I’d suggest sticking to your own knitting. Make sure that your app is the best it can be, and do it in honest terms. Make sure you don’t take any short cuts that can catch up with you later or that would weigh on your conscience yourself. Don’t worry about the other guy. People who lack integrity usually get caught out eventually. Getting into a college one notch higher in the rankings really won’t make much difference in the long run, although a lot of ambitious young applicants can’t see that.