Adam Wheeler: Lying Harvard Student's Resume Claims Multiple Manuscripts Written, Awards Won

Not too long ago, The New Republic received a near-perfect resume from a young man named Adam Wheeler, who was vying for a literary internship at the magazine. The three-page document boasted a 4.0 GPA from Harvard, 18 prize and scholarship awards, invitations to lecture, two working manuscripts and proficiency in Old English, Classical Armenian and Old Persian.

In a testament to their vetting process, the magazine rejected Wheeler, who has been thrust into the national spotlight for allegedly fabricating his entire docket of accomplishments in a "Talented Mr. Ripley"-meets-Clark Rockefeller scenario. (Wheeler today plead not guilty to 20 charges of fraud and identity theft.)

But the magazine did hold onto his resume, the entirety of which can be downloaded here. The first page is excerpted below. For more on Wheeler's story, see here.

Comments

[IDIOTA]

07:30 PM on 05/20/2010

My mentor told me that whenever he saw a transcript with a perfect GPA that he was suspicious. Whenever I interview people, I always ask questions related to their major even if it has nothing to do with the job for which they are replying in order to assess their credibility and knowledge retention. I have found some fakes.

[angrymanspokane]

06:31 PM on 05/20/2010

Ten bucks says this gets made into a bestselling book, and then into a movie starring Jake Gyllenhal (the guy from Humpback Mountain). This guy winds up making money from this, wait and see.

[SwingingFromCenter]

03:55 AM on 05/20/2010

I fail to see how this is identity theft, or even that big of a deal. He didn't pretend to be someone else, so the ID theft thing won't stick. As to fraud...well, it's obvious he was dishonest, but at the end of the day, what did he do? Lied to get into uni? People do that every day. Just not to the extent this kid did. Lied to try and get a job? 90% of the resumes out there right now have lies in them.

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how this kid deserves to become a national media spotlight when the reality is he did the same thing most people do at one time or another. And to try and say he faces "50 years" is just ludicrous.

[Zanubiyah]

01:06 AM on 05/20/2010

He has a good career as a politican, and unless you have to go to college to be a lawyer, he would make a good one too.

[rdiaz921]

09:42 PM on 05/19/2010

Wow. creative imagination.

[layman]

02:29 PM on 05/19/2010

You people are angry because this young man makes Harvard,the establishment, the so called Ivy league institution of hell high learning looked kinda, a stupid institution. LOL.

[DevonTexas]

12:21 PM on 05/19/2010

I don't know... you should wait at least 10 years after graduation before adding "dazzle" to the resume'

[bussumheads]

11:19 AM on 05/19/2010

Hold the phone.... People lie on their resumes?!?!? This is the first I am hearing about people doing this.

[chedet]

06:59 PM on 05/19/2010

Hahahaha!

[G8R4Obama]

10:29 AM on 05/19/2010

The case of Adam Wheeler shows that Harvard's vaunted 'admissions process' is a bunch of bunk. Any community college or state 4-year institution would have required that his SAT scores be sent by the College Board directly to the school - which would have uncovered the fraud right away. Guess Harvard will be doing a lot of return of Title IV funds on this one! Hopefully, the Feds will monitor their federal financial aid practices more carefully in the future!

[GreyBird]

11:19 AM on 05/19/2010

But Harvard did reject him and he is being indicted for fraud. So Harvard's system of weeding out the weirdo liars seems to be working just fine.

[proair]

02:45 PM on 05/19/2010

First off they did not reject him..he attended their institution for 2 years. You call that rejection?? They did a crappy job of checking out information.

[ejbr]

08:36 AM on 05/19/2010

I'd do him....oh, we aren't talking about that.

[PeachyyK]

08:31 AM on 05/19/2010

I want to know what made this guy think he could pass such huge lies? --and lies that are clearly and obviously easy to find are untrue. He's about to get a niiiiiice reality check!

[GreyBird]

11:19 AM on 05/19/2010

My sentiments exactly. This fellow is is not playing with a full deck, to be sure.

[From the Raft]

05:44 PM on 05/19/2010

Maybe he's a Republican.

[SWhitbourne]

08:29 AM on 05/19/2010

To understand why people like Wheeler lie and cheat, read my Psych Today blog on the topic (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201005/excuses-excuses-excuses-why-people-lie-cheat-and-procrastinate). I think it will shed some insight into his case. I speak from the vantage point of a psychologist and as the Rhodes faculty advisor at my university. It's an intriguing and scary case.

[kristaS]

08:37 AM on 05/19/2010

correct link

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201005/excuses-excuses-excuses-why-people-lie-cheat-and-procrastinate

[From the Raft]

06:11 PM on 05/19/2010

Some are born liers and cheaters!

I know from observation.

[Wasp35]

07:51 AM on 05/19/2010

Yes, but did he serve in Vietnam or during Vietnam?

[practical]

07:45 AM on 05/19/2010

what's the difference between this guy getting in without having what it takes and people getting in that don't have what it takes due to affirmative action?

[Kia Williams]

10:47 AM on 05/19/2010

thats not how AA works.

[proair]

02:47 PM on 05/19/2010

I agree..affirmative action and fradulent behavior are two different things.

[Abdi S]

05:55 AM on 05/19/2010

If they didn't caugh't him this guy would run for president like George W Bush or Sarah Palin.

[Wasp35]

07:48 AM on 05/19/2010

"If they didn't caugh't him"? Way to go Huffpost Super User.