Importance of signature on application to college

We received the following message from a dean of admission we know: It's only March and we'll be rescinding our first admission. Children: do not lie. Students -- and parents -- don't forget that all offers of admission to college are conditional. Colleges may rescind admission for a number of reasons -- if a student enrolls and makes a deposit at more than one college;  if there is a significant change in senior year grades;  if there is a lapse in judgment or integrity such as cheating or suspension for alcohol use. And admission can be rescinded for lying, for misrepresenting any facts or work in the application -- grades, test scores, essays, a change in personal circumstances, extracurricular activities, a disciplinary matter. In signing the application, students certify that every piece of information and material in the application is the students' own work product and pledge they have upheld the highest standards of honesty, character, and moral and ethical principles.  In signing, you are saying, “This is who I am and what I stand for and I stand by it.” That’s something to be taken very seriously as a matter of personal honor. Colleges require it, and rightly expect it. This is a big deal. "The notion of integrity is the most important value we reflect on when we think about students attending the university," says Kirk Brennan, Director of Admission at University of Southern California.