<p>how do colleges ensure that your community service hours are valid/accurate? or is it just an honors system? somebody asked me this the other day. how do they know?</p>
<p>nobody knows?</p>
<p>They trust that you're truthful.</p>
<p>There are sometimes random checks, when your numbers don't add up, for example if you said that you volunteered 500 hours a week.</p>
<p>No one should ever lie on their college apps, though.
1) It's not fair for others who actually did that many hours.
2) The number of hours one does community service has very little impact on admissions opposed to SAT scores, GPA, etc.
3) It's like Pringles, once you lie here, you can't stop. Once you get into college, people will find out that you are not an honest person.</p>
<p>But I do volunteer 500 hours a week.</p>
<p>Or at least it seems like it.</p>
<p>top schools ahve "fact checkers" hired especially for the admissions season.</p>
<p>you have nothing to worry as long as you are on the up and up. Your
GC and other reccs should touch on your passion for volunteering.</p>
<p>I don't think the teacher recs should necessarily comment on your volunteering, especially if what they do has absolutely no relevance to volunteering. I would not want my math teacher writing about how I work at an organic farm in the rec letter--he knows nothing about it! The only other mention of my volunteer work was in my counselor rec, and he just summarized what I did.</p>
<p>yeah guys, i'm not plannng on lying on my application, lol.
i was just wondering because my friend kept saying "how can i prove i really did ten years of piano??? or this many hours of community service?" and i told her it was the honor system and she didn't believe me.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, well, they have people who give occassional checkups, but you were pretty much right. :)</p>
<p>so is it like cafesimone said where if your hours mixed in with all your other activities sounds a little iffy, they check up on you?</p>
<p>They might. I wouldn't worry about it though. Just tell the truth and you'll be fine.</p>