Lying on AIF: Risky or Worth It for Engineering at Waterloo?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the implications of lying on the Additional Information Form (AIF) for engineering applicants at the University of Waterloo, particularly regarding extracurricular activities. Participants explore the potential risks and consequences of such actions, as well as the general practices of admissions processes in Canadian schools.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares that a friend lied about extracurricular activities on the AIF and questions whether this could lead to trouble.
  • Another participant recounts a friend's experience with cheating and suggests that dishonesty can have long-term negative consequences.
  • A participant reflects on past college application processes, noting that some schools required verification from guidance counselors, and compares lying about activities to students who list activities they do not genuinely participate in.
  • One participant expresses concern about the friend's decision to lie, questioning if anyone has been rejected for similar reasons.
  • Another participant believes that if the applicant has good grades, the admissions committee may overlook the lack of extracurriculars.
  • One participant mentions that schools may not check extracurricular claims unless the applicant is being considered for a scholarship, sharing a personal experience of verification during their own application process.
  • Another participant acknowledges that while they haven't heard of rejections due to lying on the AIF, being caught could lead to rejection due to perceived dishonesty.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the implications of lying on the AIF, with no consensus on whether it will lead to negative consequences. Some believe it may not be a significant issue if grades are strong, while others emphasize the potential risks of dishonesty.

Contextual Notes

Participants note varying experiences and perceptions regarding the verification of extracurricular activities, highlighting that practices may differ among schools and over time. There is uncertainty about the specific policies of Waterloo and how they handle discrepancies in applications.

Who May Find This Useful

Prospective engineering students considering applying to Waterloo, individuals interested in college admissions processes, and those examining the ethics of honesty in applications may find this discussion relevant.

tornzaer
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My friend applied to Waterloo for Mechanical Engineering. He didn't do any extracurricular activities, so he lied on the AIF. He says it's fine.

Will this result in trouble? Do they somehow approve it or is it fine.
 
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I have a friend who cheated in school nearly his entire life (Diff major than me). Nice guy, but he now graduated, doesn't have a job, and did not get into grad school due to his bad grades. Cheating has a nice way of finding its way to screw you over later in life, BIG TIME.

I view it this way, if your going to cheat, I am not going to rat you out. But if you get caught I am not sorry.
 
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I don't know how it's done anymore, or what Canadian schools do, but back when I applied to colleges, IIRC, many of them required forms from the school guidance counselor to verify the activities you participated in. In reality, if the ONLY thing he cheated on was claiming extracurricular activities he didn't do, as long as he didn't go overboard with it, I don't think it's any worse than the students who sign up for extracurricular activities just to be able to list them on their college applications, but who never really participate in them.
 
See, I told him not to do it, but he did anyway.

Have you ever heard of someone being rejected because of this?
 
I have never heard of anyone being rejected because of this, but then again, I never really considered this situation. How are his grades? If his grades are good, they are probably going to spend less time thinking about his extra-curriculars.

Personally, I think this was a stupid idea on his part. Extracurriculars are not THAT important on a college app.
 
Generally they don't check, as far as I know, unless he's in the running for a scholarship. I applied to a few schools and one was considering me for a hefty scholarship so they got in contact with my school's counselor to elaborate on the activities I was in (she told me about this later).
 
tornzaer said:
Have you ever heard of someone being rejected because of this?

No, but I've never heard of someone doing that before either. If caught, sure, he'll be rejected. He's just demonstrated his dishonesty...not a favorable attribute for prospective students. It would have been better to just be a boring person with no extracurricular activities.
 

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