<p>I know a kid who looks good on paper, nice test scores and good gpa as well as a lot of clubs that he just joined for college. He's applying to top schools, but he is really a terrible person. He bullies kids, cheats on exams and has never been caught, has cheated on math competitions like the AMCs, goes on the internet and torments suicidal people on alt.suicide.holiday, and hacks into people's computers and facebooks and posts their pictures on these semi-porno sites. I know you shouldn't be posting pictures you don't want out there, but that's still a really ******y thing to do. He's a big suck up so none of the teachers know and he probably has fine recommendations, but I would really rather not have him at my school. I do have records of some of the things he's posted on usenet groups but I can't "prove" that it's him, even though it's under his name. What would you do if someone like this is applying to your school or top schools in general?</p>
<p>What I can say is that there are definitely ways out there to prove it was him, if it really was. If that is your prerogative, I’m sure you have the resources to look it up. </p>
<p>I was bullied myself throughout middle school. As awful as it all is, kids are going to be kids. I know very well that everyone, myself included, makes mistakes. The girls that picked on me came from very powerful, very wealthy families. The only reason I was at that school was because my mom worked there and I was on scholarship. I was literally the only kid that came from a poor family. Even though they made fun of me relentlessly because of that, I don’t blame them. What do you honestly expect out of sixth, seventh and eight grade kids? I really I have no idea what was going on at home with those kids. Can you say you do for this boy?</p>
<p>Cheating may not be looked well upon by colleges. Well, it just won’t. At all. Ever. And if you really want to expose him, more power to you, I guess. </p>
<p>For me right now, I’m the only person I can worry about, so that would be my stance on it. And although he sounds like a pretty unpleasant kid, there are two sides to every story. I encourage you to remember that.</p>
<p>How is this any of your business? And if you’re really worried about the suicidal people he torments anonymously or whatever, why have you kept quiet until now? Sounds like his many failings as a human being only became a concern for you when he announced his intention to apply to the same school as you, which doesn’t actually make you look as good/selfless/principled as you seem to think it does.</p>
<p>Sabotaging people’s college applications because you don’t think they deserve to get into the schools they’re applying to on a cosmic level, and you’re worried adcoms may not notice that, is actually a very petty, thoughtless and nasty thing to do. Who died and made you king? You don’t get to decide these things.</p>
<p>Sabotaging people’s college applications ostensibly because you feel it is your moral obligation to do so, but really just because they’re applying to the same schools as you–that, on the other hand, is downright pathetic.</p>
<p>Cut it out.</p>
<p>What happened to the quote button? Was there never one?</p>
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I haven’t said I’ve never tried to do anything about it. I guess online issues are hard to take offline, but I have tried to help my share of clinically depressed people so it’s not really fair for you to tell me it’s not my business for being slightly concerned or to assume that I’ve ‘kept quiet’ until now. It’s also why I know that he’s doing this.</p>
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<p>No, actually, it’s always been a concern to me.</p>
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So college admissions is determined by the very fabric of this universe and we should all step aside and let fate set things in place. I never said I should decide anything. In the end admissions committees decide. I would never present anything other than facts, if anything at all, and that dilemma is why I posted this thread. No need to get nasty.</p>
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<p>Actually, I’m not applying to any schools.</p>
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Yes, but even if I were to go to those lengths, would the evidence would be dependable enough to matter?</p>
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Not too much. He seems to have normal parents, but then again what do I know? Those middle-school bullies of yours are probably a tad different from this guy, the lengths to which he goes to actually find people to ■■■■■ is a bit more serious than picking on the kid who doesn’t belong. Plus he’s a LEGAL ADULT. The teenagers who tormented Phoebe Prince are being charged with harassment and assault, so the only difference here is that nobody’s died yet.</p>
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I can’t, and won’t. That is probably the least of my worries.</p>
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Oh, I know there are always two sides to every story. However it doesn’t excuse all behavior especially behavior of a legal adult that could potentially cause serious harm to people…</p>
<p>But most likely nothing will be done and life will go on, but I felt like maybe a few of these points might be relevant to admissions. Maybe not.</p>
<p>double post</p>
<p>The same thing’s happening at my school: This kid cheated all the way through high school, and he’s probably going to be valedictorian (his few acquaintances always gave him the answers/test bank to tests). He also bullies people who he considers “below” him online, aka anyone with lower grades than him. The problem is, he’ll probably get into most of the colleges he applies to. However, even if he does, he’ll probably fail in life because he’s socially ■■■■■■■■ and has no idea how to interact with people. Even if he does get into Harvard, he’ll probably be the creepy recluse kid who everyone knows and avoids. </p>
<p>I used to think the same way as you do, but in the end I just dropped it. There’s NO point in worrying about a single d-bag who might get into his dream school. People get away with doing horrible things ALL THE TIME. Just think about how many murderers get away with their crimes even though everyone knows they’re guilty. Plus, you can’t really do anything about it, so worry about getting into your own school instead of someone else.</p>
<p>“… is a bit more serious than picking on the kid who doesn’t belong.”</p>
<p>Wow. Just because I don’t blame the kids who did it, it does not mean I don’t take offense to that, nor do you have the right to assume anything about my situation. </p>
<p>If all your concerned about is the fact that he’s applying to the same school as you, I’m sorry, but that’s pathetic. If you can’t get in, I assure you, it will not be because a solitary person appears to be a better candidate than you.</p>
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<p>Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed anything about your situation. But what you described (middle school-aged kids ostracizing someone who they think doesn’t belong) is different than a grown-up actively searching for people with mental illnesses and telling them how they should kill themselves. However that’s your story to tell or not, I shouldn’t have judged.</p>
<p>And no, I’m not only concerned that he might be going to the same school as me next year, I just felt like adcoms might be grateful to know the whole story of cheating and his behavior, but even if I had a way of proving things, I doubt I would actually carry out anything serious.</p>
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<p>Although I get where you’re coming from, I think your analogy is flawed. Not reporting a crime that you’ve witnessed may be considered a crime itself in many circumstances. However, considering that he’s not actually doing anything illegal, you’re probably right. If he comes here, I’ll probably just avoid him. And tell everyone to avoid him.</p>
<p>If this person does this a lot, it will catch up to him. What goes around comes around. There’s always someone up there looking. 
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/1217009-7-students-arrested-sat-cheating-scheme.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/sat-act-tests-test-preparation/1217009-7-students-arrested-sat-cheating-scheme.html</a></p>
<p>By legal adult you mean he’s 18 right? So what? Most high school seniors turn 18 during or before senior year. The second you turn 18 does not mean everything you do is suddenly under 10 times the scrutiny or that you become mature and responsible. Is he a jerk? Sounds like it. Does it matter that he’s a legal adult and a jerk? No it just makes him like the other 95% of the adult population that are jerks. Sorry to rant but that really irked me.</p>
<p>And karma is quite the female dog. He’ll get his eventually.</p>
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<p>No, but there’s usually a world of maturation between 17, 18, or 19 and 11, 12, or 13. The point isn’t that he’s a legal adult. The point is that at that point people do start to have to take responsibility for their actions, as evidenced by the fact that the law expects you to.</p>
<p>But that’s not really the point.</p>
<p>The point is that you don’t like this person and want people to tell you that your pettiness is excusable and even commendable. Sorry, it’s not. You’re not coming off as morally superior to him here.</p>
<p>I would do nothing to him.</p>
<p>Objectively, his numbers might seem wonderful, and his recommendations might be alright, but how he presents himself through essays and maybe an interview might reflect that ugly side, if he truly is that horrible. And you should know that college acceptances do not decide who the good people are. It isn’t that simple. Any horrible actions will eventually catch up to him. If you sincerely want justice, let it go. It’s not your business to deliver that justice.</p>
<p>Granted, if you want to report his cheating or any of his other actions to an appropriate authority figure, I think that would be fair. But only do so if you are actually concerned about the harm he’s causing. The fact that you haven’t reported anything so far makes me suspect that you are only bringing these issues to light to harm him.</p>
<p>“He seems to have normal parents, but then again what do I know?”
Exactly. What do you know? He could be suffering from abuse, depression, or a million other possible personal issues that have made him into a “horrible” person. We aren’t born with malicious intentions; something probably made him a bully and liar. Although this is my personal belief, it might apply to him.</p>
<p>In my experience I have seen no radical changes between 17 and 18 or even 19. One year at that age makes little difference, someone who is immature will continue to be immature. You are legally responsible for your actions in most states at the age of 10, that’s when you get tried as a minor and can go to juvie. Also you can get tried as an adult for serious crimes once you start getting past 13 depending on the state and jury.
Like I said he’s a jerk, but his age is irrelevant. If he was 17 picking on kids and being horrible, it’s no worse when he doesn’t stop the second he turned 18. It’s the same amount of horrible.</p>
<p>Sounds like you are a bit jealous. Anyway the techers probably know this, and will give him bad recs. If not life will catch up with him, don’t worry</p>
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What of? He’s younger than me by 3 years I doubt I’m jealous.</p>
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Yeah, I don’t like him. Pettiness? Maybe. That’s what I came here to ask, whether or not it would be “petty.” Way to assume that that’s what I “want people to tell [me]” and to turn this simple question into something defensive.</p>
<p>MIT <3, I take your question seriously, and I really don’t think you sound jealous or petty to ask it. When someone is doing something ethically wrong, hurtful, or socially unacceptable, when do we intervene? In general, I’m uncomfortable with a totally hands-off approach, because that might mean we are standing by passively while innocent people get hurt. But at what point do we step in? We don’t want to poison anyone against people when we, naturally, are subject to our own individual, subjective beliefs, and might be misinterpreting the situation or overreacting…I guess in this situation, I would probably not pursue it with the school - I think it would be very hard to avoid looking like you have a vendetta against the guy, and it might reflect badly on you. And after all, he hasn’t committed any wrongdoings in MIT’s purview (yet). As far as benefitting by cheating, I just figure that they will never be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor with a free conscience, and may never really feel that they deserve what they get - as opposed to honest people who can be proud of their accomplishments. We can’t stop all the cheaters in the world; it’s just not possible. It’s a slippery situation, but I’m not sure anything you could do to stop it would actually work well.</p>
<p>Chances are, even if he gets into your college he isn’t going to continue doing these things for long. If he’s cheating, he will get caught. If he’s bullying, it probably won’t last long because this is college, and people like to try and leave that crap behind and may be more likely to report it. It’s not like they’ll be in all his classes, see him in the halls, etc. as often as they did in high school. Also, people tend to change as they enter new stages of their life. </p>
<p>If he really is as horrible as you say, he will likely have that called out at some point and pay the consequences. There isn’t much you can do unless you have concrete proof and take it to your admissions counselors, but I’m not sure how they would look upon that act.</p>