<p>The interests question all go something like "list...in the past year" meaning that they only look at stuff from junior year... Would it be considered bad, if I also listed stuff from other years? I ask this because last year I had like 2 required readings (I didn't really enjoy both per se), whereas the year before that I had like 15, and I actually enjoyed them.</p>
<p>I would justify this action (lying) in that Columbia seeks to find more about the student through the supplement, and I am simply providing that info.</p>
<p>I mean, they’re obviously not going to know that you lied. If you feel like it will give you an edge in admissions and that it’s a justified and virtuous thing to do, then it’s not like anyone can stop you from doing it. This is, obviously, not the biggest thing in the world to lie about, but it’s really a matter of principle.</p>
<p>There’s no need to follow the letter of the prompts that closely. I’d recommend you not lie about what you read, but feel free to be creative about when you read it. If there was a book you read in sophomore year that you loved, it would be foolish not to include it. But don’t feel bad for worrying about this; I and many others wondered the same thing while filling out our forms.</p>
<p>@supersizeme
I agree with you that it’s a matter of principle not to lie about what you’ve read. But I honestly don’t think it matters if you read it longer than one year ago.</p>