Do colleges even bother verifying applicants extracurricular activities?

[Anonymous]

I tend to doubt that they do. I really can't imagine that with thousands of applicants they are,spending the time making phone calls, searching online, etc to verify what kids claim their activities are. Maybe for something big, like awards or class officers, but are they really checking to see if kids were actually in the French club or on the volleyball team? And don't worry, I'm not about to pull an Aunt Becky and pose my kid on a rowing machine, I'm just a curiosity thing.

[Anonymous]

No but you know the truth

[Anonymous]

No, not ever unless it matters. If you say you are majoring in painting and work part time at a gallery, they may look at the gallery’s website, but they aren’t hunting you down.

[Anonymous]

This made for a good conversation between DC and me. What is an honest representation? How do you promote yourself honestly when you know it's not likely to be verified?

For school-related activities, the counselor's, the student's and the teachers' reports should be consistent though all would not mention everything. But if you put HS volleyball and the counselor didn't mention something about balancing work and athletics a SLAC might poke around more.

[Anonymous]

The guidance counselor at school signs off on classes, gpa, test scores, and school based extracurriculars. I suppose one could lie about out of school activities, but what would be the point? If someone were found out, they’d be embarrassed and probably have their acceptance revoked. Who wants to take a chance like that?

[Anonymous]

Depends how much you pay on the side.

[Anonymous]

Some do random sampling to verify.

Some will raise a flag if an applicant claims something spectacular and it isn’t mentioned in a recommendation.

[Anonymous]

No. But if you claim something you didn’t do and get into a selective college your peers or their parents are likely to call the school and tell them. Kids get rescinded this way. There are only so many Ivy slots, and some parents are cutthroat to the extreme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The guidance counselor at school signs off on classes, gpa, test scores, and school based extracurriculars. I suppose one could lie about out of school activities, but what would be the point? If someone were found out, they’d be embarrassed and probably have their acceptance revoked. Who wants to take a chance like that?

But what would be the likeliness that would even happen? And does the guidance counselor even actually know if the kid was in the French Club or Deca?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But if you claim something you didn’t do and get into a selective college your peers or their parents are likely to call the school and tell them. Kids get rescinded this way. There are only so many Ivy slots, and some parents are cutthroat to the extreme.

Well who would be dumb enough to tell their peers that they are lying on their college applications?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. But if you claim something you didn’t do and get into a selective college your peers or their parents are likely to call the school and tell them. Kids get rescinded this way. There are only so many Ivy slots, and some parents are cutthroat to the extreme.

How would your peers and their parents even know what you put in your application?

[Anonymous]

I really can't think of a good reason that you would be asking this..........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But if you claim something you didn’t do and get into a selective college your peers or their parents are likely to call the school and tell them. Kids get rescinded this way. There are only so many Ivy slots, and some parents are cutthroat to the extreme.

Well who would be dumb enough to tell their peers that they are lying on their college applications?

Most kids.

[Anonymous]

I don't believe colleges check any activities.Within the big picture, no one cares if you are in the Spanish club or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. But if you claim something you didn’t do and get into a selective college your peers or their parents are likely to call the school and tell them. Kids get rescinded this way. There are only so many Ivy slots, and some parents are cutthroat to the extreme.

How would your peers and their parents even know what you put in your application?

+1

Some parents in our HS wouldn't even list their kid's college destination out of this kind of paranoia -thinking that other parents are as mean as they are. Colleges know damn well who is making trouble for someone else.

I would not however, advocate lying on your application.