WashPost story on the aftermath of the college admissions scandal...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The athletic route w $$ is a well know route in my kids private school - they have since graduated. This is the formula :
1. Get accommodations for kids
2. Kid play a sport - not football, basketball, cross country, track or crew but more sports they can play at their country club or private clubs - tennis/squash/lacrosse/sailing/ski
3. Donate $$$ to HS in junior year
4. Private HS college counselor calls college on behalf of family and also indicate family willing to donate $$$ to college development officer
5. Kid gets in - usually HYP/Stanford/Duke/top 10 privae[/quote


How the heck does #3 help?

I work in one of the independent schools people are referencing here. The school isn’t going to make it happen for the kid. That doesn’t mean a parent can’t but a spot. I can’t apeak for the universities themselves. But the high schools aren’t going to bend the rules and risk their reputation to help one student get in somewhere they’re not qualified to attend. High schools WILL call on behalf of waitlisted students, and they will have a conversation about a child, but that’s a whole other thing and has nothing to do with money. A lot of conspiracy theorists on this thread.

[Anonymous]

I understand that elite colleges need the donation from rich families so that the tuition will not go even higher and they can provide financial aid to students from lower income families. The colleges have to give the rich families the perch in order to benefit the ordinary folks. This is fine to me and it may be necessary. Someone suggested to offer a certain percentage of admission spots for highest bidding. The transaction is open and transparent, no one will feel shamed of anything.

For the rest of the applicants, it's a fair competition. They should submit all their application materials without mentioning their race, and their names are redacted from reviewers. Evaluate applicants purely from merits (school transcripts, tests, recommendation letters, ec, essays, verifiable achievements, etc). How about that? Then no one should complain about discrimination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand that elite colleges need the donation from rich families so that the tuition will not go even higher and they can provide financial aid to students from lower income families. The colleges have to give the rich families the perch in order to benefit the ordinary folks. This is fine to me and it may be necessary. Someone suggested to offer a certain percentage of admission spots for highest bidding. The transaction is open and transparent, no one will feel shamed of anything.

For the rest of the applicants, it's a fair competition. They should submit all their application materials without mentioning their race, and their names are redacted from reviewers. Evaluate applicants purely from merits (school transcripts, tests, recommendation letters, ec, essays, verifiable achievements, etc). How about that? Then no one should complain about discrimination.

Why not auction off a set number of slots to the highest bidder for each class? Transparent and better for fundraising!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The athletic route w $$ is a well know route in my kids private school - they have since graduated. This is the formula :
1. Get accommodations for kids
2. Kid play a sport - not football, basketball, cross country, track or crew but more sports they can play at their country club or private clubs - tennis/squash/lacrosse/sailing/ski
3. Donate $$$ to HS in junior year
4. Private HS college counselor calls college on behalf of family and also indicate family willing to donate $$$ to college development officer
5. Kid gets in - usually HYP/Stanford/Duke/top 10 privae[/quote


How the heck does #3 help?

Let’s say you have 10 kids applying to Yale. The HS won’t push all kids equally. The private HS college counselor will make calls on behalf of families that donated $$$ to the HS. We are not talking piddly $10k or $50k here; these are donations over $100k and more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The athletic route w $$ is a well know route in my kids private school - they have since graduated. This is the formula :
1. Get accommodations for kids
2. Kid play a sport - not football, basketball, cross country, track or crew but more sports they can play at their country club or private clubs - tennis/squash/lacrosse/sailing/ski
3. Donate $$$ to HS in junior year
4. Private HS college counselor calls college on behalf of family and also indicate family willing to donate $$$ to college development officer
5. Kid gets in - usually HYP/Stanford/Duke/top 10 privae[/quote


How the heck does #3 help?

I work in one of the independent schools people are referencing here. The school isn’t going to make it happen for the kid. That doesn’t mean a parent can’t but a spot. I can’t apeak for the universities themselves. But the high schools aren’t going to bend the rules and risk their reputation to help one student get in somewhere they’re not qualified to attend. High schools WILL call on behalf of waitlisted students, and they will have a conversation about a child, but that’s a whole other thing and has nothing to do with money. A lot of conspiracy theorists on this thread.

How many of the kids in your school go to ivies? How close is the relationship between your HS college counselor (the top person) and the top schools admission directors? Ask yourself if it is possible for your school push all kids equally during SCEA/ED/RD? Of course not. The HS counselor can’t push all kids that apply to a top school equally - they will only make calls on behalf of families that donated $$$ to the HS. If your HS college counselors do not do this, then your HS do not have close relationships w the top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The athletic route w $$ is a well know route in my kids private school - they have since graduated. This is the formula :
1. Get accommodations for kids
2. Kid play a sport - not football, basketball, cross country, track or crew but more sports they can play at their country club or private clubs - tennis/squash/lacrosse/sailing/ski
3. Donate $$$ to HS in junior year
4. Private HS college counselor calls college on behalf of family and also indicate family willing to donate $$$ to college development officer
5. Kid gets in - usually HYP/Stanford/Duke/top 10 privae[/quote


How the heck does #3 help?

PP is an imbecile........likely a parent of a child that didn’t get into their target school and still resents those that did. Crafting elaborate fantasy scenarios of how other students gained admission whilst your child did not isn’t a healthy hobby.

[Anonymous]

This is where it shows that poster at 6:43 does not know how the inner circles of private schools work. The HS cannot call or push all kids who apply to a certain college equally - preference will be give to families that donated $$$ to the HS. Within the wealthy, there is another strata - those who donate $$$ to the private HS

[Anonymous]

OP, it explains why so many celebrities have kids who are students at top schools. Honestly, I don't really respect any of them (the kids or the schools) at face value - because it is just a way for parents to pat themselves on the back. Look around - some of the pompous arses are at the local close in Giant, you don't have to look far for blow hards.

There was another post recently who said something about having an ACK or MV or OBX license plate holder - when in reality, you or your parents (!!) rent a house for a week or two during the summer. It is superficial, and misleading, but no one really buys it (because there are people who live in those places year round or have a summer house, who would never have that on their car). Maybe you meet other people who do the same thing. Congratulations? I don't think that is a club that most normal people care about, or would be a part of, given their druthers.

See: Poseurs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The athletic route w $$ is a well know route in my kids private school - they have since graduated. This is the formula :
1. Get accommodations for kids
2. Kid play a sport - not football, basketball, cross country, track or crew but more sports they can play at their country club or private clubs - tennis/squash/lacrosse/sailing/ski
3. Donate $$$ to HS in junior year
4. Private HS college counselor calls college on behalf of family and also indicate family willing to donate $$$ to college development officer
5. Kid gets in - usually HYP/Stanford/Duke/top 10 privae

Are these students considered athletic recruits to their elite college?

Yes. Some are development kids. What these bribery parents didn’t realize esp the ones who paid over $500k was there is a “legal” route through the private school college counselor. Rich kids bottom of class going to Duke. Look at the Sony emails that were leaked - $1M dollar donation to Brown and kid accepted the following year.

PP, I believe you and really appreciate your insights. I’ve been very naive.

[Anonymous]

--Has this prompted conversations among parents/counselors/administrators about the emphasis on admissions to elite colleges?

Yes. There has been discussions among parents. Mostly UMC, like myself. Most parents that I talked to know it is a scam and that people pay to have their kids get into college... whether it is paying the school large sums of money or giving your kids an edge with private schools, tutors and test prep. The parents that think elite colleges is the only way for their child to be successful or think their child shoudl be rewarded for "hard work" and that reward should be and "elite" college are a big part of the problem.

I have heard nothing from counselors/administrators at my son's HS or college.

--Are schools communicating with parents/students on this issue? If so, what are they saying?

No. Nothing.

--Has it prompted any soul searching about the pressure on kids to get into top schools? Does it make students/parents more anxious about the admissions process?

No. It has not prompted any soul searching because I have been faced with these pressure since the day they were born. This is nothing new to me. I don't think anybody is more anxious.... kids were anxious before and they are anxious now. The cheating story has changed nothing.

--Are there any forums planned to address these issues? (Ie, we know of a mindful parenting session happening in the California district where many of the accused families live to help parents/students talk about ways to navigate the admissions process healthfully. Anything like that going on in the DC area?)

I have not heard of anything. I did just happen to listen to Shefali Tsabary recently talk about this and she has a very good perspective in theory. I am not sure many parents can put it into practice.

We live in a world that teachers and nurses struggle to support a family. Until we fix that parents are going to be anxious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where it shows that poster at 6:43 does not know how the inner circles of private schools work. The HS cannot call or push all kids who apply to a certain college equally - preference will be give to families that donated $$$ to the HS. Within the wealthy, there is another strata - those who donate $$$ to the private HS

This reminds me of a thread a few years ago. A FA mother was wondering if her private school had “slots” for certain kids to go to HYP and other elite schools, and wondered why her DC was not encouraged to apply to these schools by the high school counselor. She was pooh-poohed about it. Turns out to be true — highest bidders get pushed through by high school counselors.

[Anonymous]

Will the prospective colleges be informed about accommodation/learning differences/etc.?

My DC did the HSPT at her school recently and this is when she found out many classmates had "accommodations." They didn't have a time limit to finish the HSPT. Some students asked the teacher: "Why do we have to stop now and they can keep doing the test?" The teacher gave a lame answer: "They paid for it."

After all, it makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where it shows that poster at 6:43 does not know how the inner circles of private schools work. The HS cannot call or push all kids who apply to a certain college equally - preference will be give to families that donated $$$ to the HS. Within the wealthy, there is another strata - those who donate $$$ to the private HS

This reminds me of a thread a few years ago. A FA mother was wondering if her private school had “slots” for certain kids to go to HYP and other elite schools, and wondered why her DC was not encouraged to apply to these schools by the high school counselor. She was pooh-poohed about it. Turns out to be true — highest bidders get pushed through by high school counselors.

Here is the high school counselor thread I referenced above — “Discriminatory College Counseling at Big 3”

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/411406.page#5708484

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where it shows that poster at 6:43 does not know how the inner circles of private schools work. The HS cannot call or push all kids who apply to a certain college equally - preference will be give to families that donated $$$ to the HS. Within the wealthy, there is another strata - those who donate $$$ to the private HS

Yes, you hit the nail on the head. When my child was recruited to Princeton for their sport (apart from their h.s.)...the elite private high school counselor was obnoxious. We weren't in the "super rich" class and they wanted to "save the Princeton spot" for a worthier, i.e. wealthier student. This stuff does happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will the prospective colleges be informed about accommodation/learning differences/etc.?

My DC did the HSPT at her school recently and this is when she found out many classmates had "accommodations." They didn't have a time limit to finish the HSPT. Some students asked the teacher: "Why do we have to stop now and they can keep doing the test?" The teacher gave a lame answer: "They paid for it."

After all, it makes sense.

No - after College Board was sued, they stopped marking which tests were given extended time. That is when accommodations among the wealthy especially in the private schools spiked. Just google this. This is an extremely unfair system that tilts to private schools and wealthier kids especially among the white population.