Feds uncover large-scale college entrance exam cheating plot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: One of the other named parents is the co-chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

I saw that. Pretty bad optic. I'm not a lawyer but I was curious about the likely ramifications. I hate to say it does he lose his license or does he just buy himself out of this as well ?

Has to be the license to practice?

He conspired to bamboozle a university, committed wire and mail fraud, and is record as saying he does care about the 'moral' part.

Also it looks like the entrance exam guy taped every single call he ever made. There's a couple thousand parents out there sweating nervously tonight. I hope they all get picked up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the kids will get to stay.

They didn't do anything illegal.

But they actually did not qualify. If you got in for crew, and it's exposed that you do not know how to play, how would the college let you stay? If you got in with a 1420 SAT score, but it's revealed publically that you got that through your parent's cheating, how could they allow you to stay?

What if she's gotten good grades since then?

How could they just kick her out for something she didn't do?

If you were admitted because you said you played -- and excelled at -- wouldn't you be aware of that? When they say, hey, crew practice starts on such and such a date, do you think these bright bulbs said "Gee, what are you talking about? What's "crew"?" No, they shut up and went along with the charade. They sat on the back bench a few times and then, when it was deemed safe, went off and partied.

They are culpable.

[Anonymous]

University of Spoiled Children?

[Anonymous]

I did not get my undergrad in the US, so no dog in this fight.

However, from my perspective, the young adults who pose as other students, the ones who write essays for money, etc, should not be vilified like they have been on this site. At least they are working their brains for money, instead of something else! I have more respect for them than I have for rabid posters insulting them online. They are the products of the immense pressure to obtain brand-name diplomas in our society, just because we give so much more respect and money to people with degrees.

Don't blame the grade providers - blame the ones paying for grades/diplomas, blame the system. And don't forget to vote or run for office yourself, instead of grumbling on the internet.

[Anonymous]

Ohhh, I just realized Caplan's conversations were recorded because the FBI had the entrance exam guy trap him. Juicy.

fter twice denying the request, the ACT ultimately granted CAPLAN’s daughter extended time on the exam at the request of law enforcement on or about November 6, 2018. In a call two days later, CAPLAN asked CW-1, in sum and substance, whether anyone involved in the cheating scheme had ever been caught. The following is an excerpt from the conversation, which was consensually recorded.10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Caplan's is just so morally repugnant. A LAWYER and this is what he said. I hope he's prepared his daughter for prison time as much as he coached her on not to talk.

CAPLAN We are in for that, at 75, not an issue.

CW-1Done.

CAPLAN Done. The other stuff (laughing)--

CW-1 That will be up to you guys, it doesn’t matter to me.

CAPLAN Yeah, I, I hear ya.It’s just, to be honest, I’m not worried about the moral issue here. I’m worriedabout the, if she’s caught doing that, you know, she’s finished. So I, I just--

CW-1 It’s never happened before in twenty-some-odd years. The only way anything can happen is if she--

CAPLAN Someone talks--

CW-1 Yeah, if she tells somebody. And that’s why even on the payment to the school thing, nobody, wenever tell the, you know, she just needs to know that you’re gonna get some help on this class.

CAPLAN Correct.CW-1 She’ll be more than happy.

CAPLAN Oh yeah, I, she, she won’t talk

yeah because lawyers from multinational firms who reside in Greenwich-Connecticut are known for their moral compass and ferocious attachment to ethical values. Get a clue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Down falls another pillar of what used to make us better than many foreign lands.

This headline is THE definitive answer to all of those people who whine about affirmative action.

Affirmative action is for the poor to counter the bribes? Huh ?

This scandal shows that wealthy people are more than willing to use their privilege to cheat their way into institutions that they couldn't get into otherwise.

Black and Latino kids are usually assumed to have only gotten in because of their race.

But I can promise that no AA candidate's mom paid someone to boost their SAT score from 1020 to 1420 they way Huffman did.

Everybody that test preps is paying to boost their kids SAT score.

Are you seriously comparing open/honest test prep with paying someone to actually take the test for you or bribing a university official to help get your kid admitted? That's like comparing dieting and exercising to getting liposuction and tummy tucks. There is a difference between what you actually DO and what is done for you.

I'm saying that test prep does not show the actual ability of the kid compared to the kids that don't test prep.

It's more like give your kid organic veggies and fruits and give another kid oodles of noodles and mac and cheese ... then compare their weight and say your kid worked harder. They didn't... they were given better food. Your kid isn't better... their SAT score is manipulated by the Test prep. If you kid was so smart they would not need to test prep... but since everybody test preps you have to.

It's like football players who don't do steroids are expected to compete against players that do take steroids... it's unfair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Caplan's is just so morally repugnant. A LAWYER and this is what he said. I hope he's prepared his daughter for prison time as much as he coached her on not to talk.

CAPLAN We are in for that, at 75, not an issue.

CW-1Done.

CAPLAN Done. The other stuff (laughing)--

CW-1 That will be up to you guys, it doesn’t matter to me.

CAPLAN Yeah, I, I hear ya.It’s just, to be honest, I’m not worried about the moral issue here. I’m worriedabout the, if she’s caught doing that, you know, she’s finished. So I, I just--

CW-1 It’s never happened before in twenty-some-odd years. The only way anything can happen is if she--

CAPLAN Someone talks--

CW-1 Yeah, if she tells somebody. And that’s why even on the payment to the school thing, nobody, wenever tell the, you know, she just needs to know that you’re gonna get some help on this class.

CAPLAN Correct.CW-1 She’ll be more than happy.

CAPLAN Oh yeah, I, she, she won’t talk

yeah because lawyers from multinational firms who reside in Greenwich-Connecticut are known for their moral compass and ferocious attachment to ethical values. Get a clue.

Well, this lawyer just lost his job because of that. Let's see how fast that Greenwich home goes on the market.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ohhh, I just realized Caplan's conversations were recorded because the FBI had the entrance exam guy trap him. Juicy.

fter twice denying the request, the ACT ultimately granted CAPLAN’s daughter extended time on the exam at the request of law enforcement on or about November 6, 2018. In a call two days later, CAPLAN asked CW-1, in sum and substance, whether anyone involved in the cheating scheme had ever been caught. The following is an excerpt from the conversation, which was consensually recorded.10

Perpetrating fraud is definitely a basis to lose your bar license. Even if he's not convicted of the crime, they can yank it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: One of the other named parents is the co-chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Name & shame!

https://www.justice.gov/file/1142876/download

It's Gordon Caplan and he paid $75,000 to get his daughter's ACT score change.

B.GORDON CAPLAN

46.Defendant GORDON CAPLAN is a resident of Greenwich, Connecticutand New York, New York. CAPLAN is an attorney and the co-chairman of an international law firm based in New York.

47.In or about November and December 2018, CAPLAN participated in the college entrance exam cheating scheme by making a purported charitable donation of $75,000 to KWF, in exchange for which CW-1 arranged to have CW-2 purport to proctor CAPLAN’s daughter’s ACT exam and correct the answers after she had completed it.

Later that same day, CW-1 had a follow-up call with CAPLAN in which he again explained, in substance, how the scheme worked, and inparticular the need for CAPLAN’s daughter “to be stupid”when a psychologist evaluated her for learning disabilities in order to obtain the documentation necessary to obtain extended time on the exam. The following are two excerpts from the conversation

I can't even
So the daughter needs to 'be stupid' for her evaluation. Was the evaluating psychologist also 'stupid' to be blatantly fooled like that or was he/she also in on the scheme? My money is on the latter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Right, that’s the same. Lord you’re dumb.

They are comparable because weight loss through diet/exercise is something that you actually have to work for. Test prep is literally available to all students - FREE - through Kahn Academy. Some students take advantage of it, some don't.

Cheating is not the same thing as test prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone explain this to me:

Once these students were admitted, how were they supposed to keep up with their coursework? Were the parents planning to bribe the professors or administrators? Did Singer continue to facilitate bribes after enrollment? What would the endgame be?

This is what I'm wondering. It's one thing to bribe your kid's way in to college, but how did they actually expect them to graduate?

It doesn't matter if they graduate, but even attending for a year or so is a decent credential while they try to figure out what to do with their lives.

It's also harder to get into some of these schools than graduate. They can also easily afford a 5-year plan, so there is time to re-take classes etc.

I went to Stanford. Believe me, there were complete idiots who managed to graduate just by picking an easy major.

And by paying people like me to do their work for them. I attended two whole classes in my time at my university as another student. They were both from wealthy families and terrible at math. My university didn't make you show ID for any tests (and still doesn't, from what I hear), you just had to write your student number on your test. The key was to stick to the larger lecture courses with 100+ students where you could just blend in. I know someone who pretended to be another student in the lab portion of a biology course with only 35 other students. Just thinking about doing that would make me anxious.

Trust me, cheating is still rampant in college.

Congrats for being a scumbag.

Thank you!

It paid much better than slinging pizzas or folding clothes in retail. I have no regrets nor do I feel bad about it. Those people I pretended to be were set for life because of their family money and family influence. They just needed the degrees so they could graduate and join their family businesses.

Makes you wonder what could possibly make this dirtball feel bad. Nothing, it would seem.

Plenty of things make me feel bad. But taking money from a rich person to do their course work was not one of them and still would not be one of them. In my mind, it's the same as me paying a lady to come each week to mop for me. I hate mopping and I'm terrible at cleaning. I outsource it because I have the income to do that now. The guy was terrible at math and rich, so he outsourced it.

Your analogy is idiotic and reveals your low moral character. You were an accomplice in breaking the college's honor code. At schools like UVA you would face expulsion.

[Anonymous]

So was it the entrance exam guy that blew the lid on this whole thing? I want to know who blew the whistle on the entire operation because they deserve some accolades from middle class America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ohhh, I just realized Caplan's conversations were recorded because the FBI had the entrance exam guy trap him. Juicy.

fter twice denying the request, the ACT ultimately granted CAPLAN’s daughter extended time on the exam at the request of law enforcement on or about November 6, 2018. In a call two days later, CAPLAN asked CW-1, in sum and substance, whether anyone involved in the cheating scheme had ever been caught. The following is an excerpt from the conversation, which was consensually recorded.10

Perpetrating fraud is definitely a basis to lose your bar license. Even if he's not convicted of the crime, they can yank it.

Awesome. NY Bar you know what to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I don’t understand why these people had to bribe their way into universities. If they have that much money and the contacts to go with it, then does it really matter where these kids attend college? Lori Laughlin’s daughter would follow the same career path (influencer or whatever) whether she attends ASU or USC. Let’s not pretend that where these kids go to college really matters because they’re set for life no matter what. How was this worth risking their reputations and getting into legal trouble? The risk truly wasn’t worth the reward. Is it for the parents’ bragging purposes? What was the point?

Competitiveness, bragging rights, insecurity, the recognition that their children are likely dumber and less talented than they are, etc. Lots of successful parents want to push their stupid kids across the finish line. See, e.g., the DC area. But the scope of the alleged criminal behavior here is mind boggling and sick. The affidavits are a sad commentary on life in this country in 2019.