Authenticity Is the Best Policy When Applying to College
Authenticity is another word for honesty, and honesty is what college admissions boards expect – especially today.
Every hopeful student knows that it’s harder than ever to get noticed by the admissions boards at Ivy League and top-tier schools. Fantastic grades alone won’t do it. Amazing test scores are merely expected. Extracurriculars that showcase a student’s personality, morals or determination to succeed are the order of the day.
It is probably no real wonder, then, that students have been known to embellish their backgrounds and stories to gain an edge on admissions – but it’s a terrible idea.
The Consequences of Academic Exaggerations Can Be Devastating to Your Future
The Varsity Blues admissions scandal that broke in 2019 rocked the higher academic community. Finding out that bribes, falsified athletic credentials and dubious test scores had paved the way for numerous well-heeled students to get into their favored schools made a lot of people feel that the entire system was rigged.
While many of those involved have been punished, the schools themselves have also sworn to take a closer look at their own admissions processes, and cheaters need to be wary.
Take, for example, the recent case of a University of Pennsylvania student who lied about her personal struggles and her background in order to make herself more interesting to the college admissions board. She probably thought that – once she was admitted – nobody would take another look at what she’d written.
Her mistake has cost her not only her spot at the school but also her Rhodes scholarship – and she probably will have to battle public infamy for quite a while as she tries to recover and move on.
Schools Are Starting to Look Hard at Stories of Adversity and Exceptional Achievements
The reality is that the schools themselves bear some of the blame for the proliferation of exaggerated achievements and fictional hardships students claim to have overcome. The emphasis on diversity and personal character can leave an otherwise stellar student feeling like they have nothing important to say or engaging enough in their past to make them stand out from the crowd.
Maybe that’s true, but it’s far better to keep your university applications grounded in reality. In the wake of these highly publicized admissions problems, schools are looking hard at students who claim to have:
- Overcome major medical issues to become A+ students
- Obtained a scientific patent for research they did entirely on their own
- Created a charity for a very specific cause that has personal meaning to them
- Native American ancestry or belong to another ethnic minority
- Overcome poverty or a background that was otherwise not conducive to learning
Educators say that these are all common ploys – and they’re getting wary. They’re tired of embarrassing spectacles over admissions mistakes, so expect any of these claims on your application to college to be heavily scrutinized.
Does This Mean You Shouldn’t Use Personal Hardships or Gains to Your Advantage?
Absolutely not. You want to play up your strengths, no matter what those may be. If you’ve really created a charity, definitely talk about it in your college essay – just make sure that it has actually done some good. If you’ve overcome a major learning disability to get where you are, let the admissions board know – but be prepared to prove your claim.
You don’t want to undercut your chances of admission by being overly modest or not mentioning both the things you’ve accomplished and the things you’ve overcome. You just want to make certain that you’re as transparent and honest as possible, whatever you say.
The college admissions process can be grueling, to be sure. That’s why it’s always wise to have experienced guidance from your freshman year of high school onward. Someone who understands the admissions process can help you present an entirely authentic and compelling version of “you” when it comes time to apply to college.
