I cheated on my college app...

<p>OK guys, I need your advice and advice only. If you have something nasty to say, I rather you not say anything. Thank you...</p>

<p>Ok, so I have been accepted to this great university that I really want to graduate from but I lied in my college application.</p>

<p>I have attended 4 universities in the past 10 years due to fact that I was in the Army and travelled a lot. So, I am tryig to finish my degree and this time go all the way until I m done. I cheated to get accepted. The last university I attend I did terrible in my classes. I am not going to make any excuses because it is my fault but at that time I was going through a lot. I had just found out that I was HIV+ and that really had an impact in my life. </p>

<p>Well, I have been admitted to this great university and getting ready to attend in January but I am afraid that they will find out. What advice do you give me? </p>

<p>Should I attend the school and see what happends or just continue at the school where I am at and finish it there? </p>

<p>what are the odds that if I have been accepted already, they will go back and check? and if they find out will they kick me right away?</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your time and advice...</p>

<p>If you're talking about large public universities and you have left no tracks, the schools probably won't find out. If you received any financial aid or had transcripts from your last university sent anywhere, the odds of being found out increase sharply. The penalty for lying can be expulsion or, if you've already earned your degree, rescinding of the degree and notifying anyplace you sent transcripts that you were dishonest and your degree has been rescinded. Whether that would impact your career depends on whether your career demands good character.</p>

<p>well there's not much to do: what's done is done. As said before, if you are attending a large public, I would strongly recommend laying low. However, if this university is small, make sure no huge disparaties between what you claimed you did (to get in) and what you currently do... if that makes sense. You're in luck's hands now</p>

<p>Are you trying to get credit from your past universities? If so, you've got quite a problem.</p>

<p>If you have recieved any type iof federal aid or veteran benefits to pay for your education, it is going to come out.</p>

<p>The sad part is, had you told tthe truth and shown how you have grown in the past 10 years, you probably would have still been accepted.</p>

<p>I think it depends on what the offense is.</p>

<p>The offense is blatant misrepresentation (which is what the OP did). </p>

<p>dntw8up is correct as the penalty can be be expulsion or, if you've already earned your degree, rescinding of the degree and notifying anyplace you sent transcripts that you were dishonest and your degree has been rescinded. Whether that would impact your career depends on whether your career demands good character.</p>

<p>If you plan on doing anything that requires a background check, it is all going to come our in the wash.</p>

<p>I think that you should be honest with the school and speak with an admissions counselor while the situation can be remedied. The worse case ask if they can take on as a non-matriculated student ar accept you with a probationary status.</p>

<p>Well...what exactly did you do to "cheat?" Did you give the wrong GPA? Lie about going to a school?</p>

<p>yeah, i dont really understand what you did.</p>

<p>i don't know how unversity works but...</p>

<p>i don't see the point of going to that great university and do badly in your classes... unless you are prepared to work harder? </p>

<p>i guess... it's a great opportunity that anybody wouldn't want to miss... it depends whether you think ethics are more important or this... if u can accept the offer and live your life normally without guilt, and if you are confident that you won't affect anybody in the school (like passing around the virus), then well... nobody can stop you from going right.</p>

<p>It seems as his misrepresentation stems from the fact that he did not disclose that

[quote]
I have attended 4 universities in the past 10 years due to fact that I was in the Army and travelled a lot. So, I am tryig to finish my degree and this time go all the way until I m done. I cheated to get accepted. The last university I attend I did terrible in my classes

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Sounds like he applied and was admitted as a freshman with no previous history of attending college, which is the misrepresentation.</p>

<p>Something else to consider is how you might end up feeling about it in the long-term. That depends a lot on how you feel about it now. I think these things often get amplified over time, so if you're truly okay about it now, then it will probably be okay with you later on, and if not, then you may feel more worried or uncomfortable later.</p>

<p>I would probably withdraw and start clean somewhere else (and present yourself honestly to the new school). Many here may say that is crazy, because you will disrupt your current course. I believe the honesty will be good not only for your future, but for your health as well (in mind and body). </p>

<p>The last thing you need right now is to have your immune system further compromised by worry, stress, and anxiety. As it stands, you have put yourself into a situation where you will need to keep wondering and looking over your shoulder. I was involved in the termination of an individual at a Fortune 100 company years after he graduated from a top school because it was discovered that he lied about his college transcript. He had unpaid fines and for that reason alone was not awarded a degree, yet he represented himself as having that degree.</p>

<p>If you are expelled for lying, that will be a whole new negative event in your personal history, and it will be information which can be accessed by schools and employers far down the road in your future. You don't need that.</p>

<p>You have nothing to be ashamed of for the choices you made over the last ten years. They are your own personal journey, and those mistakes can lead you to a great future. Don't let other people's standards for how you SHOULD HAVE done things mess up (by causing you to lie) what is going on in your life now and also what will go on in your future. </p>

<p>Frankly, ten years out of high school, you aren't the cookie-cutter stereotype of the "perfect" college candidate anyway. You are in the category of candidates with more complex stories to tell. Colleges can get that - find a school which will take you for who you really are. Be who you are, perhaps for the first time. </p>

<p>I have seen many people with complex stories go on to extremely successful futures. Don't misrepresent yourself in order to seem like something that you are not. You can be great just being who you actually are, with all the hits and blows from your personal history included. Use them as stepping stones toward an AUTHENTIC future. You deserve that.</p>

<p>Actually I think its ok if you didn't submit your previous grades from a university. You don't have to send your transcript if you don't want to. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you go to a highschool and get bad grades, can't you just dropout and say you were homeschooled?</p>

<p>I think what the OP is saying is, he dropped out of his last university he was attending because of bad grades, and now applied as an undergraduate. So what?</p>

<p>most schools have different process for older students, ie not fresh out of HS, and the OP should have gone that route- schools LOVE older students and probablly would have helped the OP figure out the path, sorted out his grades, etc</p>

<p>but water under the bridge, you lie was one of ommision....most likely you will be fine, but for others, don't try this....
Picture worrying for the next 3-4 months, and longer, if you lies will catch up with you</p>

<p>"Actually I think its ok if you didn't submit your previous grades from a university. You don't have to send your transcript if you don't want to."</p>

<p>Every college/university application that I have seen asks an applicant to list all colleges/universities attended and submit transcripts from all colleges/universities attended. Your signature on the application attests that you have answered all questions truthfully. </p>

<p>"Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you go to a highschool and get bad grades, can't you just dropout and say you were homeschooled?"</p>

<p>Every college/university application that I have seen asks an applicant to list all high schools attended and submit transcripts from all high schools attended. Your signature on the application attests that you have answered all questions truthfully.</p>

<p>You may, of course, opt to lie on any or all parts of your application but there are severe penalties if you are ever found out. Any degrees you may have earned will likely be rescinded, and any place you had transcripts or proof of degree conferral sent will be notified of your dishonesty and informed that your degree has been rescinded.</p>

<p>
[quote]
but water under the bridge, you lie was one of ommision....most likely you will be fine

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</p>

<p>Not true. When you are applying to any college, they want the transcripts and grades of all colleges you have attended . Since OP states that s/he did not report attending any the 4 universities he attended, he most likely applied as a freshman with no credits where depending on the number of credits, OP would have had to apply as a transfer student. While yes, it may be a lie of omission where s/he did not include information that was relevant, s/he intentionally misrepresented him/herself by applying as a freshman where this was clearly not the case giving the school grounds to rescind the admission.</p>

<p>I can tell you from my many years working directly with non-traditional students and the college process that OP's history is really not an unusual. Had OP been forthcoming, the past would have been a blip on the radar because s/he would have been able to talk about what they are doing now and how they have grown over the past 10 years. </p>

<p>However, since the OP chose to intentionally lie by omitting pertinent information from the application, this is what will come back to hurt him/her worse than any thing indicated on the 4 transcripts.</p>

<p>A few years ago I applied to a PhD program. Despite the fact that I already held 2 Masters, there was a college I attended for 1 term over 20 years ago. Guess what? I had to submit the transcript from that school. When I recently changed jobs and as part of the verification process I had to present transcripts from every school I attended. Guess what again, I had to pay and request a transcritpt from a school (which has now been 25 years since I attended).</p>

<p>There is no right way to do something you know is wrong.</p>

<p>I'm applying as a Freshman and they want to know about every high school I went to. =/ I assume it's the same when you're a Transfer student. They want to know about all your academics before coming to that school. So I would assume you had to submit a transcript for all the schools you went to. Did it ask for a transcript for all the schools you went to and you ommitted that school? Or did it just not ask?</p>