<p>To be honest, I really didn't know about this until a few weeks back. And don't know if I should do anything....I really don't want to.</p>
<p>So my "friend" is sending his ECAs list in the common app and 5 recommendation letters from outside the school(from employers). Problem is...he didn't do any of those. Nada.
His dad is close friends with the employers, mostly vice presidents of these big corporations, and thus, my friend is writing the recommendation letter himself, and getting them signed by them. In these letters, he goes on to write that he has been an exceptional worker and that he has worked for six freaking months at each internship...giving a total of 2 years of work experience. What makes me sad is that one of those employers is supposed to be a Yale alumnus. Whatever happened to integrity?</p>
<p>Furthermore, he has convinced our school to give him a #1 rank, even though three other students have a an average of 15 mark more than him. Now, 4 people share the rank. </p>
<p>The only thing that is real on his application is his essays...although I am not even sure about that. </p>
<p>I wouldn't have worried about this, but it really ****es me off that while I worked 36 hours a week for a month in the summer, and work full time on my youth organization for two years now, and have a 98% average, he can just fake his way out. and to top it all off, he is applying to where I am applying.</p>
<p>Is my reaction petty? Maybe. Is what he is doing wrong? Definitely.</p>
<p>Question is : What should I do? or leave everything in the hands of fate?</p>
<p>“he has convinced our school to give him a #1 rank, even though three other students have a an average of 15 mark more than him. Now, 4 people share the rank.”</p>
<p>Really? How?</p>
<p>As to the fake letters, 5 letters from employers? Most schools want 2 recs from teachers via common app. If your “friend” is writing them all, the style and description are going to be quite similar for each of them, and it will be easy for a reader to notice they are astroturfed. </p>
<p>This plan, if it is real, will backfire. All you need to do is sit back and watch.</p>
<p>This is one where the question is: what is the actual evidence to prove this has in fact occurred. It seems preposterous that one could get letters from high officers of corporations, and 5 no less, that lie about a person’s employment at the corporation; in other words, I have my doubts. Also, the letters of rec required are from teachers not outside businessmen. Also, one does not “convince” a school to give one a number one rank. In other words, unless you have documents signed by the applicant admitting to this or eye witnesses who will willingly testify under oath that this actually occurred, it is not something likely to be believed.</p>
<p>@drusba You are absolutely right. There is no way anyone would be able to prove that he is faking his internships.
About the letters of recommendations, these would be sent as additional recommendation letters. I think most colleges allow additional recommendation letters, as long as they add something new about the applicant.
He is an international student, from a school which started giving ranks instead of percentiles this year, and has no idea about US colleges. Due to the administration being new, I don’t think it was that big of a problem for him. The administration is very lenient.</p>
<p>Well, if you don’t believe me, there is nothing I can do. I was just using this site to rant.</p>
<p>There are EducationUSA advising centers in almost every country on the planet. [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php#.Tp8ed5sr27s]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php#.Tp8ed5sr27s) Do the future students at your school a favor, and make certain that the administration has contact information for the closest advising center. No one should have to go through the application completely on their own.</p>
<p>What the colleges and universities make of the letters this student is sending is up to them. I know it ticks you off that he is doing this, but please try not to worry about it anymore.</p>
<p>I hope he gets what’s coming to him if he really has done all this. </p>
<p>If you do expose you friend, you’ll more than likely burn that bridge. Hopefully he didn’t have the foresight to alter his writing style for each letter. </p>
<p>I know it can seem really hard to compete when people everywhere are realizing that they can lie and cheat their way into their dream college. But when you get in, you’ll feel better that you actually earned it.</p>
<p>Chances are that if he writes the letters they will all sound too similar - and too “high school.” Chances that adcoms will believe this kid had 5 jobs are so slim I’d almost bet they won’t be fooled. It’s soooo beyond the pattern of a usual “top performer.” (Chances are, when the adcoms see the dad’s influential job, they will suspect that’s how the kid got these amazing opps.) Even if the bosses wrote the letters, without the real experience with the kid, they can’t sound genuine. </p>
<p>Reviewers will get what they need from teachers and the GC. And, those folks have their own subtle ways of suggesting a kid is not what he seems to be. You can anonymously report him to the GC or school admin- or higher. Don’t know if it will do any good if everyone is so swayed by his dad.
It all sounds unreal.</p>
<p>Well for starters, I would say it’s time to stop being friends. Why would you want to associate yourself with this kind of person? It reflects poorly on you that you are still ‘friends.’</p>
<p>I sense a “ethical delimma” essay topic here. Sorry! Can’t help myself. My son had a hard time coming an idea out of this essay the past few weeks.</p>
<p>I sense your story is false. I highly doubt a counselor would change ones class rank. Being #4 is not a bad spot to be in… One who would be pulling a “fast one” such as you describe would hardly broadcast the news to some one like you who would obviously resent the shenanigans. It is not what you know but who you know… the sooner you learn that one the better.</p>
<p>There are some schools, in some communities, both U.S. and international, where a good bit of institutional dishonesty occurs. Pressure from relatives, high-powered politicos or wealthy benefactors can come into play in private schools as well as public.</p>
<p>As amazing as it sounds, there are circumstances where students are bumped into val or sal positions without the fair academic credentials. Our school saw a new principal insert one student as a co-salutatorian for her “spiritual and community leadership” role, not her B average certainly. (Principal had been wined and dined all year, “welcomed into the community” by said student’s parent. Fortunately principal was ousted after a year.)</p>
<p>And, yes there are corrupt parents willing to lean on friends for faux recommendations and fictitious EC credentials. </p>
<p>OP- Your reaction is not petty, it is perfectly understandable. If you do not think that your school or GC would want to correct these wrongs, then I would say you should consider writing directly to a few of his colleges. If you want the letter to be taken seriously, you would need to sign it. (Anonymous letters would be considered attempts to sabotage the applicant.)</p>
<p>Usually I’d say just leave it alone, because although it sucks, it unfortunately happens too often in this competitive college process.</p>
<p>But the fact that he is applying to the same schools as you might be cause for concern. I know that if I were you and he gets in later and you don’t, it might be petty, but I’d likely call the schools he’s accepted to and inform them of what took place. Let them then do with it as they wish, but at least they’ll know.</p>
<p>Again, that’s just me. You have to do what’s right for you. Decide if you want to put friendship or integrity first.</p>
<p>tell your friend that you will tell if he doesn’t go through the process honestly. that may be one of the hardest things you can do, but if he does send it in, it will backfire and he may not get to go to college at all. if he does get away with it, it’s obviously unfair. if he’s really your friend you will do this for him. </p>
<p>the whole situation pretty much sucks. sorry OP</p>
<p>fauve, agree, it’s not uncommon for some schools to put as many kids into val as they can justify, to make them look good. Sometimes, they pool all kids within some range. For certain US schools, adcoms know to expect it.</p>
<p>In general, CC advice is not to contact the colleges that kid is applying to.</p>
<p>It’s extremely frustrating to watch people cheat as they are pursuing the same brass ring as you are, but I don’t think it’s in your interest to blow the whistle on this student. First, you will look petty. Second, it may not help you get accepted at your chosen school at all. Third, you might be dragged into some kind of investigation that will distract you from your own life and business. </p>
<p>Let it go and concentrate on your own affairs, safe in the knowledge that sooner or later, your “friend” will fall flat on his face without genuine accomplishments. Cheaters rarely prosper.</p>
<p>I certainly would not write to his colleges directly. This is nothing more than hearsay. If you want to cause potential legal problems for yourself down the road maybe yes but otherwise - let this idiot alone other than dropping him as a friend.</p>
Hopefully he didn’t have the foresight to alter his writing style for each letter. </p>