Could you have faked your high school transcript to get into ivies? (SRS)

I just read a thread on collegeconfidential about this issue and it got me thinking, I know plenty of people who forge unofficial transcripts who are in college to get jobs. But couldn't a lot of people from high school have faked their transcript to get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, or whatever university they want to get into? It sounds hard but it's really not. It seems pretty easy to photoshop your grades and fake a seal, or figure out something to send a fake transcript, or even fake recommendations and stuff. Not to mention it's nearly impossible for colleges to verify ANY of your extracurriculars (which I wish I had known back then). Obviously not condoning it, just something I was thinking about after I read a thread on collegeconfidential about this.

22 Comments
 
Best Response

When Harvard gets applications from two "valedictorians" or two "starting hs football quarterbacks", they're gonna start investigating.

I think you can get away with some embellishing.

I think it's easier to sneak your way into Cornell than Yale using this method, although I've heard stories about folks at Yale. Actually that kid is now a convicted felon since he also lied his way into a scholarship.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/yale-con-man-found-guilty-of-fraud/

I think that essays can be used to frame candidacies. I think the difference between a good candidate and an outstanding candidate really comes down to marketing.

If you lie your way in, don't accept a scholarship or financial aid. If you get caught, the stakes are mere expulsion rather than 20 years in prison.

 

Could you forge your HS transcripts? Sure. The hard part is forging your SAT and ACT scores.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

they usually use official transcripts for college applications. it goes right from the high school to admissions office.

 
mrharveyspecter

My boy Mike Ross did it for Harvard Law and he's killing it at Pearson Darby and Specter.

Darby? How far behind are you Harvey? You seem to be slipping up, where's Donna?
...
 

Yeah my high school counselor sent mine in. Dunno how this would work. The Common App has self-reported grades, but schools verify those against your official transcript.

 

if you're tight with your high school guidance office and they have questionable morals, i could see this being possible, but i don't see how you could pull this off as a one man job.

 

So let’s say the counselor is your aunt,or somehow you managed to get her email.And you send a fake or photoshopped transcript.Is it ok then.So they can’t verify it?

 

I don't know how you'd go about doing it for standardized test scores or grades. But when it comes to recommendations, community service hours (esp. this), extra-curriculars, etc., by all means, fabricate as much as possible. I wish I would have.

 

Listened to a TED Talk about how they were cracking down on degree mills a few years ago and found plenty of people in every profession with purchased degrees. Surgeons, lawyers, etc.

 

Disclaimer: I'm Canadian.

I was under the impression that the 'Common App' sent the marks automatically to the universities you applied to.

Here in Canada we have the OUAC which automatically sends the marks from courses to universities that you apply to, and if you are transferring universities then they ask for transcripts, otherwise its all 'server side' in a sense.

Once I did bad and that I heard ever. Twice I did good and that I heard never.
 

Its not that hard if you work in the school office and handle the mail. All you need is a bit of steam and some rubber cement to reseal the envelope.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

Animi est qui inventore qui consequatur voluptas adipisci. In ipsa quidem voluptatem eaque tempore sequi et. Incidunt quae suscipit cupiditate nulla cumque excepturi repellat. Maiores molestiae neque voluptas aut quia magni quam.

Placeat dicta rem delectus minus qui. Quis non delectus veritatis veniam porro incidunt sit. Et non officiis ab nobis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

October 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”