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Just because you can get away with it that doens't mean you should lie. That's why I really begrudge US universities for relying on ECs and activities so much. Most everywhere else they really rely on scores (IBs A Levels, Abitur, etc) You can't lie about those.
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<p>From personal experience, I can A Levels scores can be faked to.</p>
<p>I don't mind doing it, you know, some pics with documentation and stuff. But, I don't want to appear to be a "thick applicant". I guess if I send it and they don't look at it - who cares. At least they know it's there in my file should they ever question the validity of my accomplishments/ECs.</p>
<p>Stuff like that should be sent from a certified source, like the testing organization. </p>
<p>I don't think it will make your application look thick. If it is minimal I think it would be nice to send in a little documentation of your activities.</p>
<p>I would rather suggest to mention those achievements in a single list, instead of sending individual certificates. colleges dont appreciate us sending too much paperwork. </p>
<p>scareletleavy.......i think the same can be said for essays as well.......you really cant make sure if the person actually wrote it ....... the adcoms put tremendous weightage to this part as well.</p>
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A girl my brother went to school with created a big story about how she was from Spain, deeply identified with the Spanish culture, and even wrote her admissions essay in Spanish. She's from NJ, she started taking Spanish classes with my brother in 9th grade and her family is about as Spanish as mine is, which is to say not at all.
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<p>Since when did they accept essays in Spanish?</p>
<p>Yeah I guess. But then again it is easier to suspect an essay as being fishy. If a really average student with mediocre English and writing grades applies but has this amazing polished essay- there will be some scrutiny. </p>
<p>The same doesn't go with ECs.</p>
<p>Perhaps the girl who fabricated the Spain thing got accepted based on other factors. Why would living in Spain and identifying with the Spanish culture matter in admissions? Am I missing something here?</p>
<p>The point of the matter is the fact that she wrote the esssay in Spanish. They shouldn't have accepted it, as it was clearly manipulative and a big fat lie. But they did and she got in and I have to hear her smug mother discuss her lying daughter's wonderful achievement every time I see her. </p>
<p>And believe me, if that girl hadn't created this story she would have had exactly the same stats as every other applicant and might not have gotten in. </p>
<p>And I really don't know why they liked the Spainsh crap so much, but next time I vist Yale I'll be sure to ask.</p>
<p>Oh, and my favorite part of this whole story is that once she was accepted she told all who would listen about how she lied. Lovely girl, hope she goes far.</p>
<p>I would like to think that any essay written in any lang. other than English is not valid. I don't believe the essay should have been considerad at all for the mere fact that it WAS written in Spanish.</p>
<p>Definitely.
This was the school that graduated George Bush, Howard Dean, and John Kerry. They brag about it, but I shudder. To each his own.</p>
<p>who knows how the essay worked for her.
may be the adcoms liked it as an innovative idea in the essay
may be the adcoms didnt know spanish and then sent it to a spanish professor who appreciated for its content and language and not for the authenticity!
hmmm...anyone out there who wants to take more risks like these. who knows you may get into yale........but if you do.....do tell us abut it!!</p>
<p>Well, this Spanish story sounds pretty weird. How exactly is she misrepresenting herself? Is she saying she's from Spain and grew up there? What about her last name? Wouldn't she then have transcripts from a Spanish school if she had lived in Spain? If she was a Spanish immigrant, often the GC's statement would reflect that...</p>
<p>I don't see that writing your essay in Spanish would help you and very possibly it would hurt you. If she's supposedly Spanish, they might think she couldn't write in English. If she did indeed write it in Spanish, she must have achieved an amazing fluency in three years to be able to write an essay that would impress Yale. </p>
<p>On the other hand, without lying, a non Spanish person could write a fantastic essay about how they deeply identified with Spanish culture. Without lying at all, your essay about Don Quixote, El Greco or flamenco dancing could win you admission to Yale. </p>
<p>Just having a Spanish background wouldn't get her into Yale. Maybe she lied, but she had to have the grades and SAT scores to be accepted, as Spanish heritage does not make you URM.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>On the other hand, without lying, a non Spanish person could write a fantastic essay about how they deeply identified with Spanish culture. Without lying at all, your essay about Don Quixote, El Greco or flamenco dancing could win you admission to Yale<<</p> </blockquote>
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<p>Oh, that is what I did! I didn't apply to Yale though.</p>
<p>yeah, it'd be ridiculously hard to fake being from a different country.</p>
<p>I know much worse senarios. Many people i know, like MANY faked grades on the UC application and wrote down a few grades higher to boost their gpa. Someone last year i know did the same but got into Irvine and they apparently never found out. I just don't understand what makes the colleges so blind. In terms of extra curriculars, they don't even weigh it too heavily, unless its something phenomenol, which then you can't really fake. But in terms of grades, it's perhaps the most important piece of the decision yet they don't make an effort to confirm it. -_-</p>
<p>Sure you can cheat on your application, but TBH if you need to cheat to get in your likely not going to excel very much.</p>
<p>You had the opportunity before, you didnt take them, you have the opportunity again and you probally wont take it. Thats what higher colleges are really about, the opportunity to get in and take advantage of whats around you. Not to mention Admissions people have been around the block and know what to look for.</p>
<p>If ECs and Recs dont match up theyll know something is fishy. If Essays dont match up theyll pick up on it again.</p>
<p>They can verify the grades because the GC has to fill out a form that lists your GPA and class rank. With that form and the SATs, they will have a pretty good idea of where you stand academically. Many colleges maintain relationships with the high schools as well in order to have a sense of the level of difficulty at your school.</p>
<p>Yeah, doesn't your gc have to release a sealed transcript? How could you possibly fake a gpa?</p>
<p>on the UC application they don't require a rec letter or transcript until after u decide to go there. by then, with the countless people comming in, each with a transcript, I don't think the administration looks at the transcript n match it with the self-reported grades very carefully. This is prolly why these guys changed a few, out of all the classes, one B-> A or two of them is hard to catch. By doing that though, their gpa goes up significantly cuz UCs only count 10th n 11th so thers not many grades -_-</p>
<p>Well, each year, most students at our school who apply to University of California come up with the most "brilliant" sobbing stories for Question #3 in their personal statement, popular topics include (but not limited to):</p>
<p>1). Mom or dad is diagnosed with lung cancer, heart disease, schizophrenia etc</p>
<p>2). Parents have preferences for sons over daughters and prevent girls from attending school</p>
<p>3). Mom or dad is a drunkard (or likes to gamble) and spends all the family income on drinking / gambling </p>
<p>4). Annual family income: $0 - $1000 (but actually those families own at least two luxury cars and a house)</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>I am just wondering why UC never caught those LIARS !!! Or why UC never ask applicants to verify the listed hardships in their life?</p>