Anyone torturing themselves with the "college admissions scandal?"

[Anonymous]

The brazen behavior is around the athletic recruitment, but the outrage seems to be focused on "extra time" accommodations, causing the discussion to veer into whether it's "fair" for kids with diagnosed learning disabilities to receive extra time. (not the fakers in the scandal, but real learning disabilities).

I'm not trying to start an umpteenth thread on the same topic, but I'm curious if we're ignoring it, worried, angry, agree/disagree? Maybe we're just too busy parenting to worry about what other people think.

My DC qualifies for extra time, but we don't take it (in his case, it would be a substantial benefit in the language portions of standardized tests due to a language impairment).

[Anonymous]

No, we have tried to get supports at school at the elementary level and were denied basic things so I just gave up. I think language impairments get largely ignored, which i sour issue too.

Reality of it is these things have been happening and will continue to happen as that is the world we live in. People are out for themselves (not everyone but many) and will always put their needs before others and will do what ever it takes to get their needs met (right or wrong). Its not just at the school level but everywhere.

The only difference is someone got caught, but reality is very little will be done. Few kids kicked out of school, parents maybe fined, a few people fired and then it will be largely forgotten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, we have tried to get supports at school at the elementary level and were denied basic things so I just gave up. I think language impairments get largely ignored, which i sour issue too.

Reality of it is these things have been happening and will continue to happen as that is the world we live in. People are out for themselves (not everyone but many) and will always put their needs before others and will do what ever it takes to get their needs met (right or wrong). Its not just at the school level but everywhere.

The only difference is someone got caught, but reality is very little will be done. Few kids kicked out of school, parents maybe fined, a few people fired and then it will be largely forgotten.

I hear you-- I'm just not sure what people think we should do. For instance, if a kid has dyslexia and doesn't receive a testing accommodation they will likely flounder badly. An intelligent child will be locked out of meaningful academic opportunities. Maybe parents who have typical kids are okay with that--less competition or the child with a learning disability is less deserving of the opportunity because they require accommodations?
That's an ugly thing to say, but it's definitely how some of it comes across. I guess people are just out for themselves, and the college cheating and willingness to use people's real struggles to their advantage, is a glaring example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, we have tried to get supports at school at the elementary level and were denied basic things so I just gave up. I think language impairments get largely ignored, which i sour issue too.

Reality of it is these things have been happening and will continue to happen as that is the world we live in. People are out for themselves (not everyone but many) and will always put their needs before others and will do what ever it takes to get their needs met (right or wrong). Its not just at the school level but everywhere.

The only difference is someone got caught, but reality is very little will be done. Few kids kicked out of school, parents maybe fined, a few people fired and then it will be largely forgotten.

I hear you-- I'm just not sure what people think we should do. For instance, if a kid has dyslexia and doesn't receive a testing accommodation they will likely flounder badly. An intelligent child will be locked out of meaningful academic opportunities. Maybe parents who have typical kids are okay with that--less competition or the child with a learning disability is less deserving of the opportunity because they require accommodations?
That's an ugly thing to say, but it's definitely how some of it comes across. I guess people are just out for themselves, and the college cheating and willingness to use people's real struggles to their advantage, is a glaring example.

Not all kids with challenges have academic issues but for some of us its hard to say if our kids would do better with more support. We pulled our IEP as it was doing more harm than good and not really related to my child's needs. It was a sham. So, we were faced with getting private testing (not sure if insurance would pay as we don't have a good reason, if we did, they would pay no issue) and an advocate so cost/benefit wasn't worth it for us when grades and testing scores are good (or good enough). Its a bunch of bad choices. I think a lot of parents are just not aware or deflect saying the child is smart but just difficult, looking for attention and lots of other things or just trying to survive and its not a priority. I know parents in each group. Its really disappointing that the schools don't do more to identify and help as then you end up with teens acting out who are struggling in school and didn't get the help nor getting it to succeed. There are no right tor good answers but I've excepted that there is far more evil than good in the world and just trying to survive it and do right by my kids as best as we can.

[Anonymous]

If your child qualifies for it and needs it, why is he not using it? I feel like you're buying into the idea that your child's needs are something to be ashamed of and therefore hidden.

[Anonymous]

My kid absolutely needs extra time; it has been in her IEP since 2nd grade (long before we were thinking about college admissions). While I wish other people didn't abuse that, other people's abuse isn't going to make us stop making extra time available or make her stop needing or using extra time for classroom tests. She is still terrible at standardized tests and I hope she ends up applying to test optional schools.

Why doesn't your son take extra time, if he qualifies and would benefit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid absolutely needs extra time; it has been in her IEP since 2nd grade (long before we were thinking about college admissions). While I wish other people didn't abuse that, other people's abuse isn't going to make us stop making extra time available or make her stop needing or using extra time for classroom tests. She is still terrible at standardized tests and I hope she ends up applying to test optional schools.

Why doesn't your son take extra time, if he qualifies and would benefit?

OP here- I'll answer that question honestly. I think DC would benefit from the time, but it's possible that he won't. In addition to a language learning disability and ADHD, he's "out of the box." I've seen straightforward writing assignments go completely off the rails if he's given a lot of time. It's almost better to give him a five paragraph format and hammer the pressure so that he stays on task- otherwise he might write a half finished youth version of Game of Thrones. This is where I think parents know their kids best--we'll revisit the extra time, but I definitely know and understand why kids need it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The brazen behavior is around the athletic recruitment, but the outrage seems to be focused on "extra time" accommodations, causing the discussion to veer into whether it's "fair" for kids with diagnosed learning disabilities to receive extra time. (not the fakers in the scandal, but real learning disabilities).

I'm not trying to start an umpteenth thread on the same topic, but I'm curious if we're ignoring it, worried, angry, agree/disagree? Maybe we're just too busy parenting to worry about what other people think.

My DC qualifies for extra time, but we don't take it (in his case, it would be a substantial benefit in the language portions of standardized tests due to a language impairment).

The outrage seems to be focused on not just the extra time but the outright cheating - either correcting the wrong answers and/or having another person take the test... and paying big bucks to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The brazen behavior is around the athletic recruitment, but the outrage seems to be focused on "extra time" accommodations, causing the discussion to veer into whether it's "fair" for kids with diagnosed learning disabilities to receive extra time. (not the fakers in the scandal, but real learning disabilities).

I'm not trying to start an umpteenth thread on the same topic, but I'm curious if we're ignoring it, worried, angry, agree/disagree? Maybe we're just too busy parenting to worry about what other people think.

My DC qualifies for extra time, but we don't take it (in his case, it would be a substantial benefit in the language portions of standardized tests due to a language impairment).

The outrage seems to be focused on not just the extra time but the outright cheating - either correcting the wrong answers and/or having another person take the test... and paying big bucks to do it.

OP here--yes, of course it's the outright cheating, but a lot of the threads and articles that I've read switched focus to the extra time, period- even when there is no cheating. Here is an article that articulates it better than I do:

https://khn.org/news/students-with-disabilities-call-college-admissions-cheating-big-slap-in-the-face/

[Anonymous]

I'm annoyed by the whole thing but not especially because my DS has dyslexia. My kid's learning disability is so well documented and I'm not worried about any blow back on that score. I'm annoyed because those parents are major arseholes.

[Anonymous]

Nope.

Make sure the accommodations are of long-standing, documented, used every year. If that's the case, the College Board will not make difficulties.

Then make sure your child does not disclose his accommodations unwittingly to admissions offices, by being careful to not check whatever box there is on the SAT/AP papers.

After that you're good to go.

[Anonymous]

My wife has a documented learning disability. She got her degree in teaching, and then got a Masters degree from Hood. I proofread all her stuff. Just needed extra commas and some grammar.

Her mom stepped up big time when she was in grade school to get her on track, the 'system' was dropping the ball.

College admissions is a joke anyway, the whole thing is an absolute scam. They've created a shortage where there is none, for a product that can be provided at a fraction of the cost they actually charge. It may be non-profit, but none of these people are volunteers. They invent a money machine, and someone figures out how to run a gam eon it. Shock. After they get done with these scammers, they need to go after the universities next.