What constitues "cheating" on college applications

Applying to College
1

<p>First of all, how often do colleges check?</p>

<p>Secondly, aren't extracurricular activities are impossible to verify? For instance, if I said I volunteered for 400 hours for Red Cross when it was really only about 50, how can they check? I doubt they can find information on a specific student and exactly how many hours they volunteered at one of the thousands of facilities.</p>

<p>Or if I said I worked every week for an software business (without mentioning that it was owned by my parents), would colleges consider that to by lying? (assuming they take the time to find out).</p>

<p>How about if I said I started a club at my school when I really did nothing more than submit an application? Or maybe saying I've been a Student Council member for 4 years when it's really 3? If there is evidence that I have been on student council, will colleges really check to make sure it's exactly 4 years and not 3?</p>

<p>By the way, I am a sophomore and I am just curious</p>

2

<p>Didn't you already post this?</p>

<p>Ah, yes: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=276255%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=276255&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

3

<p>I didn't lie.. I mean these people will eventually meet you and if you lie on your app sooner or later something will come out.. I don't want to live my college life thinking I got admitted off a lie..</p>

4

<p>If you're a sophomore I would start working now, so you don't have to lie.</p>

5

<p>They do spot check, especially at the better colleges...</p>

6

<p>I know u are asking out of curiosity, but if u lie knowingly they can throw u out. Not only that, but I would be pi**ed off if I did not get in and I was being honest.</p>

7

<p>Someday, you wake up and realize your entire life is a lie! Can't go back and do it again. You'll never know what you could have been on your own merits. You probably would have been great anyway, but can't know for sure. The not knowing will gnaw at you every day for the rest of your life! That little bit of self doubt! Am I a fraud?! You can NEVER know the truth! Your life is meaningless.</p>

<p>It would be true justice! :-).</p>

8

<p>I think you know the answer already as to what constitutes cheating @"I am just curious". Anything that you put down that is false is cheating. Virtually all the examples you gave are those of cheating (except for the one about working at parents' business - assuming you were actually doing some honest work, it doesn't matter whose business it is).</p>

9

<p>I'm not goin' to give u a lesson in morals, but to answer your question, colleges will most likely never know you lied on your application, unless you make ur ECs too extravagant and your Guidance advisor writes something drastically different about you.</p>