<p>Could you stretch the truth for a few extracurriculars in your application or does Harvard (or any other Ivy school for that matter) verify that everything you say is 100% true?</p>
<p>I’ve wondered the same thing. But then I realized there is no point in lying. If they did happen to confirm things, you risk your acceptance. Also saying you’re a leader of Math Club or something like that probably won’t make a difference in your application. Winning awards in competitions is what makes a difference IMO.</p>
<p>They now check with the publisher of your book and your agent to make sure you didn’t plagiarize it. </p>
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<p>If you’re smart enough to be applying to Harvard, it’s time to use your head a little bit.</p>
<p>They get 35,000 applications per year. The admissions staff are already reading until their eyes hurt. Do you think they take the time to check every extracurricular activity listed by every applicant?</p>
<p>And here’s another thinking exercise. Do you think you can stretch the truth far enough to make any difference without raising suspicion? If you tell them you spend 4 hours per week practicing figure skating, when in reality you quit in the tenth grade, it’s not really going to make any difference. But if you tell them you went to the Olympics in 2010 as an ice dancer, they’re probably going to investigate that.</p>
<p>BE HONEST, AS YOU DON’T WANT TO GET CAUGHT IN A LIE. Remember, your teachers and guidance counselor are going to be writing about you. A good recommendation letter, especially from a GC, will detail a student’s academic performance as well as extracurricular activities at school.</p>
<p>Tell the Truth</p>
<p>Oh, yeah, gibby and rr are right. I forgot to add that part: tell the truth. </p>
<p>Tell the truth because it’s the right thing to do. Tell the truth because even after you’ve enrolled, they could dismiss you from the College if they find out you’ve lied in your application. Tell the truth because you’d be giving up your integrity for no significant advantage in admissions. Tell the truth because you’d be giving up your integrity, period.</p>
<p>Harvard, as well as other schools, hire outside companies that do verification checks on college applications. It is also listed on the bottom at Harvard’s application form that they do so. </p>
<p>“Please be aware that Harvard, like most schools, uses outside companies to help process, review and collect data for applications. For this purpose we share application materials and information with them. Examples of such outside companies include the Common Application and Universal College Application, transcript request services, and services that review materials for plagiarism. These companies in many cases will retain the application information in their databases. We also share application information with our alumni interviewers.”</p>
<p>Cost/benefit analysis is needed here. If your lie is so insignificant that it can’t be exposed, it’s too insignificant to help your application. If you’re thinking of telling a lie that is substantial enough to bring you from reject to acceptance, you should assume it’s going to be discovered. Or maybe it’ll be discovered when you’re a junior at Harvard, no one says they can’t kick your butt out. Or maybe it’ll be discovered after you graduate and they revoke your degree.</p>
<p>Lying on your application isn’t worth it.</p>
<p>Well put, DwightE.</p>
<p>Like others have said most things that would swing your application they would attempt to verify. But I don’t think it would ever hurt you to say you started an EC in 9th grade rather than 10th grade, but you can never be too careful. College is serious business.</p>