<p>I am currently in my gap year in India after having graduated from high school in the US, but I am not currently enrolled to go to a US college for Fall 2006. Instead, I am enrolled fFull-Time at a college right now (for only a semester) taking several science courses while the overall highlight of my gap year is my volunteer work in Indian hospitals and schools.</p>
<p>While I plan on presenting a portfolio and description of 1-2 pages of my gap year and volunteer and hospital work, I also plan on lying that I am part-time student (because I am only there for a semester) and say that I am taking an academic courseload of only two subjects rather than 5 subjects and say that that I am taking two science classes- Biology and Chemistry- which cover an extensive teaching of the AP syllapi because unfortunately I did not take any AP science courses in high school so I really wanted to brush up this year in addition to my community service. In addition, I plan on mentioning that I will take the AP exams in May so the colleges will say “Wow, this kid is taking 2 additional AP courses and that is impressive” - THE 2 EXTRA SCIENCE APS are the only reason why I want to mention my academic status…I could clearly leave it out and just talk about volunteer work, but I feel like it adds more depth to my academic strenghts.</p>
<p>Anyways, when I called my ED college, they mentioned that I can send a supplementary recc from India to describe my gap year. Thus I am asking my biology teacher, who has also helped coordinate my gap year and volunteer work, while also teaching an extensive AP syllabi topic. Here is the key part to my question…Because he understands that I came to India for only a year to learn and not deal with this hassle of credits and applying for US colleges, he will write that I am “part-time status” so that I wont qualify as a transfer international student (=no seat or no financial aid). I will have my teacher and THE DEAN(who also doesn’t mind) to sign this recommendation. The problem is that I don’t have transcripts avaliable but instead my teacher will talk about my academic potential and what I have been doing. Anyways, Ultimately, I DO NOT plan on transferring these credits because the ONLY college credits I will use are from AP exams. I just wanted to learn more about Biology and Chemistry for the future and impress colleges that I am taking 2 additional AP courses.</p>
<p>-------->Now, with the Dean’s and teacher’s signatures, will colleges ever attempt to call my current university, which I mention is abroad in India, and ask about once again to confirm my status over the phone or do signatures seal the deal? If they question the Dean and request info, they may find out that I am taking 5 subjects and not 2. This is really huge for me because I do not want to fall under Transfer International. But, if they concur with the signatures, then all is well and they acknowledge my academic work and community service in a positive outlook.<----------------------</p>
<p>Well, I am not actually planing on or ever conisdering to lie on such an important matter of college admissions. I actually spoke to my school today and because I am only here for a semester and am withdrawing from the university this December, they told me that I would have taken under 12 credits and thus have considered me a part-time student. I apologize for coming off the impression that I was “lying” or anything. I merely was confused about the course strucure here in India and as compared with American schools, it is really disorganized in they way they grade and award credits. </p>
<p>Those 5 subjects are actually broken down into 2 subjects (5 different lectures- the confusion of being 5 subjects) in the first semester and 3 subjects in the second semester. At first, I was confused that I was taking 5 classes because this is actually a totally new academic experience for me, however, the teaching is really great. But I am glad that through today’s talk, I have confirmed it because since I am only staying for 1 semester, that still creates my part-time status. And trust me, the worst thing ever to do by my standards, morals, and environment I have grown up is to lie. If you lie to get into college, you are ultimately cheating yourself and that trend will ultimately eat you later in your life. Anyways, thanks for your advice guys. I really appreciate everything as I have ultimately got what I needed to apply to colleges as this issue has been driving me insane.</p>
<p>Based on this post by you Oct. 16, I have a very hard time believing you:</p>
<p>"Hey guys,</p>
<p>I played JV baseball for frosh, sophmore, junior years and I played Varsity senior year (I am actually in my gap year to explain why I have said varsity in the spring sport). However, during junior year, I practiced with Varsity on many occasions. I wanted to bend the EC barrier and say that I played Varsity 2 years during my junior and senior year, but I feel that my guidance counselor may see that I only played for one year. Does playing one or two years matter? In addition, I have checked “NO” that I will not continue in college. So, is it like a big deal at all?"</p>
<p>I practiced with Varsity but played in JV games, so I was technically a swinger. I do not plan on playing baseball in college and thus I will not make an impact on the college’s team. When people say “Varsity” I wanted to know what counts officially for being Varsity- is it the letter, playing in games, practicing. Thus, I was hoping that, although I did not play in games, I can still express that in my ECs that I played varsity for two years. I hope that this at least makes sense.</p>
<p>So, this question that you posted Oct. 15 must have been just idle curiosity. Sure… </p>
<h2>"What do you mean ADCOMS can <strong>“sniff”</strong> out lies? </h2>
<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>And since you’re so truthful, of course you’d need to find out what the correct answer is on this simple question about your summer:</p>
<h2>"Duke APP asks what I did with my summer earnings…umm ok? </h2>
<p>Duke asks what I did with my summer earnings based on what I received from my job. Do they expect the sympathetic side from me that I donated it all to homeless shelters? Obviously they do not wish to hear that I spent it on drugs and alchol as I partied every night away. I guess what do they want to hear? I personally actually spent it on clothes and technology because I attend boarding school and I have a dress code. So I wanted both my room and me to look nice."</p>
<p>People who are honest don’t have to post on message boards to find out whether adcoms check out applications for lies. They also don’t have to ask other people how to answer questions about what they did with their lives.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, this site is a forum website. Because I started threads of a theme, which by the way I am not the first one to ever do, does not reflect anything about my character. My viewpoint on the admissions process is</p>
<p>1.) People make a great deal in trying to make themselves better applicants by exaggerating thier ECs and such. I would only post such a thread to question to hear peoples’ opinions on how they felt on people making things up on their application. Trust me, there are so many people on this site who have posted a similar thread of this topic from race…i.e. “Would not putting that Im asian hurt me?”-how many times have you seen that!..to “Can I exaggerate community service hours”- another ridiculously repeated thread</p>
<p>2.) I feel that colleges are looking too unique on various topics such as “what is your favorite book” to “what do you do on sunday” There is nothing wrong with expressing my opinion on the college process. I just feel that people are trying to sound so perfect to colleges and not being themselves so I only intended to point out how this college process is not about why this college is a fit to me, but rather, what can I change about myself to go to an Ivy league university? </p>
<p>I hope you agree with what I am saying above.</p>
<p>NSM’s just trying to point out that you’re a very identifiable applicant for colleges, and admissions officers definitely do read these threads- so be careful what you post.</p>
<p>I neither agree with you, Dukedevils, nor believe you.</p>
<p>"so I only intended to point out how this college process is not about why this college is a fit to me, but rather, what can I change about myself to go to an Ivy league university? "</p>
<p>The above is true only if that’s how you choose to go about the application process. I don’t know of any ethical person who does things that way.</p>
<p>I am not expressing my character to you Northstarmom, but I am rather expressing a general approach to how people are starting to take college admissions. I understand that you are an interviewer but at least you can agree with me that the contemporary college admissions process has changed its approach.</p>
<p>"I am not expressing my character to you Northstarmom, but I am rather expressing a general approach to how people are starting to take college admissions. "</p>
<p>There always have been students who saw the applications process as a reason to misrepresent the truth. Any process that leads to perceived rewards will attract some cheaters and liars.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, I do not really want to come off as a negative person to you. I suppose that in terms of college admissions, I have always been cynical at how people respond to it. Please do not just suddenly criticize me or hate me for expressing an opinion. I would really like to discontinue this thread now.</p>
<p>Every post of yours gets into ways of misconstruing what you really have done in order to change yourself to look good on your applications. First it was trying to find a way to hide your full time status for one semester at a college in India and asking officials to sign off on that misrepresentation in order to benefit you in some way. Now it is trying to say you were on varsity when you did not PLAY for varsity, only practiced with them. It does not matter the degree of the lie or misrepresentation. You are still lying and trying to present something that you are not or did not do in order to help yourself get in (as you must perceive it). Do some get in who have written lies? Sure, some must get past the gate with lies. But many of these lies are not of enough substance to make a difference in the admissions outcome. More substantial lies usually send up red flags and can be found out unless everything on your application, records, recs, interviews, all match up. </p>
<p>But what is truly disconcerting is that you think you NEED to lie to get in. Why not put energy into really having done these things you want to lie about? Or else just stand confident with what you truly have done, rather than fabricate? I have had two children get into very selective schools and they did not have to make up anything. Every single thing they submitted showed the real facts and frankly, others’ writings on their behalf gave the same picture. They did not need to make it up. They are who they are and they showed who they are. They still got in. Fancy that idea.</p>
<p>Good said, but as an international I just don’t used to the American way. Making a kid seemingly perfect isn’t the way for college admissions elsewhere. And when they (not me; I’m trying to apply grad school) knows it through CC, they only think they have to be passed off as one of the super kids there in order to get in. End of story.</p>
<p>“I just don’t used to the American way. Making a kid seemingly perfect isn’t the way for college admissions elsewhere.”</p>
<p>Not true. For many international universities, test scores and possibly grades are the sole determinant of admisison. Without those, the student simply isn’t admitted. And those scores and grades had better be high.</p>
<p>In the US, there are thousands of colleges, and virtually any high school grad can find a college that will admit them. It’s only the very top colleges – places like Harvard, Princeton, etc. that have such an overabundance of extremely well qualified applicants that those colleges can put lots of weight on ECs, essays, etc.</p>
<p>Most colleges in the US accept the majority of their applicants. About 65% of students in the U.S. gain acceptance into their first choice of college. </p>
<p>In many parts of the US, going to the local university will gain one far better contacts and respect than going to a place like HPYS. That’s true even if the local university is only second or third tier.</p>
<p>No one has to lie on their applications to gain college admission in the U.S. People may choose to lie, but that reflects more on their lack of character than on the admissions process here.</p>
<p>In addition, most of the posters on CC are the very top students in the U.S. Most other students and parents are not obsessing over colleges like this. Most people are not applying to colleges where the average SAT is above 1400, and only 1 in 8 or even fewer students are accepted.</p>
<p>Yet, most people in the U.S. who go to college will be able to find jobs and will be able to live very comfortable lives. It’s not as if one has to go to HPYS or starve. Far from the case.</p>
<p>You don’t have to be “perfect” to get in. You just have to be who you are. You have to work hard and achieve and do worthwhile things. Whatever these are, you show them when you apply. You don’t DO them in order to apply. If you have not achieved in signficant ways, you apply to colleges that are less selective. It is as simple as that. You don’t have to game anything. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to reinvent yourself to colleges. My kids never chose to do anything in order to get into college (other than they knew they had to do well in school to have options later on). As far as activities and other achievements, they did these because they WANTED to do them. They never sat down and said, “hmm, what activity should I do, or how many hours of community service do I need, or what should I do for the summer in order to ‘look good’ for college?” They just did what interested them. They pursued those things to a high level because they were motivated to do well at the activities they were passionate about. They’d have done these things whether they were applying to college or not. They even chose just about every activity that they did as high schoolers, back as little kids when they were exploring different activities they were exposed to and chose ones they enjoyed. They did not try to be unique. They did not think of which activities colleges like. They just were themselves. When it came time for applications, they simply recorded and showed what they had done all these years and let that record speak for itself. They did not try to be perfect. They were who they were. They applied to colleges that were well suited to them and their achievements. There are schools out there for everyone. If you are a high achiever, you may end up at a more selective school but you don’t have to be perfect to get there. And a more selective school is not the answer to happiness or success. Anyone can be a success if you put your energy toward goals and work hard. The answer to success is not perfection. It is not about fabricating yourself or misrepresentation to get to the next step of your goals. If it was all about being perfect, then you’d need to have a 1600 on your SATs. Selective schools want real people. Interesting people, bright people, achievers, leaders, those who will make a contribution. They don’t care if you are perfect. In fact, perfect SATs and grades and not much else is not that attractive to them. BE somebody interesting. That will get you far. </p>
<p>Just many people don’t realize there’re more than 4,000 colleges in the US… and I know many people who aren’t experienced to the American would be misled (me maybe included).</p>