Volunteer/EC exaggeration

Applying to College
41

<p>An example of a band member whose experience probably tipped her in. After unsuccessfully running for a band office, student became the first student in her school's history to be in charge of the band uniforms. She was appointed to this thankless job by the adviser, who noted the student's sense of responsibility.</p>

<p>As a result, student spent hours each week making sure the large band's uniforms were clean, repaired, etc. She also was on the band's executive board, and suggested and instituted a program to help freshmen band members adjust to the band. </p>

<p>I gave the student a strong recc for my alma mater, Harvard, which, alas, didn't accept her (as always, the competition was very strong, and some other excellent students were accepted), but another top 5 college accepted her. </p>

<p>She is a wonderful example of a student who did real leadership that was appreciated by colleges. The kind of leadership that she displayed is what top colleges look for, not empty offices. She did far more for the band than many SGA and NHS presidents do for their organizations and schools. </p>

<p>Top colleges aren't looking for students who lie about their ECs or use ECs as resume decoration while not doing anything of service. Top colleges want students with the ethics, compassion and leadership to make a difference on their college campus and in the college's communities, and after graduation to use their talents to serve the community wherever they choose to live.</p>

42

<p>The enhanced software that schools have allows for a lot more information about a student to be easily accessed. When I checked my sons' files over the summer, I noticed that their school has been keeping track of club memberships for a couple of years. Each boy had his school-related EC's noted. I don't know if this information was contained in the counselor's report to colleges, but if a college called the high school, the membership was easy to track.</p>

<p>One university application, I remember, required that a contact number or e-mail be listed for every EC. If students are concerned about falsification at their school, the honest ones should include in their applications a list of contacts who can verify participation. This will make the questionable ones stand out by their lack of verifiable contacts.</p>

43

<p>What if an event I did occurred about a week after I sent in an ED app, but I still put it on my app because I had been planning it for a long time? I put a lot of effort into it, but due to time constraints, it occurred after, but I still feel that it shows who I am and what's important to me. If I get in trouble, will I be allowed to defend myself?</p>

44

<p>You could have said on your app that the event was "planned" or "scheduled." You also could have e-mailed or mailed an update after the event occurred.</p>

<p>It's a bad idea to include on your app future events as if they have already occurred. Even the best planned events may be canceled for reasons you'd never foresee.</p>

45

<p>Is there any way to correct my mistake now? Should I call them and ask if they could put Nov. 2007 in parentheses next to the event so they know it occurred post-application submission?</p>

46

<p>If the event actually occurred, I don't see the problem...but I agree it's not a good idea in general.</p>

47

<p>Since the event did occur, I don't think you need to send in a correction. Just don't do something like that again on apps because as I mentioned, sometimes plans fall through, and then you'd look like a liar.</p>

<p>It's always OK to update colleges when you get awards, do major projects, etc. after you've sent in an app.</p>

48

<p>Thanks for your help, and I definitely won't take that risk again!</p>

49

<p>Example of an exaggeration that came out in an interview.</p>

<p>Student brings to interview resume/activity sheet that lists that student had made a speech to a national organization.</p>

<p>During interview, student also mentioned that as a major challenge that they had faced, so I asked for details about the event, type of speech, audience, etc.</p>

<p>Ended up the "national organization" were kids who had accompanied their parents to a conference of a professional organization that the parents were members of. At the conference, there were activities for the kids, and one of them was designed to teach the kids how to make speeches.</p>

<p>Every kid there got to make a speech. The speeches were each 5 minutes long.</p>

<p>Sure, the student didn't outright lie in the interview or on their activity sheet, but the way that they represented the speech left everything else that the student told me to be suspect.</p>

<p>By contrast, I've found that the students and adults who actually do the most leadership tend to underreport what they have done. As an example, the student who was in charge of the band uniforms, didn't think that what she was doing was a big deal.</p>

<p>I've had to virtually coerce S to put some things on his resume that he didn't want to put because the activities didn't go as perfectly as he had planned. As an example, he spent a lot of time being one of the major organizers of a citywide event that didn't attract a lot of participants. </p>

<p>I've seen the same thing with adults who are very involved in their community. I was helping one person with her app for a citywide leadership program, and she said she had no community service to report. It ended up that she chaired the board of a nonprofit that she was very involved with and also is the treasurer of her church, something else that she spends a lot of time with. She also has mentored several adults by helping them start their own businesses.</p>

50

<p>If people lied on their applications to schools, outright lied, you should e-mail the school involved, not lie on your own application.
It's the right thing to do, and plus :) removing the cheaters from the pool will increase your chances more than simply bringing yourself up their despicable level.
A degree from an Ivy is not worth destroying your moral integrity, especially when you can get a comparable education from many other universities.</p>

51

<p>"A degree from an Ivy is not worth destroying your moral integrity, especially when you can get a comparable education from many other universities."</p>

<p>Whether or not one can get a comparable education elsewhere, lying isn't worth it.</p>

52

<p>Very true, I was simply modifying my views to avoid sounding like a Puritan, although i agree with you entirely.
I guess I sound like a Puritan now :)</p>

53

<p>This is a somewhat related question....</p>

<p>I don't really have documentation for a pretty good proportion of my community service hours. I'm not lying about how much I did or anything like that, and there are people who work at the organization, etc. who could tell you that I came and volunteered, but I doubt that they would say "I recall it was exactly 42 hours over eight months" or whatever. </p>

<p>Is some kind of documentation needed? If so, I need to start contacting people and reminding them that two years ago I did X, etc. etc. Does anyone know if that's something I have to do?</p>

54

<p>you can't make up anything that's going to make any difference at all, so there really isn't a point.</p>

<p>All your doing is making yourself feel better about you app i guess?
it just shows your low self-esteem if anything.</p>

55

<p>how about this:
the application i did had NO section for summer experience or community service. there were only 6 activities spots, 6 awards spots, and 3 work experience spots. i helped out at a hospital for the past 3 years of high school, and it was a really big part of who i am because i want to be a doctor. i wanted to put it somewhere, but i had no room or enough characters. so i put it in the "work experience"</p>

<p>would you consider that lying?</p>

56

<p>I think you just needed to make a notation that it was volunteer work, not a paid job.</p>

<p>I don't think it's unusual that when there aren't enough spaces for activities, students will put their info in spaces designed for other uses. One just needs to let the college know you're doing this.</p>

57

<p>ah! i applied early decision to the school and i don't know if i can change.</p>

58

<p>Just e-mail them that your hospital work was volunteer, not paid employment.</p>

59

<p>what if my rec says "the founder" and on my app, I put "cofounder"?</p>

60

<p>Lying is NOT Good. The very act of lying about your extracurriculars makes the work of those who have actually done those activities you've made up seem completely wasted. </p>

<p>Of course, on the other side, persuasively describe your achievments, putting them in the best light possible, but NEVER out of the historical and/or present truth. When estimating your hours too, adcoms want approximations, because its not like they will check and/or add up and analyze every hour box unless its something either outrageous like 10000 per week or 0.00001 per week. </p>

<p>In short, things you can lie about dont have a great impact on your application, and if you do lie then you are committing a great immoral act, and anything you lie about that's "major" will be checked anyway</p>

<p>On a side note, Personally too I find many people on CC greatly overexaggerate the 'lack of work' club offices entice. I'm an officer of several school clubs, (not counting national-level involvement), and most of them do require a ton of work no matter what office. Being Student Gov. president involves, 99% of the time, more work than cleaning band uniforms. People underestimate these things unless they are actually in the positions.</p>