My friend who goes to my school (she’s a senior) was accepted into Columbia but exaggerated on her application and told me about it.
She said she did swimming 9-12 when she only did it 11-12, and she also put herself as vice president of two clubs that we’re in together but she isn’t actually vice president. Also, she told me she exaggerated the amount of hours she contributed to practically everything.
She told me that everyone makes really small exaggerations on college apps and people rarely get caught.
I’m going to apply to colleges soon and does everyone really exaggerate? I’ve never heard of anyone getting caught… is there such thing as a safe exaggeration to put on application?
Thanks for your help!! I just have no idea whether or not people really lie or not.
I’m sure people lie. But I’m also sure people get caught! Don’t try it. It’s not worth the risk. And your conscience will nag you for years, even if you don’t get caught.
Although you may envy your friend for getting into Columbia, you should take in account your own values. Could you handle the fact that you lied on your app for countless years. I don’t think it’d be a huge problem if you exaggerated small things, but it’s wrong.
DO NOT DO THIS. Anything that you can lie about will not help you on college admissions. Any lie that will actually help you on college admissions will be checked and usually can be easily checked.
The risks are way too high. You will be blacklisted from every college if you get caught.
Some colleges like the UC’s will take a certain percentage (at random) of their applicants to verify their EC’s are indeed true.
Just a word of warning here: A colleague has discovered that the easiest way to fire an underperforming employee is to go back to their application and do a scrupulous review of their employment application. It’s amazing how often it turns up that something was ‘exaggerated’ - and it’s much easier to fire them for that than it is to build a case for non-performance on the job. You can argue that it’s unfair - but you lose any protection when you misrepresent yourself on an application for college or work. Likewise, if you get into college or grad school and either they or anyone else associated with the schools decides to verify your background either because you aren’t performing as expected or because they doubt your credibility for some other reason, you will find yourself in a very ugly situation that may have nothing to do with the issue at hand. Don’t go there. (And no, ‘everyone’ doesn’t exaggerate. Only those unscrupulous few who claim that ‘everyone’ does to justify their own lack of integrity.)
If you ever watch the NBC news, Brian Williams told an exaggeration that caused his suspension. It’s an instructive example. He didn’t need to exaggerate. The very fact that he was in a war zone was enough to make his story interesting. But he took it into lying territory and is now paying the price.
Don’t lie on your application. Say exactly what you did, and be proud of your accomplishments as they stand.
Those really aren’t small exaggerations. And I’d rather get through application season with as little stress as possible than be looking over your shoulder for a whole year, much easier that way. If you’ll get in, you’ll get in. If not, move on. Do it all honestly.
I’d also stay away from exaggerations like that. For example, knowingly lying on a job application can be grounds for termination, especially for higher level positions (e.g. those that require a security clearance).
Also, she didn’t need to tell you she exaggerated, nor did you have the need-to-know. Any reason why she told you?
Two extra years of swimming, officer of a couple clubs, some hours…those kinds of things are hardly going to get you in somewhere or turn the tables on the outcome of your application.
Think of it this way: there are thousands of applicants every year on this board asking the question “will I be rescinded?” presumably for low grades. Do you want to be continuously asking yourself that question throughout your entire college career? Colleges can and have been known to do that and even revoke a degree after you graduate. It’s not worth it.
Also you may go throughout your entire college experience wondering “do I deserve to be here?” My friend had serious cases of that, also known as the impostor syndrome, where you are unable to feel proud of your own accomplishments. Fact of the matter is, your friend may not feel any guilt now, but she may later on and you will too if you do this.
It’s not going to make that big of an impact in the long run on admissions anyway and you’ll feel 100% more proud of finally getting into a certain college if it is a fruition of your actual hardwork, not fabirication
“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden
“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
― John Wooden
Has Columbia ever rescinded an admittance, told a student to withdraw, or revoked a diploma? The answer is yes to all three. That really is all you need to know.
It’s dishonest and doesn’t shed friendly light on your character, values or morals. The underlying part of college admissions is becoming an adult and growing up. In the essays and the rest of your application, you’re showing the admissions officers who you are as a person and giving them a glimpse into your life.
Lying about those details compromises who you are and, if you are discovered, can jeopardize your college prospects. No “exaggeration” is worth such a resounding impact. The exaggeration won’t even help that much anyways so it’s not worth the risk.
@MaineLonghorn Here’s why I sat it’s not lying. Let’s say the student auditioned for something like all-state orchestra where there are two rounds. He makes it past the first round, which is the regional level, but fails the second round. If he puts that he was an all-state finalist on his application, that would be a big exaggeration. It’s not exactly a lie because he did make it to the final round, but it’s still not entirely true to describe yourself as a finalist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he should do this, I’m just saying lying outright like his friend is way worse.
I think there was a news report a long time ago about a student who lied about some of his extracurriculars to get into an Ivy for undergrad, and from there he got into Columbia for grad school. But 2 years or so into his GRAD program, someone found out that he lied. He had to give up his undergrad degree, and was expelled by Columbia.
I think everyone has answered to your question and it’s obviously a no. Never worth it. People like that live with those lie all their lives. So sad, they need to lie just to show something that they aren’t. Be yourself and don’t lie. Start always with the correct foot.