Lying on a CV

[Psychology 76]

Hello all,

Recently in one of my classes we worked on our CV's. I noticed several people put down Psychology Club in their extracurricular. I've been an officer for 3 years and I know for a fact that none of them have been to a single meeting.

This got me thinking, how do grad school admissions know if a person puts a bunch of fake stuff on their CV? Do they just assume everyone abides to the honor rule?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[loveoforganic]

They could always check, but I'd assume they generally very rarely find out.

 

[nd08]

In talking with an admissions representative she said they never check clubs.

 

[Psychology 76]

Well I know clubs are not that big of a deal but I feel like you could make up an entire summer internship and if they never looked into it they would never know..

 

[greensky]

Hello all,

Recently in one of my classes we worked on our CV's. I noticed several people put down Psychology Club in their extracurricular. I've been an officer for 3 years and I know for a fact that none of them have been to a single meeting.

This got me thinking, how do grad school admissions know if a person puts a bunch of fake stuff on their CV? Do they just assume everyone abides to the honor rule?

I do not think I consider that lying. A lot of people in my undergrad program paid the 5 dollars a year to be in the club and did not attend meetings. They were basically just on the mailing list. Being in a club weighs so little on getting into a graduate program, it would be a waste of the time for a program to check in on something so minor...Lying about being a PI or clinical experience seems like it would be much worse.

 

[deleted176373]

Well I know clubs are not that big of a deal but I feel like you could make up an entire summer internship and if they never looked into it they would never know..

You can, hell you can make up quite a bit...

http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?bpid=393741&t=01004266702391890801

Mark

 

[MAPsyD65]

I have never seen a professional or doctoral level CV with "Clubs" given weight. I wouldn't worry too much. I would imagine that the clinical experience, combined with any publications or professional poster presentations would hold more water for a doctoral admissions board.

 

[NoraMarzo]

I noticed several people put down Psychology Club in their extracurricular. I've been an officer for 3 years and I know for a fact that none of them have been to a single meeting.

Hopefully, if these particular individuals are admitted to clinical psych programs, they will take a little class in a thing called Ethics.

Call me judgmental, but asserting membership in an organization in which you've never actually participated certainly demonstrates poor character. And once licensed, that's an ethical violation.

I dunno; it's a slippery slope.

 

[olychick65]

Hopefully, if these particular individuals are admitted to clinical psych programs, they will take a little class in a thing called Ethics.

Call me judgmental, but asserting membership in an organization in which you've never actually participated certainly demonstrates poor character. And once licensed, that's an ethical violation.

I dunno; it's a slippery slope.

+1.

Maybe it won't help them get in (and I really really doubt it will). Maybe they paid dues and/or are on the mailing list, etc. etc.

But it seems pretty skeevy to me to lie about something as petty as being a member of an undergrad psych club.

 

[Ollie123]

Clubs are probably not seen as important enough to check. Other things might be, although a lot of it can be hard and/or time-consuming to check so I bet it is rarely done unless there is a red flag. In general, its stupid to do, because outright lying to get into a program could definitely get you kicked out if discovered later, even if you are excelling.

That said, I think it depends on what the "club" is and a bit more context before I'd call it an outright lie. Take for example, Psi Chi. The vast majority of people who join it never do squat beyond put it on their CV once they join (probably one reason it doesn't count for much of anything). Are these people lying? I don't think so...but this is an honor's society, not a club so it may be a little different.

For clubs...is it possible these people went to an event or 2 here and there even if they didn't go to meetings? I know some people who did that in some of the clubs I ran. They weren't exactly great "club members" but I probably still would have said "Yes" if someone asked me if they were a member. Again, club membership doesn't exactly mean anything so its not going to count for a lot.

This is always the issue with CVs/resumes though. Outright lying is one thing. Clubs...eh, but I imagine putting down fake publications, etc. would get you in serious trouble (and be super easy to catch). However, there is often a great deal of grey when it comes to putting a good spin on things and it can be tricky to figure out when someone goes too far. Many things can be made to look better than they are...especially when it comes to descriptions of duties, rather than just pure facts.

Its tricky. There is definitely somewhat of an honor's system to the process, but the major things that are likely to factor into admissions can probably be confirmed by the letter-writers. Beyond that, given how small a field this is, I imagine the risk of getting blacklisted might scare people off.

 

[krisrox]

If you're able to lie about it on your CV, chances are it doesn't count for much in admissions. Clubs can be thrown on a resume without anyone batting an eye; pubs and experience can be double checked. In other words, the things that REALLY matter in admissions cannot be lied about. If you're the president of a club, however, and that had a significant impact on your path to your research interest, that might be the only time it matters. But have fun making up a story about that...

 

[erg923]

Come on people, get real, this is a kid who's padding and is probably no different than you or I, except maybe he's willing to take some bigger chances. This doesn't make him a sociopath or some an applicant with "poor character." For gods sake, most people lie 3-4 times a day or so.....

I'm not too quick to pass judgment on people who pad their CVs. Shouldn't do it of course, but it happens all the time in the "real working world"-where most people are not nearly as mindful of ethics and truthfulness as many academics seem to be. This always reminds me of that movie "She's having a Baby" when Kevin Bacon's character fabricates his resume so profoundly that he gets the job out of pity and his demonstrated desire to work somewhere, anywhere. Hilarious scene....

 

[Neuropsych2be]

Come on people, get real, this is a kid who's padding and is probably no different than you or I, except maybe he's willing to take some bigger chances. This doesn't make him a sociopath or some an applicant with "poor character." For gods sake, most people lie 3-4 times a day or so.....

I'm not too quick to pass judgment on people who pad their CVs. Shouldn't do it of course, but it happens all the time in the "real working world"-where most people are not nearly as mindful of ethics and truthfulness as many academics seem to be. This always reminds me of that movie "She's having a Baby" when Kevin Bacon's character fabricates his resume so profoundly that he gets the job out of pity and his demonstrated desire to work somewhere, anywhere. Hilarious scene....

What would one define as "padding" on a CV? I have a section for volunteer activities such as facilitating a support group and being APS campus rep. I also have a section for continuing ed seminars .. I've attended lots of them. I am somewhat concerned as I get ready to apply for the Match that my CV might look padded. So what would one describe as padding?

 

[loveoforganic]

Stuff like overstating responsibilities or involvement

 

[Ollie123]

Certainly not in a position where I'm hiring others or judging CVs yet, but I don't think anyone would consider running a support group or being APS rep "padding". One is a clinical activity (even if not really "therapy" per se) and the other is departmental service. Both can and should go on there.

The seminars are sort of a grey area. Personally, I don't include them. I've been to 7 or 8 over the last few years, and it just doesn't seem meaningful enough. Some of the more intensive ones I could see including...for example I applied for (and didn't get ) a several week, NIH-sponsored training seminar, which I would certainly have found a place for on my CV if I had gotten. However, something that was a half-day on campus, or a pre-conference workshop...that seems like a stretch.