<p>What would you do if you inadvertently see a friend filling out her CommonApp and exaggerating and even flat-out lying about half of her activities? When I confront her, she shurgs it off as no big deal. So what would you do? Warn her again not to do it? Or report it to the school/colleges? Will colleges find out, and do many peers report lies in someone else's apps?</p>
<p>It really depends how blatantly she is lying.</p>
<p>I mean from what I understand most people exaggerate here and there. When it in all honestly, it doesn’t do much to boost you application. </p>
<p>But if it is something that AdComs could easily look-up like claiming to be a Siemens Regional Finalists than obviously I would advise you to tell her to not to do it. But honestly small exaggerations are terribly common and I would not fret</p>
<p>^^ Well, she has made up positions on half of her activities, so I don’t know how egregious that would be considered. Obviously, it’s not like she’s making up a Siemens award or any huge national thing, but she’s definitely going beyond just exaggerations on some of them.</p>
<p>Oh wow. Position making is certainly not good, especially if she was not even an active member of the club. The fact is that colleges actually check positions in clubs to see if the candidate has any leadership potential. Clearly she did not, and falsifying colleges with this belief is definitely not good.</p>
<p>So basically, tell her not to do it. It could prove disadvantageous if the colleges found out, like conflicting postilion with another applicant from the school. Plus, it definitely doesn’t reflect well on her character.</p>
<p>I have hinted at it to not do it, but my impression is that she doesn’t think she’ll got caught, and chances are, she probably won’t, correct?</p>
<p>Yes, unfortunately you’re completely correct. Thus my vague word choice. But it certainly doesn’t make those of us who are honest on our applications feel very good.</p>
<p>So the best thing to do is to just forget about it after I’ve unsuccessfully tried talking to her?</p>
<p>You could try talking to her about from a moralistic standpoint, but usually with people like her this is not effective since they lack morals to begin with. But still try, even though chances are she’ll go ahead anyways.</p>
<p>Forget? I suppose so. This really is quite common is there is practically nothing can do about it.</p>
<p>I would wonder if I wanted to maintain a friendship with someone so blase about lying.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, it’s unlikely that her lies will help her get into college. Only the very top colleges – places like Harvard – factor ECs into admission. Most colleges use ECs at most for merit aid consideration.</p>
<p>“Oh wow. Position making is certainly not good, especially if she was not even an active member of the club. The fact is that colleges actually check positions in clubs to see if the candidate has any leadership potential.”</p>
<p>How can they check that?</p>
<p>They can call the school and ask the guidance counselors or they can call the school and ask to speak to the club advisor.</p>
<p>If there are interviews, the interviewer may be an alumni who knows about the clubs at the school. I’ve been an alum interviewer who has caught students in lies. For example, one applicant claimed to be very involved in a community organization that my own son happened to be president of, and was previously VP of. I also volunteered extensively with the organization. The applicant had never heard of my son and my son had never heard of her</p>
<p>She didn’t get into my alma mater…</p>
<p>
I meant that more in the sense that colleges put a great deal of importance on leadership positions so lying about them is not minor. It was a somewhat obvious statement.</p>
<p>But yes Northstarmom is also correct in the sense that is is possible to call up the school. Especially if your school tends to send a lot of students to that college. So be cautious when you lie. Although it is unlikely that a large number of students will be caught due to the sheer number of applicants it is possible and is not to taken lightly.</p>
<p>The college also may become suspicious if a student’s ECs don’t match what the GC and teachers’ recommendations say. For instance, if a GC has written that, “Ariel is a shy, student who would benefit by the encouragement of a nurturing college environment” yet Ariel has claimed to be president of 3 large organizations, the admissions officers are likely to question the veracity of the ECs Ariel listed.</p>
<p>I had a question about one of my EC’s. I worked as a volunteer at a hospital over the summer (as well as before that) for a woman who I knew from outside the hospital. However, I officially registered at an unfortunate time, a few days before she left. I left there with only a few days on file but hundreds of unofficial hours. I’m worried that if they call the hospital it will seem like I am lying. What should I do?</p>
<p>I highly doubt that an admissions officer would verify something as trivial as community service hours.</p>
<p>In case they do, they’ll usually contact you about the discrepancy. I know that’s the policy in the UC system when they check applications.</p>
<p>If you’re worried, you could try talking to the new volunteer coordinator at the hospital and ask your former overseer for a brief letter or email explaining your situation.</p>