@T26E4 Although that is true, the OP isn’t referring to awards or competitions. He’s talking about bloated exam scores, fake research papers, and exaggerated ECs which are much harder to verify due to the applicants’ international statuses. Who knows if their counselors are on their side just to improve their schools’ rep? It’s much harder for Adcoms to catch these things than what most people think, especially within the international pool. Besides, I really doubt that the Adcoms have the time to verify every single major EC, award, or publication among the applicants.
^ ^
@AnEpicIndian: Actually, the OP was referring to fraudulent awards, as well as bogus grades, scores, essays, papers, etc. Please see the first paragraph of the OP’s initial post, where he specifically cited “National awards.”
@ihatefrauds is it really that you hated that they cheated/lied their way in or the fact that they got in and you didn’t? That’s something I beleive you should ask yourself before doing this?
My policy for things such as this is if they were meant to not get in or do something then some phenomenal force or coincidence would’ve stopped them. I mean does it really matter. YOU WERE ACCEPTED TO MIT FOR GOD’S SAKE! You are clearly an amazing person and trust mean when I say no one can stop you from doing you. Now why should other people’s lies affect you.
I’m by no means saying you shouldn’t report them and your school’s faculty for any potential corruption. But what I am saying is you need, don’t get made at me now, “calm down” and reevaluate the situation again without any emotional attachment. Simply visualize the situation from an objective point of and look at all the pros and cons of doing this act. Here are the pros from what I can tell: making a wrong a right, bringing cheaters to justice, and the self-satisfication that you did the right thing. And the cons, again from what I can tell, would be: several people could lose their jobs, the credibility of several applicants from your school could come into question besides just theirs, and you have others see you as a sadistic and jealous individual - not saying you are though.
So my advice for you is to just sit down for a moment, discuss this with a close friend or two for further advice, and ask yourself, “Am I prepared for the outcome?” Remember you have to live with whatever decision you make for the remainder of your life. I support any decision you make. If you have any more questions feel free to PM me.
Remember lies might get you into college, get you a job, and heck… maybe even a Nobel Prize. But what it won’t get you is the voice in your head telling you that you did the right thing. And that is something that will haunt them forever. Is that not enough revenge for you?
From another aspect, people always say that those schools are looking for leaders. Maybe they really admire a good liar - I mean, look at most of our political leaders. Liars all around… a lot of them came from top schools.
I believe you should totally tip the schools about these lies. It is not okay that they have unfair advantages. However, you should make sure that it will not affect your admission and have hard evidence if it backfire. Maybe you should talk to your parents or a teacher you trust so you have support.
MIT doesn’t use common app tho’
@T26E4 @AnEpicIndian @TopTier : I actually am talking about National awards. I was shocked to know that the college didn’t even check the national results! It’s actually just a google search away, and I know for a fact that he’d be the person whose app would be rescinded with most ease. And that exam IS A BIG DEAL OVER HERE. People study day and night, for 2 yrs, and the guy claimed to be the topper in like 2 fricking minutes. I think that the college just believed the student, assuming he’d do the right thing, but of course that’s not true. I so want to give the names out in public, but I shall contain my emotions.
Yes, it’s true I am going to great college, but what pisses me more is I KNOW PEOPLE who worked hard, much harder than those liars, and still don’t have any acceptance letters. Why? Just because they stuck to honesty instead of lying about literally everything. I am not exaggerating. You’d not believe the magnitude of lies.It’s not lying that you worked 200 hours instead of 150, it’s more, much, much more. The more i think about it, the more it dawns on me.
I will have revenge on the behalf of everyone who is an honest man. Words can’t tell how pissed I am.
@NIHHIHH: the fact that I was rejected at Stanford isn’t even my concern. I got into MIT, and I am really happy and lucky to have gotten in there. Yours was a wonderful comment and it made me think!
I will not do it today or tommorow- the decisions made in anger are the worst. I want to cool off, and then do the appropriate thing. One thing is sure, I will make sure justice is served.
I can’t express my hatred for people who lie and cheat their way. I can get along with anyone but them.
I will also make sure that I don’t put myself in trouble.
Thanks for the wonderful (for the most part) replies! CC rocks!
@ihatefrauds No problem dude, tell us how it goes!
@ihatefrauds I completely support your efforts and agree with post #15 citing that you’re not doing it for selfish reasons. As someone who was completely honest and rejected from my dream school, if I were to find out my spot had been taken by a blatant liar I would be beyond livid. As others have mentioned, be careful in how you go about it so punishment does not circle back around to you, but ethically I would argue you’re 100% in the right here.
Also, @NIHHIHH, people losing their jobs is only a con if they do so and were innocent, which seems impossible. Conventional wisdom would hold people will believe the school officials unless there was clear and blatant evidence against them, in which case they would not be innocent. I think having corrupt bureaucrats lose their jobs is in no way a negative.
on the contrary, it’s a positive.
@redpoodles and @tehspacetv Are the life’s of the families of the people having to be changed for the worse because of a job lose a positive too when they did nothing wrong themselves? That’s just something to keep in the back of your mind.
And @ihatefrauds I’ll leave you with one more piece of advice. Picture yourself twenty years from now in a big paying job making a positive impact on the world thinking to yourself, “Was potentially ruining a few liars, cheaters, corrupted bureaucrats, and their family’s lives all those years ago worth it?” And if so, did doing it prevent you or someone else who didn’t get into Stanford over them from being successful? Horrible people get accepted to great schools all the time but great people are great regardless of where ever they go such as yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide.
I’m sure we are all aware of the SAT scandal of 2011:
As the article highlighted, people have been using stand-in for SAT/ACt exams from as far back as the 1960s. I know personally of cases at US universities where students pay other students to take their exams. Reading between the lines, I suspect the OP is really upset with the fact that a number of his peers got into Stanford, his dream school and he didn’t. If he had gotten into Stanford, we wouldn’t be reading this thread.
The realities are, people will cheat to achieve their goals. We had a massive financial meltdown back in 2008 due to widespread mortgage fraud and not one single major player involved in this fraud was ever brought to justice. Yet we were almost on the brink of a worldwide financial disaster. Life is not fair and no one said it should.
It would not be difficult to narrow down who the OP is by simply correlating the data he shared on this thread. I would suggest he proceed with caution, as he attempts to expose those cheaters. It might just backfire!
@NIHHIHH Your logic could be applied to any corrupt individual. If you found out that a major politician was taking brides, do you still think we should keep him in office to protect his family?
As for the OP, while I support your decision to report this news, you need to watch your back. This line of corruption probably extends very high up the chain. Be sure to protect yourself first and stay anonymous. Use methods of communication that cannot be easily traced back to you.
I have very strong (negative) feelings too about cheaters and liars and people who game the system, so understand how you feel. If you have clear proof of their dishonesty, you will need to provide it.
I’m glad there are people who have a sense of honesty and fairness and are willing to do something about it even if it isn’t going to get them anything. We need more people like that; it’s fairly rare.
You do need to be very sure of the specific allegations you make although it does not go as far as an obligation to document the evidence. That’s the job of the schools. Once you report it, it is up to the schools to do their own investigation as far as they feel it is necessary.
Let it goooo
I doubt tipping off these liars, who, as OP suggested, come from very affluent background, will ruin their lives.
Therefore…go ahead. Make sure you have absolutely certain evidences.
This reminds me of the scandal at horrace mann a few years back. The perpetrator was “hunted”. Go ahead, no one can stop you, but we can educate you. Honestly, i see nothing wrong unless your facts are incorrect.
Take a look, ik you are not trying to increasE your own prospects but you must maintain your anonymity.
These people could become vengeful.
Harvard now has a very clearly stated policy that anyone who misleads or provides false information on their application will be expelled and if they have graduated, they will have their degree revoked.
I don’t understand why applications would be on any computer at school unless everyone applied using school computers. GC don’t need entire applications to upload recommendations or midyear reports.