<p>I wrote the common app essay on doing scientific research. However, I said that "I" did the project even though this particular project I was talking about was one I did with a partner. In my essay, I never said that I did it by myself, but I never mentioned my partner for that particular year's project. I also didn't say I ever had a partner on any part of my app. </p>
<p>Is this lying? </p>
<p>I've unfortunately already sent out apps to multiple schools. What should I do, if it is in fact dishonest?</p>
<p>I’ve done a team project too before and as long as you didn’t claim you did it alone or competed/won as an individual you should be fine. From my understanding you said something like “I did a project on (…) Junior year and got (…) place,” if that’s the case your absolutely fine. The only way you should be concerned is if you said “I single handedly did (…)” or something around those lines (which you said you didn’t, so no you didn’t lie from what I can tell.)</p>
<p>So in the end, don’t worry and don’t waste your time stressing about this because it’s not going to be an issue. Good luck where ever you applied!</p>
<p>Okay, cool, that makes sense. Yeah, I just talked about the project, and mentioned the award, but I didn’t say stuff like “all by myself,” “single-handedly”. </p>
<p>Rule of thumb - If you have to ask, the answer is yes.</p>
<p>If your essay can in any way be construed as misleading, it’s dishonest. Team efforts should in some way indicate you were part of a team. What you wrote was not an outright lie, but it was only a partial truth. </p>
<p>You know that witness oath, the one that goes “You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”? It has three parts for a reason, and violating any one part is considered perjury in a court of law. Your essay isn’t that serious, but in an institution that concerns itself with questions of academic integrity, shading the truth may not be looked upon favorably.</p>