<p>^(for some reason, my last paragraph was erased from my last message).</p>
<p>So even though I can be convinced that honesty is the best policy when it comes to essays, no one can convince me that it is proper for an interviewer to make a recommendation decision based on perceived “social skills.” To me, that requires a personal judgment that borders on the dangerous. I hope NSM was kidding.</p>
<p><a href=“%5Burl=http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063152140-post1.html]#1[/url]”>quote</a> Do you fake and bloat your application essays?..
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<p>While the moral arguments may not be of value to you, a scientific argument provides some food for thought.</p>
<p>The question ‘Does one cheat or live by the Golden Rule?’ is actually a topic of scientific research. See:</p>
<p>[Generous</a> players: game theory explores the Golden Rule’s place in biology](<a href=“http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_4_166/ai_n6151880/]Generous”>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1200/is_4_166/ai_n6151880/)</p>
<p>Because cheating as a strategy can disrupt group cohesion, groups have developed defense mechanisms (cheating detection) against it. </p>
<p>Bottom line, cheating is not a risk free strategy as detailed in many [codes</a> of conduct](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_conduct]codes”>Code of conduct - Wikipedia). The repercussions from getting caught can be severe, including expulsion, and should give the cheater pause.</p>
<p>I like how this same topic comes up at the same times year after year…</p>
<p>“So even though I can be convinced that honesty is the best policy when it comes to essays, no one can convince me that it is proper for an interviewer to make a recommendation decision based on perceived “social skills.” To me, that requires a personal judgment that borders on the dangerous. I hope NSM was kidding.”</p>
<p>Harvard asks interviewers to rate applicants on a variety of factors. Off the top of my head, I don’t remember all of the factors, but personality, character and intelligence, are things the interviewer is asked to asses. Harvard also asks interviewers to write an approximately one-page narrative that supports their ratings by providing specifics including behavior and quotes from the interview, and Harvard asks interviewers to consider whether the applicant would have been someone whom the interviewer would have enjoyed rooming with at Harvard.</p>
<p>Including information in the narrative that an applicant allowed snot to drip down their face throughout the interview certainly was appropriate, and provided Harvard documentation of the student’s social skills.</p>
<p>I think that one needn’t have a doctorate in clinical psychology to conclude that such behavior demonstrates a deficit in social skills, but I happen to also have such a doctorate and have treated people with social skills deficits, so I don’t think anyone could say that I lack ability to assess social skills.</p>
<p>Frankly, I wonder about the social skills of the anyone in the U.S. who would think that a person with adequate social skills would allow snot to run down their face throughout an interview. The only reason I said “in the U.S.” and not “in the world” is because I am aware that there are cultures that consider it the height of rudeness to blow one’s nose.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, any person is very naive who thinks that one’s social skills are not evaluated in interviews of virtually any kind including for jobs and college and graduate admissions.</p>
<p>“Although I disagree with the poster who intends on submitting an untrue essay, I do agree that an interviewer should not base a recommendation of a student on subjective notions, such as whether or not the person would make a good roommate. One’s sense of what constitutes “social skills” is subjective. Behavior you find unacceptable may not bother me, and vice versa. For instance, I would never recommend against an applicant because of a runny nose. How does that reflect on his or her ability to succeed at Harvard? Concluding that a runny nose somehow indicates that a student is unworthy of an institution is extremely pretentious.”</p>
<p>What bothers you isn’t germane since presumably you aren’t a Harvard student or alum. What Harvard wants to assess is how well applicants would fit into and add to Harvard’s environment.</p>
<p>And, again, the problem wasn’t that the applicant’s nose was running, but that the applicant was allowing the snot to run down his face throughout the interview. BTW, when I was interviewed on Harvard’s campus when I applied there, I had bad allergies, and my nose was running throughout the interview. I had the good sense to use tissues. I didn’t let the snot drip into my mouth.</p>
<p>Incidentally, Harvard can go against recommendations by alum, and certainly would do so if it felt that an alum used trivial reasons to gave a bad recommendation to an outstanding applicant.</p>
<p>Also, the dean of Harvard admissions has said that at least 85% of applicants there have the ability to succeed at Harvard. The main job of admissions is to pick from a group of students with outstanding scores and achievements those who would most contribute to creating a vibrant, active, diverse student body. Someone with habits that would cause many others to shun them wouldn’t be considered a person who’d be adding much to the student body.</p>
<p>i am sorry but all of you seem to have the comprehension of a jelly squid. When I asked this question, my purpose was to predetermine what limits of mendacity are acceptable or are prevalent in a student’s application essay. My query was answered by some of the first applicants itself: if big then don’t, if small then irrelevant. Ergo I concluded that one should not lie. Stop passing judgements on my integrity for heaven’s sake. This is a public forum which allows everyone to familiarize themselves with the college admissions process. I don’t want to entertain trash about ‘runny noses’ or ‘ooh this poster is so bad’ so all of you please get a life.</p>
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<p>There are thousands of other students also dreaming of getting into highly selective colleges. There is nothing spiteful here; colleges are just shooting for the best they can get. Why would a college choose to admit a liar when there are plenty of highly-qualified honest applicants?</p>