<p>My friend is going to graduate soon from Sac State and waaay back when she originally applied, she made up like 5 EC's, since her GPA was 2.9. MY HS GPA is slightly lower, and I dont want to go to community college. I only did 1 club in HS... and I think putting more would increase my chances anywhere. Lets just put all morals aside for this thread, my only concern is do people tend to get caught? Say I list just minor clubs like Spanish club (where no one knew a lick of Spanish), Chess club, Bowling club, but not like leader of any clubs nor acadeca.</p>
<p>I think you know the answer to your own question.
It's completely unfair to other people who actually did the EC's.<br>
Sure, you say 'putting all morals aside,' but in reality you're the one signing your name saying what you wrote is the truth. So the Adcoms may not catch you, but come on, it's not the right thing to do.</p>
<p>As much as you think it might stink to go to Community College, you should just go for a year, bring your grades up and then transfer.</p>
<p>In reality, there's next to no chance that they'd ever find out unless you interviewed there and completely fumbled a question about ECs. Not that I'm recommending it.</p>
<p>I think that lying about anything on a college application is a terrible idea. Frankly, I hope that you are joking. Anyway, puffing up your extracurriculars will do nothing to help you. Colleges are looking for a commitment to a few select activities, things that you are really dedicated to and to which you have made a solid contribution. Lying about meaningless activites is not only disgraceful, but it is worthless, too.
Go to the best college to which you are accepted, and make your mark there. You can move on to a great university from a community college if you chose to work hard, and to develop true interests.</p>
<p>There is a chance you'd get caught, and if you did, the consequences COULD be pretty severe. Just... don't do it. You'll won't exactly be happy later on in life when you recall that you lied about an EC to try and boost your chances for college.</p>
<p>They're actually checking now, although it's not for every single application. However, if one college pulls out your ECs, performs a check and finds out some are completely made up, you've basically flung all your chances of ever getting accepted to any college out the door. However, I don't think a 2.9 or slightly lower is bound for community college... many like a less competitive state school.</p>
<p>When it comes to academics / work / getting what I want, I don't care if I come off as underhanded. My only worry is the possibility of getting caught, consequences, etc. I guess I don't have to do this, but it worked for my friend, who was less than stellar all around. I would like to know if anyone else has done this too.</p>
<p>yawn - "your full name". Happy?</p>
<p>callie123 - I wanted to look a tad more well-rounded than just by the 1 club I've been doing A LOT for. So if what you say is true, I might not even need anymore clubs, maybe I can just focus on explaining my passion for my 1 club whenever asked.</p>
<p>b'smom - Well, I don't lie to those I care about. :/ I don't give a hoot about others though.</p>
<p>It's risky, and I definitely wouldn't take the chances and completely make stuff up. But stretching the truth here and there? I guess that's not so bad. I mean, say you wrote down that you volunteered for 100 hours at the hospital, when in reality you did about 75. I don't see how that'd be a big deal. Just don't completely make stuff up.</p>
<p>1) BAD IDEA. colleges check with counselors/schools sometimes. you might end up getting blacklisted at all your schools. colleges take dishonesty VERY seriously. </p>
<p>2) I'm trying not to judge, but I think what you want to do is TOTALLY wrong. Many people spend hundreds of hours a year on ECs while also maintaining high grades. If you didn't do that, you don't deserve to go to a college of very high caliber. Why didn't you DO more clubs if you were worried about college?</p>
<p>3) One more club, or even a few extra hours, will not help at all. Colleges know kids make things up, they look for ACHEIVEMENT, not a couple extra clubs/hours. You need leadership/specific accomplishments/awards. Your essays need to show you passion for the activity</p>
<p>Well, it depends on where you apply. If it is a large state uni that gets thousands of thousand of applicants - then no, they probably won't catch you. However, if they do you would 100% get a flat-out rejection. That's my advice with "all morals aside", but ethically, I hope you don't do this.</p>
<p>You can exaggerate- but completely making up EC that you've never done? You will regret this. Besides, having hundreds of different trivial EC of which you were never a leader in is no better than having one EC. Colleges want to see commitment, not how good you are at club-hopping.</p>
<p>Oh, and rockerguyasj, she won't just be rejected. She will be fined-possibly even jailed for 2-3 years-and then blacklisted from every university in the nation. You know the part on the common app that says you'll be deemed a felon should the find out you were dishonest in your app? Yeah, it's not a joke.</p>
<p>Agree, you can exaggerate a little, but it's just not right to make up an EC that you have never done. Maybe others won't find out, but you will feel guilty of it all your live if you have morals.</p>
<p>In truth, we all know that there's probably no way that the admissions officers would find out that she was lying. HOWEVER, I would question whether or not I could live with an acceptance and enjoy it knowing that I had lied my way through. I would rather just be honest and share my real achievements rather than pretend to be something I'm not.</p>
<p>I seriously considered lying because my ec's are pretty sparse. In the end I didn't because I'm extremely paranoid and kept thinking of how they could catch me. :( lol. I just ended up listing hobbies and stuff in addition to what I had already. Safer to just exaggerate.</p>
<p>That being said I do think you could get away with it. Keep in mind though you do have to sign your name or whatever the online equivalent of that is. If you do, make it minor things where records aren't likely. And don't say spanish club unless you actually have a spanish class on your transcript :p</p>
<p>My aunt helps with admissions for a different types of schools (public, private, elite, not, etc; you would recognize the names) and she told me that though most schools don't tell you, they actually investigate randomly a certain percent of applicants. If you get caught with something false, you have no hope of getting in and may even be blacklisted from other schools. So I wouldn't risk it!</p>
<p>I purposefully DIDN'T write my minor ECs on the app... small stuff like membership in clubs and other small things only distract from your real ECs and make you look desperate. </p>
<p>On the other hand, if you lie about what can be seen as major ECs, such as club Presidency and leadership positions, its so easy to find out these things, especially in an age where Google is just a click away and a phone call is just a number away. </p>
<p>Also, they will take away your degree even AFTER you graduated should you get caught, and expel/blacklist you while attending college. </p>