<p>I'm wondering if anyone has ever faked an eagle scout status on their college application. I know that colleges can't check every little detail so has anyone ever slipped into college like this?</p>
<p>(Note:I am not trying to do this. ;) )</p>
<p>If an applicant lists a significant accomplishment such as reaching Eagle Scout admissions may become suspicious if the award doesn’t show up elsewhere in the application, such as in the GC recommendation. AOs have the latitude, although usually not the time, to check on an applicant’s listed ECs. Some colleges and universities choose a small percentage of applications for an audit, and if your application is among them it had better be squeaky clean or you can kiss any chance of attending that college goodbye. </p>
<p>Here’s something most kids don’t think about when faking an award or extracurricular-if it’s not significant enough to be easily checked it’s probably not going to help a student’s chances anyway. You could probably get away with listing “President of the Environmental Club” or “2nd place in the City Poetry Contest” on your resume, but they’re not going to give your application much of a bump and the penalties for getting caught are severe.</p>
<p>Furthermore, you can never know how you’ll be caught. Eagle Scout? Great, until it turns out that your interviewer knows the Scoutmaster for your area or until some other kid from your town turns in a recommendation listing him as the county’s only Eagle Scout in 5 years.</p>
<p>First, the Boys Scouts have a database with official Eagle Scouts listed. If a person tried to sneak that onto their application and they weren’t an Eagle Scout or weren’t even affiliated with the scouts, there are many ways that would unravel, starting with the common app. Certainly at a selective university that has interviews you would have a tough time describing your Eagle Scout project if you didn’t understand some of the behind-the-scenes insight to plan and have your project reviewed. Any college rep or HS counselor has several ways to validate this information as well. Many colleges do have connections as high schools that send them candidates year after year. If they don’t know someone in your hometown, they know someone that does. </p>
<p>The other risk of faking anything on your application is that once it is found out, you could be kicked out of that college if it’s as egregious as faking a major accomplishment.</p>
<p>You may be able to get away with it if you are a Life Scout, who will be Eagle pending Board of Review. That’s sort of stretching the truth, but not really a lie as long as you’ve done your Eagle Project.</p>
<p>But if you’re like a Star or something, don’t even try it. It’s just dishonest and it will be easy for them to catch you. Not to mention that Eagle Scout isn’t even that big of an award.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks for the information Sue22. Although, I have another question. I am currently First Class, even though I have been involved in Scouts since I was in 1st grade. Should I list something like 8 years of Scouts, or should I take it off the application all together. I would like to get into Stanford, but don’t know how strict they are about this.</p>
<p>Are you a junior?</p>
<p>Frankly, I would leave your rank off the application altogether if you are only First Class after eight years. I would simply put “Boy Scouts-- 8 years.” Even then, it will only help you marginally. First Class is a rank easily attainable within a year for a casual scout, and three months for someone actively engaged.</p>
<p>And by the way, if you WEREN’T planning on lying, then you wouldn’t have asked if you could get away with it. Again, no.</p>
<p>So, what exactly would I put on my application so I could get into an ivy league school. I’m a freshman just for reference. I’m in Future Business Leaders of America and AP Computer Science. (Clubs) I’m taking an all honors schedule. I currently have a 4.0 GPA. Should try to focus more in subjects or extracurricular activities?</p>
<p>If you’re a freshman, you have plenty of time to make Eagle. And to the previous poster - it IS that big of an award. Admissions officers understand what is involved in attaining that rank, and they respect the work and dedication that it takes, and the maturity that comes with the effort. </p>
<p>That said, if you reach your senior year and are not at least Life, I probably would not list scouting because if you bridged in 5th grade and had difficulty attaining rank advancement, it does show a lack of interest/motivation. </p>
<p>Lying about Eagle rank = very bad idea. As previous posters have mentioned, this could be caught very easily. My family is involved in scouting and I am constantly amazed at how tightly woven and interconnected the scouting community is.</p>