The student was caught when the firm interviewed the succeeding editor-in-chief the next year.

"I think with a lot of student organizations, people tend to blow up what they do, not just people lower on the totem pole," Ha says.

The primary reason cited by students in their decision not to inflate their credentials was a sense of moral responsibility. But students also admitted that another strong motivation was a simple fear of getting caught, of being asked to produce documentation of their activities.

"All I try to do is sugar-coat," said a first-year law student who did not want to be identified. "I never say anything untrue.... There is too much on the line. It seems stupid to do something like that."

Harvard as Little Brother?

Harvard has eschewed the open honor code of Princeton. Professors have been known to make students drop off assignments in locked boxes.

But the University can be both indifferent and trusting when it comes to checking on its own students' graduate school applications.

Each student applying to law school or medical school is required to submit a letter written by the student's resident or non-resident house tutor. This letter must include the student's disciplinary record.

And that's it.

Beyond the letter, the University does not take any formal responsibility for its students' records, according to various sources within the Office of Career Services (OCS).

Undergraduates often submit their resumes to OCS for review, but counselors maintain that this review is purely for the students' benefit and does not constitute a check of the resume's content.

"[Inflation of resumes] is something we have no control over," says Marc Cosentino, the assistant director of OCS. "It reflects badly on the University overall, but you don't blame the head of a department if a student plagiarizes."

Career counselors emphasize they are not a line of defense.

"We are here to help you craft a piece of paper," says career counselor Nancy Saunders. "Any counselor would [tell a dishonest student], that the path you are following will catch up with you someday."

In addition to jobs and graduate schools, Harvard students also apply for fellowships. It is in this department that OCS has greater control.