After graduation from a particular top school, a private investigator hired by a disgruntled prospective student found that a large number of students at this school have falsified their achievements. The school reassured students we have nothing to worry about so I want to share my experience with you all. I obviously don’t recommend you all lie on your applications but know that it is indeed possible to get in with some exaggerations.
I got fired from my engineering job in 2014. My supervisors weren’t keen to give me references. I couldn’t find a job for over a year. Thankfully, I had access to funds and I could count on my network for recommendations so I decided to go to business school. The school I picked was in the top 5 schools globally and the only one I knew that did not conduct background checks. My friends wouldn’t mind writing my recommendations but they did mind the prospect of having to lie on the phone.
I fabricated a “boutique consulting firm”, had my university friends write me recommendations on LinkedIn, created a website and LinkedIn company page. On my CV for application to the school, I phrased my achievements in such a way that they were simply unverifiable. Case in point: “Consulted on x projects with x c-level executives” (MBA lingo for I mentioned I’m an engineer at a wedding party attended by friends and acquaintances who are involved in projects).
This school requires a lot of essays. This helped me establish credibility. I wrote about my humanitarian efforts (if you live in the Middle East and have ever seen a refugee, use it), wrote about my entrepreneurial husband’s business achievements, created a lighter bank account 7 months before applying because they only require 6 months statements. I was only required to include the address and contact details of my phantom firm (if they called, my husband or I would pick up).
I was flabbergasted when I received my invitations to interview. I had to believe my own bullshit and fast. It’s one thing to write about how I’m a strong female figure who founded a consulting startup but I was scared to be interviewed by real consultants and convince them that I’m so good at strategy, I built my own firm. By the way, I've come clean to my interviewers after graduation. One didn't respond and the other complimented my nerve.
By some miracle, I got into the school and I got a women’s empowerment scholarship too. I chose to attend because it would give my CV some credibility and I could be gainfully employed again after graduating. I couldn’t believe I had been admitted to one of the top business schools in the world. I felt guilty but if the school can’t be bothered to check its applicants, it’s their problem not mine. The most successful people in business aren’t exactly the most honest.
This business school breeds consultants like rabbits and I got interviews I couldn’t have managed without the school’s brand on my resume, or with my employment gap. I didn’t make it to the final rounds for any of the consulting firms I applied to. I was terrified that the recruiters would ask the school why the founder of a boutique consulting firm can’t manage basic case interviews.
I graduated in December, but with no job offer. The school is question is currently under scrutiny for not checking students’ credentials but the director of alumni relations has assured students that degrees won’t be revoked. To stay on the safe side, I’ve withdrawn my application to the bigger firms that conduct background checks because an insider at school told me they would only take action against alumni if their deception was exposed by on-campus recruiters.
Moral of the story: Lie if you must, but work extra hard to maintain the lie. You're going to school with some of the smartest people on this planet.
I got fired from my engineering job in 2014. My supervisors weren’t keen to give me references. I couldn’t find a job for over a year. Thankfully, I had access to funds and I could count on my network for recommendations so I decided to go to business school. The school I picked was in the top 5 schools globally and the only one I knew that did not conduct background checks. My friends wouldn’t mind writing my recommendations but they did mind the prospect of having to lie on the phone.
I fabricated a “boutique consulting firm”, had my university friends write me recommendations on LinkedIn, created a website and LinkedIn company page. On my CV for application to the school, I phrased my achievements in such a way that they were simply unverifiable. Case in point: “Consulted on x projects with x c-level executives” (MBA lingo for I mentioned I’m an engineer at a wedding party attended by friends and acquaintances who are involved in projects).
This school requires a lot of essays. This helped me establish credibility. I wrote about my humanitarian efforts (if you live in the Middle East and have ever seen a refugee, use it), wrote about my entrepreneurial husband’s business achievements, created a lighter bank account 7 months before applying because they only require 6 months statements. I was only required to include the address and contact details of my phantom firm (if they called, my husband or I would pick up).
I was flabbergasted when I received my invitations to interview. I had to believe my own bullshit and fast. It’s one thing to write about how I’m a strong female figure who founded a consulting startup but I was scared to be interviewed by real consultants and convince them that I’m so good at strategy, I built my own firm. By the way, I've come clean to my interviewers after graduation. One didn't respond and the other complimented my nerve.
By some miracle, I got into the school and I got a women’s empowerment scholarship too. I chose to attend because it would give my CV some credibility and I could be gainfully employed again after graduating. I couldn’t believe I had been admitted to one of the top business schools in the world. I felt guilty but if the school can’t be bothered to check its applicants, it’s their problem not mine. The most successful people in business aren’t exactly the most honest.
This business school breeds consultants like rabbits and I got interviews I couldn’t have managed without the school’s brand on my resume, or with my employment gap. I didn’t make it to the final rounds for any of the consulting firms I applied to. I was terrified that the recruiters would ask the school why the founder of a boutique consulting firm can’t manage basic case interviews.
I graduated in December, but with no job offer. The school is question is currently under scrutiny for not checking students’ credentials but the director of alumni relations has assured students that degrees won’t be revoked. To stay on the safe side, I’ve withdrawn my application to the bigger firms that conduct background checks because an insider at school told me they would only take action against alumni if their deception was exposed by on-campus recruiters.
Moral of the story: Lie if you must, but work extra hard to maintain the lie. You're going to school with some of the smartest people on this planet.
