<p>@ADD: Whoa! It’s really fortunate that it’s now diagnosed : better late than never! He’s only in 7th and you’ve already gotten into this whole American Undergrad System mess! 
The system is so prone to cheating (as I’ve mentioned in my previous post) that I often wonder if ANY applicant is actually 100% honest on their app. </p>
<p>P.S Best of luck for you and your son in all your endeavours!</p>
<p>journeyinwards,</p>
<p>I would like to tell you that if you believe there are cheats out there, then I can tell you for sure there is a majority who get in on the basis of an honest application as well. Also I would like to believe a whole lot of us still have values we cherish and live by and pass it on to our children. And why would you want to…to get a college admission and then what…lie to get a job…lie to keep a job…lie to get a husband /wife…lie to your family and friends…whole life is just one big lie. So who lives with the lie, not the college but the one who lies his way through life. So what is the big deal about that. </p>
<p>Come on surely you do not think the college application is so easy to manipulate, not so. If it was there would not be so many here on CC with so much discussion. While some- a teeny tiny percentage- might want to and be able to ‘game’ the system, most of us like to play an honest game. And come on give the adcoms some credit as most of these colleges have been around for over 100 years or more. </p>
<p>http://**************.com/rankings/overall-experience/top-oldest-colleges/?page=21</p>
<p>**<strong><em>college </em></strong> - one word</p>
<p>The words missing are ‘college’ and ‘prowl’ ‘er’. All together is one word in the link.</p>
<p>@anialways, atleast from what I’m seeing around myself, I can see a whole lot of cheating happening on the app.
And about living with the lie, an applicant might not have the most ECs to talk about, but if (s)he’s good at a subject, (s)he will do well and reap the benefits by cheating through the app. A lot of people believe that the ends justify the means, so going by that ideology, they would be more than tempted to cheat on the app.</p>
<p>And about the adcoms being able to look through, there’s no way for them to verify stuff. I can pay my way/use connections to get a good internship, how is that reflected on the app?</p>
<p>The point I am making is where is the need to lie. If the school does not offer ECs then you do not get penalised for that. And here in India I see so many kids pursuing hobbies outside of the school, music, dance, quiz, cricket, football…small towns have Rotrary Clubs and Community events…so there is a lot that one gets an opportunity to participate in.</p>
<p>As for Internships, the fact remains if you do them, you do them. Nobody is refuting that. And let me tell you once you are in college a word that you will hear a lot with regards to job is ‘networking’. So it is not a bad thing. But what you do with that Internship will define or provide some initial clarity as to who or what you want to do with your life. So that part will get reflected in the app in some way in your essays or something</p>
<p>I do not see the need to ‘make up’ anything, really…and frankly Why should I care whether the adcoms verify or not. I would just want sleep
peacefully at night rather than look over my shoulder all the time. </p>
<p>And been here on CC for a while now, everybody will find their ‘fit’. And if
it is not, like I said before, seen many rich kids come back home or struggle to survive or just while away their time and parent’s money. What do the colleges lose, they get a full pay student, diversity and the
student is just one the 10 % of student population. So no harm done. College is the gainer in the end.</p>
<p>@anialways, you have a point but I don’t see how the failure of the people who cheat benefits those who don’t? In the end, a lot of honest applicants lose out on spots they deserved, right?</p>
<p>A few, not a lot lose the spots, I believe. And those who do, go on to do even better because they were good in the first place. And you cannot put a good thing down. And I am not trying to prove a point on how the cheats fail, but why cheat at all. To say because everybody else does, that would be the lamest justification. And so would be the assumption that everybody ‘games’ the application process, No everybody does not, in fact most do not.</p>
<p>@journeyinwards: Don’t worry about the cheats. Even if they DO succeed, there won’t be any meaning in their success, it’ll be hollow. On the other hand, honest and competent applicants who gets rejected are likely to reach even greater heights, as anialways said. In any case, there’s nothing we can do about it; we can just focus on our own apps and make ourselves stronger candidates. Relax, bro. 
P.S. Are you applying early anywhere?</p>
<p>@anialways, quite true. Maybe, I have the impression of people cheating mainly because I’ve heard of quite a lot of cases. And maybe these cases are indeed ‘exceptions’ (LOL, the use of exception varies so drastically from this post and the first post in the thread)</p>
<p>@confusedhexagon No, not applying early anywhere. What about you?</p>
<p>One more thing: my friend doesn’t have the best of grades but his research is certainly mind blowing. Will that look inconsistent or ‘fake’ to adcoms?
If it does look fake, will it affect me too given that my grades are not so good (but not that bad either) and have done a decent level of research?</p>
<p>Don’t overthink. Just state the facts and numbers. If you feel you need to justify less than stellar grades and actually have a fantastic reason/project/research to back that up, go ahead write a great essay, attach a supplement. Wow them. Just be honest and straight forward. You are sure to find your place in the sun. That is all I am going to say to you at this point in time.</p>
<p>@JourneyInwards - Can you please send me a PM of the research topics which you though to be mind blowing and yours too? I want some ideas on how to do research in school</p>
<p>I want to apply to UChicago EA, but my school is closed till the 7th of November. There’s no way that I can get the school forms and letters sealed and postmarked by the 1st. 
So it looks like 15 RD apps for me.
I did submit my Oxford app a day back, though. UK colleges don’t recognize Indian state boards (probably don’t recognize CBSE either), so I had to put my SAT and SubTest scores in the qualifications section. Chances are abysmally low, but I still applied. :p</p>
<p>You will get in at Oxford, dont worry @Confusedhexagon I have seen your chance thread and its so incredible</p>
<p>Btw, Does Oxford provide Financial Aid?</p>
<p>@confusedhexagon Nice! What were your predicted grades like?
I read your chance thread too. Btw have you started studying seriously for school? My friend and I tried to do it together, but to no avail!</p>
<p>@anialways, true. Thank you!</p>
<p>Gosh, I’m really ashamed of that thread. Wanted to delete it, actually, then I found out that it wasn’t allowed.</p>
<p>I didn’t attach predicted grades as my board credentials aren’t even valid in the UK. I’ll have to do it for US colleges, though. I don’t know what “predictions” my school will provide, I hope it’s reasonable.</p>
<p>For Oxford, I submitted the SAT scores, one teacher review and a personal statement detailing my activities and stuff in the field I want to pursue. (They don’t care about EC’s.)</p>
<p>Oxford has the Reach scholarship for undergrads from developing nations. Admissions is need-blind, I believe, it is only after getting an offer that you are considered for the Reach (it’s extremely competitive).</p>
<p>Sadly, I haven’t been able to focus on school. Just WAY too boring. I have a C in Bengali and a B in English in 11th. :p</p>
<p>P.S.
@mathsoul: I’m indeed flattered, but I have to disagree. I’m not that strong an applicant. :)</p>
<p>For US, they want real scores I guess, not predicted.
As for Oxford, there’s the MAT. Registered?
Btw who’s valid for Reach? I thought Oxford never gave any kind of aid :o</p>