How U. of California Verifies Claims of Applicants

The University of California is rare among colleges in that it has a team that checks out some of the claims that applicants make, The San Jose Mercury News reported. The verification process is random -- about 1 percent of applicants -- but officials believe that the possibility of being scrutinized is enough to keep fictional claims to a minimum. The article noted that while most colleges don't verify claims on personal statements or lists of accomplishments, they do verify test scores and grades by relying on information provided by testing services and high schools, instead of letting applicants self-report.