<p>Wow. It is unthinkable to me to ever even suggest my S, or anyone, lie on a college application. I can’t even imagine it.</p>
<p>Stretching the truth? It’s hard to see what that could possibly gain you, since 1.) most colleges do not have strict number requirements and 2.) any ‘hard’ number requirements would be a matter of (confirmable) record anyway.</p>
<p>Even on ‘soft’ items, you’re better recording the truthful experience than constructing a lie. My S did First robotics for all 4 years, but he was never a lead programmer, chief designer or super-techie. In fact, he bounced around in several of the disciplines, and on many support tasks too, including tool maintenance, scouting, promo material, etc. He was a very active part of the minibot team this year, and had one very good small design suggestion that helped considerably, but his ‘big design’ idea wasn’t the one they went with. Still, when writing about his First experiences, he emphasized the teamwork parts, the soothing of tech egos, and the general contributions that were the main part of his experiences. Frankly, not only was it the ‘honest’ answer, it made for a better essay, and a better look at who he is as a person and student. </p>
<p>I fully understand putting a positive spin on things, but I just can’t see the logic behind lying.</p>
<p>That shows stupidity more than dishonesty. How hard is it to found a couple of clubs that rarely meet with a group of friends, and hand everyone a grand title?</p>
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<p>I don’t see why transport time is not legitimately counted, especially if you attended a 2-hour event that takes an hour plus in travel time. Transport time reduces your limited free time so how does one distinguish between “good” and necessary wasted time vs. “bad” video-game-playing time? Not that the better schools are especially impressed with large numbers of volunteer hours – it’s innovation or leadership roles within these activities that impresses them!</p>
<p>My son went the other direction and underplayed his activities and awards. So I am thinking that schools must realize both scenarios take place and just do the best they can. They would have to rely on little things said in reference letters (or not said) and the tone of the essay. The whole admissions thing is quite complex, from a mom’s perspective.</p>
<p>But the absolutely worst scenario, was a neighbor mom who admitted she wrote her son’s essays…thinking that’s what every parent did. Good Grief!!</p>
<p>There’s only one other kid at my high school applying to selective schools, and that person’s parents effectively wrote the essays. The applicant and the parents referred to them as “our essays.” I didn’t even show my essays to anyone else before I submitted them; my success or lack thereof will be based solely on my own merits.</p>
<p>I tried to be as honest an complete as possible on my applications. However, the common app really does not give enough room; now, several months later, I realize that some of the entries could be misinterpreted.</p>
<p>I definitely put that I won a Noble Peace Prize and a Fields Medal. Along with that I’m the president of five clubs, all of which take ten hours each of a week. Wrote that I’m the author of five books about the economical situation in Japan. And was accepted to a program that accepts only one person in the world.</p>
<p>No one would lie like that obviously. There may be cases in which there have been mistakes. Perhaps you volunteered for five hours your sophomore year and eight hours your junior year. You would average, but then wait you forgot that time when you couldn’t go. Except for a few people (who are remarkable), who write down all the times they went and didn’t go, not everyone will be able to everything precisely. But no one would smudge it so greatly that it doesn’t make sense and becomes more than a “white lie.”</p>
<p>I didn’t lie about what positions I held or how many volunteer hours I did. I did count transport time ABOVE the time I would otherwise have spent going home. After all, that’s time I couldn’t spend on homework and was therefore devoting to the activity, and sometimes I would practice in the car. I tried to be very accurate with my hours, but I did fudge up if it was an odd number or I was unsure. For instance, if the average worked out to be 2.9 hours per week, I just put 3. I don’t consider the way I added up my hours to be lying.</p>
<p>My mother actually offered to write my essay for a scholarship application I hadn’t started that was due in a couple hours. I was appalled! I said that I would either do it, or not get it done–but no way was I passing off her essay as my own.</p>
<p>I don’t think anyone would blatantly lie about the position they held and things like that. It’s mainly hour rounding, and I don’t think that’s really significant anyway.</p>
<p>I couldn’t estimate hours or the hour reporting didn’t quite fit the activity (hours a week for x many weeks for something I prepared for over 6 months and then participated in heavily for a few weeks). So I think my “hours” are all off on my ECs</p>
<p>Did you say you were the vice president when you were really the treasurer? Nope.</p>
<p>Did you count the time it took to drive there in the “Hours Spent on Activity” question? Er, no.</p>
<p>Did you round the volunteer hours… to the nearest 100? Not to the nearest 100, but if I spent 4.5 hours a week I said 5, etc. I think people expect you to round like that. If you say I spent 4 hours 56 minutes on an activity, they’re more likely to think: Um, did you make that up so that we wouldn’t think you lied?</p>
<p>Yeah, now that it’s all over, I’m realizing things that I should have put Like I didn’t join NHS til senior year but I definitely should have put it, and I’m wondering if I should have talked about my creative writing stuff even though it wasn’t anything crazy or official or published.</p>
<p>But as for white lies, it’s always preferable if you don’t put them! It’s unfair to all the real people applying!</p>
<p>On one of my apps (the first one) I was really tired the night before and asked my mom to check it over and see if everything was correct. Being a parent that wanted the best for me, she told me she was changing one of the numbers for a volunteer thing that i do, by about 200 hours. Although I had really put in all those hours, those extra 200 were from 6th-8th grade, not during my highschool. I felt so bad after that I told her i would turn the college down even if i got in.
I didnt get in and was pretty relieved haha.
Though on all my other apps I rounded down, and was pretty conservative about estimates. I worded some things to make it seem more impressive on my UC app (world championship qualifiers => 2nd in state championship, though not a lie at all!), but I hate people who lie on their apps and get away with it. A lot of kids from my school do that, and cheat on their SAT’s/grades as a matter of fact, but I learned to ignore them after frustration during my sophomore year. I mean its only going to bite THEM in the butt later on, it only hurts them in the end.
EDit: hmm now that i think about it i didnt include that startup project i was leading, fundraisers i had organized or that internship with a doctor i have now so i guess i prolly shoulda put that.</p>
<p>The Girl Scout Gold & SIlver Awarda allows you to count logistic hours (ie/ shopping at HD for paint & lumber) towards your total. You are also encouraged to record these administrative hours as part of an Eagle Project.</p>
<p>Er I’ll be honest and say I kind of did because I had no idea about hours. See, when magazine deadlines approach, I sometimes had to get out of class to get that friggin hard drive to the publisher in time. I didn’t know how many hours I did that kind of stuff. Also, no idea on how many hours I worked on clubs and some community service stuff. Yeah, I counted the time I spent uploading stuff on Youtube for radio.</p>
Like I didn’t join NHS til senior year but I definitely should have put it, and I’m wondering if I should have talked about my creative writing stuff even though it wasn’t anything crazy or official or published.</p>