<p>For instance, I am a member of my school's debate team and I'm not officially captain but I am always in charge of organizing meetings, making sure everyone is prepared, finding substitutes, and recruiting. Another example is my school soccer team; I'm technically captain but only when the other 4 captains are absent...(pathetic I know). So if I were to put captain on an application, what are the chances that a college will actually look into that?</p>
<p>There are going to be upwards of 20,000 people applying to the same school that you are applying to. Adcoms don't have time to look up every detail about every applicant. Come on now, be realistic.</p>
<p>Um, you shouldn't really put Captain for either one since you really aren't the captain.</p>
<p>If you decided to lie, chances are the school will not catch you because honestly, they deal with so much they probably won't look into a single (or two) EC(s).</p>
<p>Still, you shouldn't lie. Period. If you want to assert your position in these ECs, why don't you have the person in charge write you a rec?</p>
<p>So are you an alternate captain? Or do you not really have a title at all. If you feel more comfortable putting Assistant Captain, maybe you could do that.</p>
<p>the chances of getting caught may not be high, but the consequences are severe (revoked admission). Your choice if you want to roll the dice or not. Note that some schools have a policy of randomly asking students to verify their ECs (the UC system, for one).</p>
<p>That could be Assistant to the Captain.;-}</p>
<p>"same thing"</p>
<p>"no its not the same thing"</p>
<p>No. 10 char</p>
<p>No they dont. many schools recieve around 20,000 applications and have around 2 months to make decisions. they dont have time to individually corroborate the information you provided.
I wouldnt lie because well you never know. If you admissions counselor somehow gets suspicious, all it takes is a quick phonecall to verify.
What I would do is exagerate! as Long as you are not flat out lying then your fine.</p>
<p>It's not a lie if YOU believe it. (who says TV is worthless)</p>
<p>I think if you said co-captain you would be fine</p>
<p>Having been a part of hiring hundreds of people, I can say that when you look over a resume (even one in a pile of 2000) your eye is trained to spot red flags. I am quite sure admissions officers can smell exaggeration. Recommendations written by your teachers and guidance counselors would in all likelihood allude to your leadership positions in the school if they were a real part of who you are. If nothing is mentioned, it will look strange and stand out.</p>
<p>Oh, what a tangled web we weave....</p>
<p>Be careful. You are "enough" just the way you really are. Don't let the insane admissions marketplace cause you to lower your standards. Being meticulously honest is a profitable habit to get into. Good character and a fine reputation are two things which will help you to put a roof over your head and food on your plate throughout your life.</p>
<p>I think you would be better off finding a way to share an image of who you really seem to be, which is someone who is helpful, eager to pitch in, and willing to pick up the slack. There is nothing "pathetic" about that. Don't ruin your good efforts by misrepresenting them.</p>
<p>From what I've found, no. But there have been cases where an adcom accidentally found out -- calling the school for a clarification of some information, etc. And I believe UCs randomly check 10% of their applicants.</p>
<p>I asked HS counselor how can she verified activities that are outside of school like piano for example, she said they rarely check, she only had to verify once, but if they do she figure a way. The reason I asked because my D's piano teacher is not that healthy, could be gone anyday now.</p>
<p>I also read some girl that wrote an essay about doing some charity work in Honduras but in reality she did. She did get into the college of her choice. So they do not always find out.</p>
<p>But I think it's an ethical question.</p>
<p>make sure the REAL captain doesn't apply to the same school lol.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm just paranoid of getting busted but I wouldn't put a title that you absolutely are not. Like others suggested, use an appropriate title like assistant captain or something along those lines.</p>
<p>What if we exaggerate a little with the number of hours or number of weeks we spend on a particular EC? For example if we spend 2-3 hours weekly at a club and we say we spend 4? Is it going to be a big problem if I get caught?</p>
<p>colleges will find out.</p>
<p>There is a little voice inside of you which will tell you what to do. Listen to it. </p>
<p>An "appropriate title" can only be an actual title. Instead of fabricating "Assistant Captain", which sounds ridiculous, I would again just find a way to communicate what a helpful and hardworking person you are to have around. "Assisted the Captain/Team" would be truthful.</p>
<p>angeltuza wrote "What if we exaggerate a little with the number of hours or number of weeks we spend on a particular EC? For example if we spend 2-3 hours weekly at a club and we say we spend 4? Is it going to be a big problem if I get caught?"</p>
<p>Why lie? SHouldn't you better just spend that one hour more? Don't sell your integrity for something that no one else will care about. Don't sell your integrety period.</p>