Hello,
M10 is just around the corner and just like everyone else, I’m pretty nervous. The other day I came across posts about students lying on their college applications and whatnot. I’m now left wondering if people actually do the same thing with boarding schools. What are your thoughts about this and how often does it happen. I’m quite nervous that qualified students are being denied because of people like this.
there is embellishment/exaggeration and outright lying; college applicants do both (in ECs, essays, awards, AP scores); prob a bit harder for BS applications but not impossible. Its hard to claim to do so many amazing things by age 13/14. BS applications also allow you to upload links and media (for ‘proof’) so maybe they look into those as well.
Do some of these applicants get in? definitely but they prob had amazing grades and stellar recommendations as well
No BS or college has time to do background checks on applicants or matriculants
Thank you for the reply. I definitely agree with the points that you mentioned.
This is an utterly pointless thing to be worried about. Most good AOs can see through the balony, especially if it’s manufactured by a 13 year old.
It’s pretty easy to add up hours that kids claim to spend on activities, or see how exaggerated something is.
I highly doubt that “many” qualified applicants are denied because kids who are lying are admitted.
No one is exaggerating their AP scores. They are initially sent to colleges by applicants but they are verified by the college board.
you can report scores on the Common App but you do not need to send them in (unless you want credit) - your AP scores are not technically used for admission. See the loophole?
A school may choose to verify any info you put on the common app. Many schools have students put test scores on apps rather than having them pay to have them sent. But they may require students to get them sent as a condition of enrollment. Even if they don’t want credit…
Is it possible that someone lies but doesn’t get caught? Yes.
But you should just stay focused on yourself.
No loophole: the scores are not used for admission!
scores are not used for admission - so then why ask for scores?
if an AO sees a row of 5s - there is an automatic bias and affirmation - there was a youtube admissions “session:” at amherst where they spent time discussing the scores on the applicants AP exams…so they are def taken into consideration
I assume the schools may need to look at AP scores if you’re applying from a school or area with which they’re unfamiliar.
I have seen public school AP classrooms where the average AP score was a 1.5. The state government in this case always paid for the AP exam so everyone took it, but some students were more interested in the GPA boost than AP credit.
It depends on the high school. Prep schools are moving away from even offering AP classes. The Hotchkiss head of college advising confirmed that AP scores were unnecessary and not considered in the admissions decisions by colleges.
This is the prep school forum. The OP asked about prep school applications. They did not ask about AP scores. Move on please.
Everyone has the urge to inflate and embellish on apps. Do people put outright lies on their app? Yes probably happens. Do the AOs have time to fact check each statement? No.
But I’ve heard of cases where the AO will call the guidance/college counselor at the HS to verify things. An outright lie in this case would result in a rejection.
In other cases, I’ve heard of students getting caught after graduation. In this case their diplomas are rescinded.
It’s not the 13-year-olds doing the lying. It’s the parents. And presumably they’ve had a lifetime to hone their lying ways. But yes…unless you’re an admissions officer, there’s little point in concerning yourself other people’s applications.
What are the parents lying about that moves the admissions needle in a material way?
The character of the kid will be revealed through the interview and recommendations.
Academic chops through grades and scores.
Recruitable ECs through outside benchmarks.
Nonrecruitable ECs - could be lied about, I guess, but: the specifics don’t matter!
Varsity blue
I suspect that if significant deception is detected, an acceptance would be rescinded. Moreover, word of such things “get around”, and reapplying the following year might not be welcomed.
Yes, but the parents with their lifetime of lying ways usually have little expertise on what children are like, other than their own.
There was a young applicant last year who discovered after a dismaying M10 that their parent had replaced their application essay on Gateway. If I recall correctly, the only acceptance the kid had was the unaltered application to a “safety” school, which the parents deemed not good enough for their child to attend.
So sometimes the system works.
No one is getting a kid who can’t play soccer into the school and on the team. Prep schools are infinitely smaller than universities and there is nowhere one can really hide something like this.
I have to say I am honestly surprised by the misconceptions and baseless theories that have been put forward on this and a few other threads today.