{"id":352021,"date":"2023-11-30T14:42:26","date_gmt":"2023-11-30T19:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/college-admissions-fraud-crimes.html"},"modified":"2023-11-30T14:42:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-30T19:42:26","slug":"college-admissions-fraud-crimes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-charges\/college-admissions-fraud-crimes.html","title":{"rendered":"College Admissions Fraud Crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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College Admissions Fraud Crimes<\/h1>\n
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\n By Samuel Strom, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Rhonda Earhart, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

College admissions fraud can include a variety of criminal acts, such as the falsification of documents or bribery. The goal of this type of crime is to gain an unfair advantage for acceptance into a college.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

When applying for college, many students feel pressure to "stretch the truth" to appear as impressive as possible. Favorable framing of the facts usually isn’t a crime. Yet, the college itself is likely to penalize any clear deception. The institution may reject your application, expel you, or cancel your degree if it catches the lie.<\/p>\r\n

But certain lies can be much more serious. Cheating to get into a college can be a criminal act. Faking test scores and school transcripts can rise to the level of fraud. Applying under someone else’s name can be a type of identity theft. Even lying about participating in a school sport may be a substantial misrepresentation.<\/p>\r\n

These admissions schemes can lead to criminal charges. If you face fraud charges, hire a\u00a0criminal defense lawyer<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

College Admissions and the Incentive to Commit Fraud<\/h2>\r\n

Consider how the admissions process works to understand how people might want to game the system. Generally, colleges and universities use objective measures to make admissions decisions, such as:<\/p>\r\n