<p>Do you think colleges really check everything in your application? For instance, if you write that you have 150 hours volunteering at a hospital, 200 hours doctor shadowing, 100 hours researching, etc., do they check all of that or just take it on good faith? I really don't think colleges have the time or money to check every single thing an application writes, so does that mean someone can just BS their credentials and write things theyve never done? After all, the only thing colleges have proof of are grades (transcript), standardized test scores, and current courses/GPA. As far as extracurricular activities go, they have no clue.</p>
<p>So, what's your opinion? Do they really check?</p>
<p>For the more selective schools with the lengthy applications your EC's are mentioned in teacher recommendations, counselor recommendations, the application, supplemental materials, and at the interview. I read two of my D's teacher recommendations and they went into detail about her EC's. So it would be obvious if there are glaring inconsistencies. Also, I think the admissions officers are more interested in the impact of you on the organizations and vice versa rather than exactly how many hours you showed up for something.</p>
<p>actually i don't necessarily believe that they have to be mentioned in your recs, but one thing i do think is that what you say should definitely matchup with the rest of your application. I mean if you say you've been doing all the things you mentioned above but you have been doing not so great in your science classes then I don't think it would make sense.</p>
<p>There is no way they can expect everything to be mentioned in your teacher recs. The overwhelming majority of teachers only know their students from school and EXTRA curricular activities are outside of school, so there's no reasoning that requires them to put your EC stuff in their recs. Furthermore, it is impossible for colleges to check whether you had 150 hours vs 100 hours. What are they going to do, call up the hospital and ask someone to calculate all the hours a VOLUNTEER was there?</p>
<p>A lot of hospitals and other such places do keep a running tally of volunteer hours given. They want to be able to provide acknowledgement for certain milestone hours. Years ago when I volunteered at an aquarium they know exactly how many hours.</p>
<p>They generally don't check, your signature at the bottom of the app is supposed to be confirmation that everything is true. They do, however, sometimes do random checks (from what I've been told) and call up GCs to check things out, plus it's kind of obvious when people lie about big things. Inconsistencies tend to emerge when people lie about their extracurriculars...</p>
<p>The general consensus seems to be that lies big enough to make a difference are almost always caught (because really important awards, etc. are easy to check up on). If you stretch a number of hours of volunteer work or something by a small amount, it probably won't be caught, but it probably won't make any difference either.</p>
<p>But i think if you put down 150 hours instead of 50 hours it definitely looks better on the app and probably increases your likelihood of getting accepted.</p>
<p>so basically, you can lie on the little things but not on the big things? but isnt it the little things that make your app unique?</p>
<p>No. You can't lie on the little things OR the big things. No one should base getting into college on dishonesty. Be completely honest and truthful in your application. If you have 50 hours, write 50 hours.</p>
<p>As mentioned in another reply above, you claim when you submit an application that you were telling the truth. So if you weren't telling the truth, you could even have an offer of admission withdrawn, or be expelled from the college after enrolling. It's not a good idea to make stuff up.</p>
<p>^a lot of people have said "a friend of mine has all these stats but didn't get into this top ivy while this person has a few ECs but got in." They also look at whether or not your schedule is believable.</p>
<p>College applications are kept on file. You lie on your application, gain acceptance to the college of your choice, and go there. Let's say you don't slip up during the four years you're there, and graduate, and go on into a distinguished career. Let's say that career is in politics, and you rise prominently. While these applications are filed away privately, someone goes digging, and finds some information about you, and establishes that you lied on your app. You don't cave to the blackmail, and they go public. Your college, covering its own ass, rescinds your acceptance and degree, and you spent four years and insane amounts of money for nothing. </p>
<p>They don't have to find out now, or even in the four years you're there, but if they do it's a whole (deserved) mess that nobody wants to be in. </p>
<p>Just tell the truth, be proud of your accomplishments, and you will end up where you deserve.</p>
<p>If we don't check, then the number probably doesn't matter as much as you think it does and there's no point in lying.</p>
<p>If we do check and you lie, you're sunk.</p>
<p>You would be hard pressed to find an admission officer who would let the number of hours of community service dramatically change their admission decision. There is no reason to lie.</p>
<p>I will say that there are times when we know students are exaggerating...like when they spend more hours at activities than humanly possible or when a comonly defined activity or role is blown up into something it isn't, as if we live on another planet and don't know what Girls State or Boy Scouts or being a senate page means. That doesn't help the student's case.</p>
<p>Lotta responses...good stuff.
I mean, I personally wouldn't lie on my application and haven't done so, but I guess I was just curious if anyone gets caught. I understand that if a person was to become a politician, many would go digging into their files.</p>
<p>I guess exaggerating on the number of hours is basically not needed, because they don't matter that much anyway.</p>
<p>Numbers don't matter as long as it's not 2000 hours and volounteering is number 1 or 2 priority in your life (which is great). Think about purpose of lying, even morals aside, do you think that your application is so not interesting, that increasing hour numbers will help it? Then why apply anyway? It's more about character, why you did those activities, what you discovered, achieved, what changed in you... That you are supposed to reflect in your essay. Numbers are simply statistics.</p>
<p>Put it this way, you put your signature on your application saying that everything you said was the truth. Yes, it is likely that small changes in hours of community service or something won't be caught (though they could be), but, one, they DON'T MATTER, it's what the activity means to you that matters more, and two, the lies could very well be caught and then you'll be stuck in a mess. Plus it's completely immoral and dishonest to lie on your app...</p>
<p>Well, I agree that most schools may not care about the number of hours, but they definitely care about what EC's you have and your recommendations, NY_Democract</p>