I presume that this is the case because it’s a lot easier to lie on your application when your counselor has never had to or is not willing to deal with the American education system), the OP is extremely unlikely to be taken to court for this.</p>
<p>Anyway. It’s good that you know what you did was wrong. Just withdraw your applications, look at your life, look at your choices, etc.</p>
<p>Thank You for your advices. I am withdrawing my application now. I don’t want to end up living a lie waking up every morning with guilty pleasure of how I took someone’s place in a university, and I believe I was not raised to be a criminal. I am aware I have integrity issues, and am going to meet a psychiatrist before it’s too late.</p>
<p>How should I withdraw it? should I contact the common app, or should I contact the Admission committee of the particular college which I sent the fraudulent data to?</p>
<p>Another question of mine, Will it be possible for me to take a year off, and apply to the same university again next year? of course, with truthful information and correct data.
Thank you for your supports.</p>
<p>O and if you decide to go on with this, ie you don’t withdraw, don’t say anything about yourself on CC with this account. Otherwise, later in life, you will get it.</p>
<p>If you withdraw - don’t worry. Adcoms may not have started reading your app yet. The deadline is just passing for interview reports, etc. to be submitted. </p>
<p>Chances are - if you’re in a pile of thousands, they’ll be grateful to have one less to read. I can say that as a college interviewer.</p>
<p>The fact that the school will match your grades with the official transcript is what will kill you. And people do talk about fraud in inner circles.</p>
<p>Take everything off the table and start over. If you really want the school, you could take the risk of withdrawing the application and submitting a new one next year with the correct information.</p>
<p>I’m going to go out on a limb and say something else - I’ve noticed a tendency for many students to over think the process. The “rules” for admissions in the US are not the same as in many foreign countries where only grades and top scores count. Colleges are now looking for students who are well rounded and they are becoming increasingly suspicious of students because so many are coached and prepped for the test. They skew the average. In one comical case, a student arrived from overseas with perfect test scores and straight A’s but couldn’t speak a word of English. In a local case, it was clear someone else took the test (my daughter was shocked to take a test and wasn’t asked for id).</p>
<p>So be yourself - if you do, the right school will recognize your talent. Be upfront and honest in an interview about more than just academics - what’s your passion, where do you see yourself in five years, what do you do that is not driven by a parent or teacher, what books to you enjoy? What fascinates you.</p>
<p>Even MIT turns down some students with perfect grades and perfect scores in favor of students with lower stats because they have more “substance” to their lives outside of academics.</p>
<p>Stop worrying about stats. Start worrying about getting into the school that fits you the way you are NOW and can help you grow into the person you want to be.</p>
<p>This might be off topic, but I want to address something you just said.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I mean, seriously? You need a professional to teach you that you should act inherently good? You have a moral compass, you have a sense of justice, and considering the fact that you chose to take back your “crime,” you probably have a decent set of ethics. You made a mistake and you’re paying for it, why on Earth would you find the need to go to a psychiatrist for this?</p>