<p>You don't have to manage a stock portfolio to get accepted to Whaton. My D & S were both accepted to Wharton, neither managed a stock portfolio. There are a number of other measures.</p>
<p>I disagree Keshira. Because Wharton is a business school, the standards for demonstrating interest in it are much higher. You wouldn't take joining science club as an accpetable validation of science interest at MIT. Similarly, At Wharton, you have demonstrate that you have gone above and beyond to show you can take advantage of the more advanced resources.</p>
<p>DCforME could you give an example of something that goes beyond just buying stocks?</p>
<p>you could own a business</p>
<p>
[quote]
there is always karma....its his life...you should not care...he WILL get it back.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ridiculous. History is replete with examples of people cheating, lying, and stealing and never getting their "just desserts." There's no such thing as "karma." The idea itself is nonsense; it's an excuse for letting injustice slide (there's a reason why it formed the basis for the Indian caste system).</p>
<p>The kid may well be an amoral douchebag. In that case, you should feel no moral compunction whatsoever about writing a letter to Wharton informing them that this student is a lier (you'd be justified in feeling guilt about not writing a letter). Give them specific information and urge them in the strongest terms to rescind the student's application. They won't rescind it on your letter alone, but if you ask them to ask the student to confirm this imaginary stock portfolio, he'll be busted.</p>
<p>agree that the idea of karma is ridiculous, and insulting to people have experienced real suffering in their lifetimes. Yet I still wouldn't go so far as reporting on the friend, since he's really hurting no one and may very well have gotten in for other, more legitimate reasons.</p>
<p>Wharton isn't just a "business school". It trains people for careers in finance (investment banking, consulting, etc). Managing a portfolio wouldn't make an applicant stand out over anyone else.</p>
<p>If you really think this guy doesn't deserve to go to college next year then send a letter to Penn - anonymous if you'd like - recommending that they check his facts. I don't know if they would actually do it now that responses are back, but it's the best you can do. In any case they can't exactly ask your friend to reveal his financial assets (I'm not sure that's legal) so they probably won't do anything about that particular detail.</p>
<p>I would just keep these two things in mind:</p>
<p>1) People lie. And they go to great schools. People cheat in high school, and they cheat in high school, and they cheat in their careers. Also, getting into college is not just about being the smartest applicant. People use connections, make big donations, get advantaged by where they live, etc. You'd be surprised by how many people here have some kind of leg up that distinctly advantages them. In the end, do you think this one kid's fake portfolio justifies his acceptance being rescinded?</p>
<p>2) Consider the effect on your school. If the admissions office takes your letter seriously (even if they don't rescind your friend's offer) there could be serious repercussions for your school - aka being blacklisted.</p>
<p>I know a couple people who, I'm pretty sure, lied on their applications. I strongly considered writing letters to the schools they were going to (Ivies) or talking to their guidance counselors but at the time I knew that the repercussions were just too severe and I personally knew they worked hard in high school. Then there was the realization that getting into college is inherently political, so who am I to say that a fake club is worse than paying your way into college or getting in because you live in North Dakota? In retrospect I'm glad I didn't do anything about it because (a) there's no guarantee the lie made a difference, (b) I don't know that they lied, (c) it's not my life to affect (and screw the whole "they could've stolen my spot" argument), and (d) who am I to make a judgment.</p>
<p>I realize my post might seem a little suspect and it may imply that I don't have strong moral grounds or integrity. Well, I'm not going to pre-emptively defend my values, but to me, morality is not absolute, and if I don't want people telling me, for example, that gays can't get married then I shouldn't go around people's backs imposing my own judgments on them.</p>
<p>He beat the system. Good for him. I'm sitting here wondering why I didn't try something like that. College admissions is so ridiculous that behavior like this would be expected.</p>
<p>College admissions are so bad at my school these days (private, religious), that I'm betting the students here would embrace and cheer one of us making a mockery of admissions like that. It's unfair to begin with, I say good for those students making up for not having the absolutely arbitrary advantages that others have (race, legacy, geographic location...)</p>
<p>Are you jealous of him because he got in and you didnt? Why are you posting this?</p>
<p>I think theoneo made some pretty good arguements. The fake portfolio probably made less of an affect than being geographically diverse or something, and those people have a leg up. Sure, it's amoral, but if you did it, do you think you would deserve to not go to college? Or go to community college? What if a close friend of yours did it? Is it more the act you're upset by, or is it the person- you'd probably let it slide if it were a friend, but the act would be just as bad.</p>
<p>For the people who continously ask if the poster is jealous or why he is posting, it says in the original post that the author would simply like to vent. Don't we all need that sometimes? Stop questioning what was obviously a simply burst of emotions, it will really get you nowhere.
To the OP, while I see no purpose in writing a letter to Penn, I suppose it is your right to do so. Those who cheat and then brag should comprehend that there is a consequence for being such an idiot (not necessarily for the lying, but for broadcasting it to the world). However, theoneo is correct, more harm than good would probably come from doing so.</p>
<p>stop whining</p>