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I recently read a blog article on why people should not lie on LS applications. This strikes me as obvious (for obvious reasons), but then I wondered, what people actually try to get away with in lying on LS applications?

I knew someone who was applying to med school - on her personal statement, she wrote how she was inspired by her uncle who was a doctor volunteering in a developing country (she made that up lol...), but other than that, it is beyond my imagination what people would #1 lie about and #2 think they could get away with? I would imagine it would have to be significant? since softs are just that - softs.

So what things have you overheard? Any stories?

Some people say they want to be a lawyer to help people. lol

Your school is my top choice.

katesearches wrote:I recently read a blog article on why people should not lie on LS applications. This strikes me as obvious (for obvious reasons), but then I wondered, what people actually try to get away with in lying on LS applications?

I knew someone who was applying to med school - on her personal statement, she wrote how she was inspired by her uncle who was a doctor volunteering in a developing country (she made that up lol...), but other than that, it is beyond my imagination what people would #1 lie about and #2 think they could get away with? I would imagine it would have to be significant? since softs are just that - softs.

So what things have you overheard? Any stories?

the ones I have heard about is people exaggerating about either their study abroad experiences or their volunteer work overseas.

You weren't an integrative part of saving an entire African village from drought and starvation.

cinephile wrote:Your school is my top choice.

This or similar in the "why x" essay or portion of PS.

I imagine the majority of GPA addenda that claim anything other than "I was lazy and had my priorities messed up" are mostly lies.

Trying to claim URM status when you aren't is probably the biggest (and most harmful) thing I could think of. Or maybe not disclosing criminal/school disciplinary issues.

ben4847 wrote:Some people say they want to be a lawyer to help people. lol

^

many people (regardless of career path) lie on their resume.. either creating fake jobs or stretching the truth about a job/internship they actually had... i would guess that many LS resumes contain lies of some sort

People lie about how long they worked at a job. They will stretch it out a few months to give them stability.

May '10 to May '11 becomes Mar '10 to July '11

If the job was also awhile back its easier to lie. I worked at hollywood video right out of high school. Someone could say anything about their time there. How would they know? that place has been out of business for years. All of a sudden they were an asst manager instead of a csr etc etc

I can imagine someone seriously saying, "I will be one of the best students (top10%) in your law school"

mewalke1 wrote:People lie about how long they worked at a job.

This. Also how long they were members of a club, and their position in that club, that sort of thing. I think outright making up a job/EC is much less common.

I know people lie on their resume and CV because this girl I went to college with posted she was president of SAC club. I laughed so hard. I was president of that club, and I was also the founder.

People like that may get caught. And she will get caught if she applies to the same law schools as me because two of my letters of recs. talk about all the clubs I was president of.