Lying on College Résumés

“I have two older brothers, and they’ve even
said that I’m going to have a lot more pressure getting
into schools than they even had,” says Julie, 18.

Julie is part of “Generation Y,” the children
of the baby boomer generation. They’re calling it “The
Second Tidal Wave.” According to Educational Testing
Services, the number of undergraduate college students is
expected to grow almost 20% in the next 20 years. With so
many incoming applications, students know that the smallest
advantage over their peers can make a big difference, which
is why some of them exaggerate and lie.

“Like if someone says they did 15 hours of community
service a week instead of 12,” 18-year-old Sherveen
explains.

“I know there’s kids who definitely fudge and
exaggerate what they say,” agrees Patrick, 18. “I
mean, there’s rumors floating around the school –
so and so got into this school ’cause they fudged their
grades.”

But at many schools, that’s not going to work anymore.
This year, about 10% of applicants to the University of California
system are being audited. They will be asked to prove that
their applications are true.

“Among the information that we’re seeking to
verify would be information on honors and awards that they
have reported, their extracurricular activities, volunteer
or community service,” says Susan Wilbur, director of
undergraduate admissions for the University of California
system.

If students lie, they won’t be admitted. But Wilbur
says that students shouldn’t feel like they have to
make things up in the first place.

“It really isn’t necessary for students to be
involved extensively in numerous activities. Be selective!”
she advises. “But what you do, do very well.”

Students once allowed
the luxury of “finding themselves” now fear that
without serious direction early in high school, their future
may be lost. What they may lose instead is their childhood.

College enrollment has increased nearly 20% since 1985 and
almost tripled from a generation ago. With competition for
specific schools fiercer than ever, high school freshmen hoping
to go to a choice school are told they may already be behind
in the race to build a college résumé.

“I guess in middle school they start emphasizing they’re
like, OK, you gotta start getting good grades ’cause
colleges will look back even at your eighth-grade year if
you’re on the brink of getting in or not getting in,”
17-year-old Sharyn says.

However, good grades may only get them past the first cut.
Then, it‘s outside activities like volunteer work or
special clubs that factor in as much as 40% by some colleges.

Says 17-year-old Andrew: “Sometimes, I find that I
take too many things at once – track, academic, math
team … I mean, it’s really time consuming.”

Experts say parents of these pressurized kids need to look
closely for signs of too much stress and urge them to ease
up.

It’s one of the most difficult and important
decisions your child will make in his or her young adult life.
And no parent of a high school junior or senior needs reminding
of the pressure that selecting a school brings to his or her
child and the entire family.

Recent statistics reveal that it’s also more competitive
to enroll in college than years before. Between 1985 and 1995,
higher education enrollment increased by 16%, due in part
to an increase in female enrollment and the new trend of part-time
students. And while experts urge parents to have an open dialogue
with their child to deal with the stress, there are a few
changes in the process that will make enrolling in a school
easier.

More and more schools are turning to the Internet to disperse
information, easing the workload on counselors and empowering
the curious student. A word of caution – stay with reliable
sites or go to a specific college website to verify application
deadlines.

Another stress reliever: The trend toward hiring assistance
for the essay portion of an application seems to be subsiding.
More and more colleges have stated that they are looking for
creative responses, even if they are unpolished. And many
universities have dropped the essay portion of the application
altogether, relying on scores and recommendations to make
their decision.

Here are a few starting steps to help you or your child pick
the right college or training program:

• Request as much information as possible from the schools
  on your list, including an application for admission, financial
  aid and all costs.
• Make a short list of the schools that possess the characteristics
  for which you are looking.
• Decide if a traditional college is right for you –
  consider picking up information on community technical schools.

Mapping
Your Future
National Center for Education
Statistics