
Survey: Did you lie to UCAS?
What lengths did you go to get into university? Take The Tab’s survey and share your secrets.
Click here to take the survey
Getting into uni can be a tough business, especially for those of you who applied in time to miss the price hike.
Your chosen universities want to see academic brilliance coupled with extra-curricular prowess on a level that would put Leonardo Da Vinci to shame.
So perhaps it’s no wonder that aspiring undergrads might be tempted to tell the odd fib or two on their UCAS application forms.
The Tab has heard from several students and graduates who’ve admitted to bluffing on their personal statements and lying about their grades.
One Edinburgh student told us: “I said I’d got an A* in GCSE Ancient Greek on my UCAS to get into UCL which worked an absolute treat as I got an offer. Edinburgh think I’ve done it as well and because of it I don’t have to do any Greek in my whole time at uni.”
Lying about your grades is a risky business, taking a degree of flair to pull off. One Chichester Uni graduate said: “I pretty much bullshitted my A level results, my HSLA credits and probably lied a fair bit on my personal statement.
“I then went in with my results slips and stood with the woman while she checked them and I just highlighted the ones I wanted her to see. Apart from that, I just made a good impression and kept her chirpy to take her mind off what she was actually doing. Bit of psychology goes a long long way.”
Not all lies have to be biggies. One UEA student told The Tab: “I said I’d read Anna Karenina. I had not.”
Sometimes it can back fire. One Exeter graduate told us: “I said I was learning Chinese on my gap year. Warwick and Nottingham then proceeded to offer me to study Chinese studies instead of economics. Cheeky bastards.”
So come on, ‘fess up. Did you lie to UCAS? You secrets will be safe with us.
Click here to take the survey