I recently submitted my ed app to my dream school and i lied in my application. I said I was in an EC and i wasn’t and part of my personal statement was about advocating for a cause through that ec. Im sure my counselor rec corroborated this bc we had to submit an essay about what we’ve done and I briefly talked about that.
Anyways i am feeling super anxious now and I know what I’ve done is really stupid and wrong. My high school is just so competetitive and i felt like I just wasn’t enough. I am a pretty strong candidate (though nowhere near perfect) so I know my application will actually be looked at but im just so worried.
It’s not far-fetched for your AO to ask your guidance counselor about said EC, and your counselor to respond that it doesn’t exist after further evidence. It is also possible for your acceptance to be revoked or even your degree, if evidence comes to light after you have graduated from said school.
I’m not trying to be harsh OP—I was a HS senior last year and definitely felt stressed as well about college apps and constantly comparing myself to others at my school. But think about it this way----if you were (hypothetically) applying to said school, would you want to see a seat given to an applicant who lied on their application when it could have went to an equally strong applicant that didn’t lie? If you do get into said school, and graduate, will you be able to look yourself in the eye down the lane when others ask what advice you have-------where you graduate from means nothing if you aren’t responsible for your mistakes.
First things first, own up to the mistake and confess to your HS counselor----it’s much better that they hear it from you rather than another person. Your counselor will likely contact the school, but they might recommend contacting the school as well—Admissions’ll likely ask you to withdraw your application, given that your personal statement is about said fictional EC. Then, talk to your HS counselor about next steps and presenting truthful applications for your later applications.
The Operation Varsity Blues scandal taught us that info on apps is rarely verified. However, you’re now living with anxiety as a consequence and these are already anxious times.
I personally don’t recommend that you confess at this point. What I do recommend is that you go into the common app and edit your essay before submitting any more applications. Rather than saying you advocated for a cause, maybe say you dream of doing so, or that you’ve had an epiphany of some kind, etc.
The fact that you’re feeling guilty and scared is a good sign. It shows you have a conscience. The best thing you can do is learn from this mistake and move on.