emerica22

I was wondering who risky it is to make up extracurricular activities on applications? Not saying that I am considering doing this, but I was just curious. It seems like it would be really easy to do, do schools even contact the organizations you have volunteered with? Also say someone volunteered 20 hours with an organization and puts down 50, can they get caught?

WishyWashy

Ultimately, it depends on the magnitude and type of the lie. If you make up some kind of activity and something outside of your control (teacher recommendation, guidance counselor recommendation, interview slip-up) contradicts what you have written on your application, it's a big red flag.

Often, people CAN get away with embellishing their activities in a big way or making other things up, but it also should be said that if a school discovers after accepting you that you falsified application information, it is totally within its right to remove you from the school or even to annul your diploma if they find out (for some reason) after you graduate.

sanguinity

If it is anything important enough to make a difference, you are probably going to get caught.

Also, if your counselor and other recommendations don't indicate any involvement or achievements you mentioned, it is going to raise flags too.

boysx3

If it's insignificant enough not to get caught, it's not significant enough to make a difference...but if it is ever caught, you could be expelled/your degree rescinded. (Whether you volunteered 20 hours or 50 hours is not significant in either direction...it almost screams that you did the volunteering to build your resume rather than due to any personal passion.) This has sometimes happened, so it's not worth it since it doesn't make a difference anyway.

If the falsification is significant enough to make a difference in the perception of your application, it's likely to be caught, and your application immediately deep-sixed. If some made up EC is not commented upon by a teacher or the GC, or if the made up EC does not fit with their portrayal of you in the LORs , it's a red flag....easily resolved with a quick google search or phone call.