Yale applicant cheated

<p>First of all, have you affirmed that this is actually true, or is it just a rumor? Before you start to concern yourself with it, find out for sure. Unfortunately, even if it is true, there's really nothing you can do about it. There are going to be people that you come to know your whole life who lie, cheat, steal, and do all of the above. They're the ones who have to live with themselves, knowing that they got something they didn't necessarily deserve. Even if the school was to rescind his admittance for cheating, the chances that the spot would be awarded to your would be quite slim. Keep this in mind. I know it's frustrating, but I'm sure your chance to get in to an amazing school will come along very soon, and you will actually EARN your spot there.</p>

<p>yea, man. like yale might take away his spot -- and there will be probably a split in the adcom about people who consider you a hero turning in a friend, or a jackass snitchin'. so you benefiting from this entire thing is really slim.</p>

<p>just go up to him and say "i'm so paid," and then smack him or something just to let him realize that he should be ashamed. i think him knowing for the rest of his life that he got into yale being a piece of **** should be enough punishment.</p>

<p>I have to disagree with the people who say you shouldn't do anything because you won't gain anything. You probably won't, but you'd still be righting a wrong. And even if you don't get that person's spot at Yale, some other deserving person who didn't cheat will.</p>

<p>That said, I don't know if you'd be able to prove it.</p>

<p>Actually, I was in a similar case as the original poster. There was a fellow classmate that I knew since elementary school who cheated on the ACT. She was caught by the proctor and was lucky that she didn't void her test and instead just asked her to erase the answers she had copied (about 5-6). I felt a little upset by that and wrote a letter to ACT. To make a long story short, they told me they contacted the testing center, confirmed my story with the proctor, and pretty much said they'll try their best to not let it happen again. </p>

<p>You can pursue it like I did, but all you'll likely get is a letter of condolence like I did. Colleges know that the ACT test is not a perfect system (despite what the ACT company might tell you) and they will look at many other aspects of your application to get a sense of who you are. I agree, it's awful to see a few dishonest people slip through and make it in to college, but consider this (for those of you who love Karma), if a student had to cheat on a test that assesses basic grammar knowledge, math that goes as high as basic trigonometry, one page reading samples, etc. how do you think they'll ever succeed in taking a multi-variable calculus class or writing a 10 page paper on their own interpretation of a novel. :)</p>

<p>Why do I get the feeling that all of the people who vehemently tell the OP not to do anything have maybe cheated a few times in their past...? haha worried about their Yale decisions, eh?</p>

<p>I think if you feel strongly enough to go through with JHS's advice, do it. It IS righting a wrong that affects every applicant that applies to Yale. With an under ten percent admissions rate, it's really sad that (if this is true) someone who wouldn't just study on his own took the spot of someone who actually worked hard. It's the kid "costing" his OWN acceptance.</p>

<p>Wow OP, instead of complaining about it, why didn't you just pay the guy to take your ACT too? ;) jk lol</p>

<p>Keep in mind that if the OP signs an accusation and DOESN'T end up proving it for whatever reason, they will be paying magnitudes of Yale tuition in legal fees and court-ordered settlements after the storm slander and defamation suits that would follow. The circumstances are against the OP: disgruntled Ivy League Type A applicant, desperate to gain admission even at the expense of others (ironically, that's how the OP would be perceived if the went forward but couldn't close the case). If you try to do anything and fail for reasons beyond your control, you will find yourself in yourself in quite a quagmire.</p>

<p>I don't think you have a defamation problem if you report a legitimate concern to the proper party (ACT) on a factual basis, without exaggerating what you know. It's not your responsibility to pursue it, to prove it, or to publicize it, and you shouldn't be trying. That's where you could get into trouble.</p>

<p>It probably doesn't help that you waited until he got accepted to Yale to complain.</p>

<p>Well, it is not just a rumor. I held back some details. I think that I have hit a raw nerve with some folks on here. I can say this - this person was not top notch, but he was a xxxx recruit - a certain sport - and the perfect ACT score definitely helped the coach get him in. There are other athletes with far more talent and their stats are good, but maybe not top notch. But, they will not get in because there are only so many spots available on any given team. I will be waiting for some karma to happen. Oh, something else, the apple has not fallen far from the tree.</p>

<p>Pinkie, I don't think it would hurt to bring this to ACT's attention.</p>

<p>I think colleges receive the scanned version of the handwritten essay from the writing sections of both the ACT and SAT. So Yale has his handwriting on file with his app.</p>

<p>Come on, don't do this. Even if he did cheat don't ruin this for him. GOD is the only one who can really judge, we have all done things that we shouldn't have. Just let it go.</p>

<p>If the kid cheated and wasn't actually smart enough to get in, flunking out could be appropriate.</p>

<p>@Dbate: Um......are you serious?</p>

<p>
[quote]
@Dbate: Um......are you serious?

[/quote]

It's scary, but I think he is.</p>

<p>omg.. seriously people. someone is always gonna cheat and make it somewhere in life and most of the time you can do nothing about it. learn to live with it and just go about your ways. pray God will reward you for your morality and punish the other for their immoral cheating ways.</p>

<p>almost all of the kids at my school that get into top colleges cheat their way through high school and standardized tests. and no, cheating does not catch up with them because they don't see it as doing anything wrong and they are smart in their own right so they are able to succeed at these great schools, too. then they become rich and forget they ever cheated in the first place.</p>

<p>^</p>

<p>Yeah, meta-competency is an interesting question in game theory...Who's better? The player that can use imperfect information to make the best decisions by the rules, or the player that changes the rules to suit them?</p>