As most people would agree, lying is wrong. But under pressure, morals might fluctuate and actions tend to change. For students filling out college applications, many feel that lying is the easiest way to push themselves above their competitors for seats at top colleges.

To many high school students, college is everything. It’s not just the next step in life–for some, enrolling into the school of their dreams is the very definition of eternal happiness. This atmosphere of do or die makes students feel trapped. “What if being a camp counselor doesn’t look good enough?” one might worry. “What if my internship wasn’t unique enough?’ But becoming a liar won’t make anyone look any better.

Volunteer hours, for example, are a promising part of one’s transcript that students might feel tempted to exaggerate or fabricate. But it is a simple task for admissions officers to verify them by contacting the organization. In addition to most likely getting caught, it is closer to stealing than lying. Lying about volunteer work is practically stealing from the people who actually did them.

Lying on a college essay is a slightly different matter. For most people, if the topic is just a figment of their imagination instead of a first-hand experience, the essay will be more difficult to write. If a college admissions officer detects any hint of fraud, the application will go directly into the rejection pile simply because they wouldn’t want to accept a liar into their school Some students think they can successfully lie on an essay. But they are wrong.

When one does this, they are, in effect, stealing from the millions of teens across America who actually did those things and had those experiences first- hand. Writing about a fake soup kitchen experience or a summer in a third-world country that did not happen will often turn out worse than one’s real experience.

One’s feats, however, should be celebrated and appreciated to the fullest extent. With a little airbrushing and polishing, a passable essay can become an excellent one. Hyperboles and strong word choice make all the difference when it comes down to advertising your personality.

Theoretically, everyone who lies on an application will be caught, but in reality this is impossible. Thus, colleges will just have to rely on the honesty of their applicants.

Students should take pride in their own successes and respect the work that others have put into theirs. If the college of one’s dreams is not going to accept a person for who he really is, then it’s best that the college does not accept him at all. If someone hopes that his brain surgeon or pilot didn’t get their degrees by lying and cheating, then he should not stoop to that level, either.