Do colleges verify if you are lying on college application?
“I need to make something up. Is that okay?” This is a question that a student will ask if they think about lying on college application. Some students will think of a terrific idea for an essay topic about the time he had helped someone avoid certain death. The only issue was that the incident in question hadn’t taken place.
In the adult world, it is relatively common and almost expected for a person’s resume to exaggerate the past achievements they have accomplished. According to a recent study, 85 percent of people lie on their resumes.
A job as a babysitter can provide you with valuable experience “supervising an energetic group of young associates,” and a position as a file clerk in an office can show that you can “promote synergy and vertical integration for data-management systems.” These examples are not lies because they are not conjured out of thin air but are comically amped-up versions of the truth.
When it comes to college applications to differentiate themselves from other applicants, it is surprising how frequently prospective college students overstate their achievements to the point where they present either inconsistent or contradictory information.
When you have completed the college application, you will be required to sign a formal document stating that all the information you have provided is accurate to the best of your knowledge. Therefore, authorizing this information places you at the center of attention, and apologizing will not get you out of it. Your own free will directed you to carry out those actions.
Not only will your application be denied, but the word of this forgery will also spread throughout the various educational institutions, thereby eliminating any remaining opportunities. In certain circumstances, it is expected that the student repays any payments spent or any other aid that was reclaimed. Therefore, lying on a college application will send you in the wrong direction, and there will be no way to turn back.
Can you go to jail for lying on college applications?
The simple response to the question “Can you go to jail for lying on college applications” is yes. It puts your chances of getting in at a severe disadvantage. If you are caught, you not only run the risk of being turned away, but you also run the risk of being arrested.
If the school authorities have reason to believe you lied on your college application, you will be subject to a violation of the code of conduct. They will explain exactly which violation of the code of conduct you are being accused of having committed.
As soon as you receive this notice, the committee will call you to a committee hearing to present your story. If the committee finds that you have violated the regulation, which in this case is lying on your college application, the consequences can range from a letter of reprimand up to expulsion from the school.
One example of this from a man named Adam Wheeler. On charges of fraud, he was given a sentence that included ten years of probation and two and a half years in county jail. While waiting for his trial, he was required to serve one month in prison, but the rest of his sentence was suspended.
The judge determined that he had violated the terms of his probation when he listed Harvard on his application. Before deciding what punishment he should receive for violating the terms of his probation, the judge in Massachusetts has mandated that the man who lied his way into Harvard University undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
The severity of the infraction will play a factor in the committee’s deliberations regarding the appropriate level of punishment. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether or not the university can kick you out of college for lying on college application will depend on the type and the number of lies you tell.
How can you defend yourself if you accidentally lied on a college application?
The steps to hold a disciplinary hearing for a student or an alum varies from institution to institution. However, once you have been charged with a crime, you will typically be required to present your defense. At this point, you may think, “How Can You Defend Yourself if you accidentally lied on a college application” The disciplinary proceedings are very much like a hearing that would take place in court. Therefore, all of your fundamental rights are still in effect.
Once charged, you do have some rights:
- You have a right to know the specific violation you’ve been accused of
- You have a right to know the possible sanctions.
- You also have the right to a copy of the evidence and a list of the school’s witnesses.
- You have the right to hire a student defense lawyer, (although some colleges will only allow this lawyer to act in an advisory capacity).
- And you are allowed to present your evidence and call witnesses.
A public university cannot suspend or expel a student without first providing that student with notice of the charges against them and an opportunity to respond to them. But in many cases, due process requires even more than that — especially now that colleges and universities routinely try students not only for things like plagiarism and cheating but also for nonacademic misconduct that may constitute criminal behavior.
In these cases, a student who is caught lying on a college application is being tried not only for things like plagiarism and cheating but also for nonacademic misconduct that may also constitute criminal behavior.
Since contracts primarily govern the rights of students attending private universities, they may serve them differently. The university handbooks formally establish a contractual relationship between the students and their respective educational institutions.
This implies that even though private universities have a great deal of leeway to determine how they will handle cases of inappropriate conduct on campus, they are still required to adhere, for the most part, to the procedures they have established.
How do admission officers verify information in college applications?
Knowing that there might be a student that may consider lying on a college application, some people may now ask, “How do admission officers verify information in college applications?”. The number of colleges that place more trust in applicants by letting them self-report their grades and test scores rather than requiring them to submit an official transcript and score report when they apply has increased.
This has led to more applicants being accepted into these colleges. Once a student enrolls, however, the institution can check their grades and test scores by requesting final transcripts and test scores from the student.
The admissions officers at the most prestigious schools in our country operate on the honor system, which means they presume that applicants are being as truthful as they should have been. However, they also take to heart the words of former United States President Ronald Reagan, who once said, “Trust, but verify.” When an applicant presents test scores entirely at odds with their high school record, it may be necessary to contact a guidance counselor.
A red flag is raised when an applicant writes that she is a debate champion but has trouble forming a sentence that makes sense when answering essay questions. When a candidate uses phrases in their application essays that make it sound like their father wrote them or puts two spaces after a period, as people did before the invention of word processors, this raises a red flag.
But you can bet that even if the policies and procedures in place at most of our nation’s elite schools haven’t changed drastically, some guidelines have changed, such as how the athletic departments verify athletic prowess. Knowing this, admissions officers will be raising their red flags more this year than last. This is because admissions officers are more aware of the potential for lying on college application.
Lying on your application is going to ruin your goal of graduating. It is wise that you should also prepare for your college admission to avoid this from happening. AdmissionSight will help you with over 10 years of experience guiding students through college admissions. Set up an appointment today and get the best help in getting into college.