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Lied on my personal statement

Okay, so I kinda ****ed up. I claimed to have read this book on my PS which I hadn't and I'd just read a summary online. In my PS I criticised the author for not mentioning certain things. I have just started to read the book since interviews are around the corner and the only thing he mentions in the whole book are those "things". I somehow need to twist my words and get around the fact that I've ****ed up in my interview. But hopefully they don't ask about this book and ask about the other 2 which I've briefly skimmed over. But this is just a bit of a warning to everyone else that you shouldn't lie on your personal statement.

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Just say you haven't read it for ages and that you thought that it did not include this stuff. (You did not have time to re-read it and make an essay or whatever you made about it.)
Original post by monkeyman0121
Just say you haven't read it for ages and that you thought that it did not include this stuff. (You did not have time to re-read it and make an essay or whatever you made about it.)


Not a bad idea. Cheers mate. You might've gotten me a place at Oxford! lol
Original post by james_arthur_1
Not a bad idea. Cheers mate. You might've gotten me a place at Oxford! lol


No problem, hope it helps! :biggrin:
Original post by james_arthur_1
Not a bad idea. Cheers mate. You might've gotten me a place at Oxford! lol


Doubt it, that's a pretty piss-poor mistake and any admissions tutor who knows their onions will spot it.
Lots of people lie in their PS, I’m pretty sure tutors are aware of this to an extent. Personally I would say ‘I read the book over a year ago, however have re-read the book within that last two months and on reflection I disagree with my original assertion because...’.
was it Watership Down ? and you said there were no rabbits ?

never mind, with any luck they will not focus on your tricky book.
Maybe just read it in a day or so? Not that difficult if you ask me.
Lol, you're screwed
Original post by james_arthur_1
Not a bad idea. Cheers mate. You might've gotten me a place at Oxford! lol


I wouldn't really go with this excuse if I were you... Oxford are going to want students that are dedicated enough to at least reread the books before they write their personal statements - it makes you look clumsy and unmotivated (hypocritical coming from me since I wrote about about 5 books I'd never read before but moving on...).

Which subject is it for?
I have a confession to make.

When I took my GCSE English Literature in 2009, I got a poem and play that I had been too lazy to read, so just skimmed for keywords and still came out with an A.

However, if you're going to uni, it's not really recommended you do that. What you can do is maybe read as much as you can, excerpts or maybe an audiobook? To act like you know what you're talking about.
I lied about reading a book and I got away with it and got an offer to where I wanted to go in 2 days after submitting my application on UCAS.
Writing a PS to one of the top unis in the country [world] and not checking your facts is beyond belief. The interviewers are 'experts' and have seen thousands of them. They'll spot waffle in an instant. And then the follow-up questions will follow: Don't you think Oxford University is worth the trouble of making sure your PS is accurate? Why didn't your tutor spot this when s/he checked your PS for you? Give us a reason why you think you should be awarded a place over students who have submitted outstanding PSs? And on it will go. I'd wish you good luck but luck won't come into it. (It's very likely they'll ask about all three books!?)
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by Fred Bosire
I lied about reading a book and I got away with it and got an offer to where I wanted to go in 2 days after submitting my application on UCAS.


If you got a decision that quickly then it’s unlikely anyone read your PS (yet - they’re most commonly used when results come through in the summer)
well you are defo screwed .:smile: lol sos
Every time you tell a lie and get away with it the easier it becomes to lie. Even if they don't pick you up on it they might still know you cannot be trusted and so will you. You'll know that you are a fake. Just a thought...
This is exactly why you should never mention books you havent read yet in personal statements.

You just make dumb mistakes which can have massive effects
Ha, serves you right.
Reply 18
Original post by james_arthur_1
Not a bad idea. Cheers mate. You might've gotten me a place at Oxford! lol


It seems not :frown:

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