The SFGate reports about a study conducted by Duke University that showed that 75% of college applicants cheated in some form on their way to college. Whether that meant copying homework or utilizing Wikipedia for their academic efforts, the concerns about ethics and college admissions is growing.

The sad reality is that the students are winning while the teachers are losing. The article claims that when teachers find out that a student has cheated, the administration does not necessarily back them up. The word of the student is usually valued more heavily than the word of the teacher, and professional integrity becomes a problem within the community when the students’ lies are put first. In one case, a Stanford student continually asked her professors for a “regrade” after she changed the answers on a test. When her professor caught her red handed by photocopying the original exam, the university admonished the professor for violating an honor code — an honor code that the student herself did not even keep.

So what can be done? Some schools are working directly with the parents. Cheating becomes an issue that involves the parents from the first infraction. After that, the risk becomes greater: a F on the course.

Why do students cheat? The goal to become successful is by far one of the presiding reasons behind this apparent lack of ethics. As such, Stanford has a program called SOS (Stressed Out Students) that intervenes whenever stress is the culprit and reason behind cheating.

For now, the system is somewhat working. Stiff penalties make it more difficult for students to cheat. But that’s just scraping the surface. Many of my courses were laden with students who cheated on every single homework or test — and let’s be honest here, I haven’t been innocent, either.

In the end, remember that if you’re aiming for the highest score and eventually make it to the college of your choice while cheating your way through college, you may not succeed in the school of your dreams. Instead, you’ll find yourself to be miles behind your classmates. You’ll also find it important if not crucial to continue the trend of cheating. It’s just not worth it. You could spend that time learning for the course instead of stressing that your classmate has the answers. College is a knowledge-seeking venture, and bluffing your way through it isn’t the way to go.

More importantly, cheating is just a dishonest thing to do. And the only one you fool is yourself.