How do colleges verify activities

[Anonymous]

One of my kids does a volunteer activity that, if I posted it here, people would tell me sounds made up. i totally understand why it would sound that way, but he loves it and really does do it.

How would a college know that he's telling the truth?

[Anonymous]

Generally the first step is they call the school counselor to see what they know.

[Anonymous]

Follow up question from another poster: I assume they would only think of checking on it if the candidate was otherwise viable? If they had no chance of getting in, even if it checked out, they wouldn't bother?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally the first step is they call the school counselor to see what they know.

OP here,

The activity is totally outside of school. He submits it for service learning credit, but honestly that would be easy to forge. Would the counselor do some research?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally the first step is they call the school counselor to see what they know.

OP here,

The activity is totally outside of school. He submits it for service learning credit, but honestly that would be easy to forge. Would the counselor do some research?

If the school is accepting it for service learning, the school would vouch for it if asked.

[Anonymous]

Volunteering without impact will not have any weight in your application. Don’t worry about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Generally the first step is they call the school counselor to see what they know.

OP here,

The activity is totally outside of school. He submits it for service learning credit, but honestly that would be easy to forge. Would the counselor do some research?

If the school is accepting it for service learning, the school would vouch for it if asked.

OK fair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Volunteering without impact will not have any weight in your application. Don’t worry about it.

He definitely has impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volunteering without impact will not have any weight in your application. Don’t worry about it.

He definitely has impact.

Well this year some top 20 started actively verifying applications. Just make sure you have it covered.

[Anonymous]

It can’t be that unique.

If he’s worried, have him write an essay about it.

[Anonymous]

Yale is checking by calling college counselors. UCLA is asking for random applicants to upload pdfs of W2 or paystubs to verify jobs. They are doing a lot more verifying this year

[Anonymous]

Yes good luck calling a public school with 600 kids in the graduating class. The counselors really get to know the kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volunteering without impact will not have any weight in your application. Don’t worry about it.

He definitely has impact.

Then unless he's Batman, there will be another adult outside of this who could attest to this, and he could also document the impact. Should the activity get questioned, there would be evidence of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can’t be that unique.

If he’s worried, have him write an essay about it.

It's not that it's unique, it's rare for a kid his age to do it with the intensity he does it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Volunteering without impact will not have any weight in your application. Don’t worry about it.

He definitely has impact.

Then unless he's Batman, there will be another adult outside of this who could attest to this, and he could also document the impact. Should the activity get questioned, there would be evidence of it.

Well yes, obviously there are adults who know he does this. But there's no place on the app, as far as i can tell, to put a reference.