<p>When you describe your ECs, I want to know what people mean when they say adcoms can sniff out lies? I mean, I know that no one is going to be stupid to make up that they were the Siemens winner or the top Mathlete in the state. No one is going to lie about academic related performances. But when you talk about clubs and stuff, how do colleges sniff out those lies?</p>
<p>Honestly, they really don't notice it. If your able to get it by the GC, your pretty much safe. I'm not saying you should do it though.</p>
<p>If you say stuff that your GC doesn't mention at all (like you say that you're a piano virtuoso, and none of your recs talk about it) they'll investigate further. I know of a specific case when an applicant sent in a tape of their piano playing, which none of the recs had talked about, and it turns out that her mother made the tape.</p>
<p>that is hardcore....the mother sent the tape. What happens with such an incident?</p>
<p>Other advice on this matter?</p>
<p>Usually ECs that colleges can't sniff out, practically means that it isn't going to separate you from all the others.</p>
<p>Colleges don't care whether you're a member in a club. Students who pad their applications with things like that are risking being rejected (if they're caught in the lie). They aren't impressing adcoms, who do get impressed by major offices -- assuming the offices are backed up by proof or impact -- awards, description of major projects, etc.</p>
<p>When people lie about the things that colleges do care about such as RSI, being national president of an organization, etc., they are likely to be caught in lies or to have their application rejected or admission rescinded.</p>
<p>Don't yall agree "Usually ECs that colleges can't sniff out, practically means that it isn't going to separate you from all the others."</p>
<p>Our school makes you fill out and sign a "Form of Authenticity" which your GC checks. This way it is really hard to lie. Sure, membership in some club may get overlooked, but nothing major is getting on your EC form that didn't happen.</p>
<p>They are magic. They will smell your lie then descend on your house, burn it to cinders, and eat you alive.</p>
<p>Seriously, though, don't ever lie on a college app. That is probably morally the absolute worst thing you could ever do at this point in your life because it doesn't just affect you, it affects all of the wonderful people who deserve to be there but aren't because some idiot decided to enhance his app with lies.</p>
<p>u can lie but it won't help u because if it is sufficiently strong enough to help u they will figure it out.</p>
<p>if you are even thinking of lying, don't go to college. that's not a plcae for you. go do something else.</p>
<p>Guys guys, I have heard the moral advice and reasoning of "don't lie" which I will always follow when it comes to people making judgements about my acceptance. I am just curious about how far college adcoms go in making verifications of student's activities and such not. At what point does an adcom go,"let me make a check on that" perhaps when it is "He was a national award winner!" or hmm.. "was he really president of the Asian Society"? See how the magnitude of appeal can change?</p>
<p>From a speech by the UChicago admissions dean:</p>
<p>"...Nor do we know you by tallying the number of you who are musicians and athletes and volunteers, that being many,many of you. In our profile we list those things on the statistics page, a page subtitled, 'Notorious Liars'."</p>
<p>I dont get the joke seirously, can you explain it?</p>
<p>so if you HAVE held important posts at a certain club and if you DO have quite good ECs , AND if your reco's state it .. then there is no way they can think your lying is it ?</p>
<p>btw, how much do you have to detail about your ECs and the posts youve held and the projects that you have taken part in? I dont see much place for all that in the application form. So do you send a seperate resume including all that ? Or are the teachers supposed to fill it up on the reco page ?</p>
<p>Dukedevils_27: The joke is that the EC's are "positioned" by the applicants to look as good as possible, maybe even a little better than they really are, and the adcoms realize it.</p>
<p>Rishabh16: Most applications provide for continuation pages or supplemental information.</p>
<p>One big tipoff is that often the guidance counselor or teachers' recommendations will fail to mention your involvement in activities. If you are truly a leader at school, that certainly would be mentioned in a letter of recommendation. The people reading your application packet are not stupid or inexperienced--they would quickly pick up on the discrepancy between a packed resume and recommendations that don't pick up on that theme--which could lead to a quick call to the guidance counselor, or a quick pitch in to the "I don't think so...." pile.</p>
<p>Or, for example, when I do interviews for a local LAC, I often ask about extracurriculars as a way to draw students out of their shyness--students who are not as they portray themselves to be often do not interview well. If a student seems uncomfortable talking about things on his or her resume, one possible assumption is that some of it is falsified.</p>
<p>The funny thing is that the things most students do to fancy up their resume really don't make any difference in admissions--it really is not a big deal to be president of three in-school clubs instead of one or even none--because French Club or Math Club is really not a big deal to begin with, it just shows an extension of interest, if even that.</p>
<p>What if your GC is just an old hag who doesn't care what the students participate in and writes on counselor evaluation report that you are a good student, a fine leader, and a creative guy even if you are the valedictorian, president of 3423489 clubs, and hold several national awards?</p>
<p>then make sure you get the teachers to mention it. :)</p>
<p>How about just not lying?</p>