Feds uncover large-scale college entrance exam cheating plot

[Anonymous]

So donating a library or a building was too much for them? They wanted it on the cheap?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Frank Bruni's op ed.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/opinion/college-bribery-admissions.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

It may be legal to pledge $2.5 million to Harvard just as your son is applying — which is what Jared Kushner’s father did for him — and illegal to bribe a coach to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars, but how much of a difference is there, really? Both elevate money over accomplishment. Both are ways of cutting in line.

It may be legal to give $50,000 to a private consultant who massages your child’s transcript and perfumes your child’s essays, and illegal to pay someone for a patently fictive test score, but aren’t both exercises in deception reserved for those who can afford them?

It's not legal to "massage" a transcript (what does this even mean)? Or "perfume" an essay.

I found it interesting that Singer posed this scam as a "side door" for parents, saying that there was the "front door" (earning admission) and the "back door" (donating to the institution & using connections), but that the back door cost 10x more and was not guaranteed.

Yes, it is legal to "massage" a transcript. A college counselor can make your volunteering sound really good vs. I did 100 hours at a soup kitchen. Most people have somebody "edit" their kids essay, even if it is a family memeber.

They can't change your grades -- that's what "massage" would mean to me when it comes to a transcript. Proofing is not "perfuming," that wiould be doing some rewriting for the kid which would not be legal.

So now you know...people massage transcripts... mostly ECs and rewrite essays... all the time. OUr school do essays in English class and the teacher helps with rewrites.

Teacher advice is fine. The teachers aren't rewriting parts for the kids. That would not be fine. I think it's pretty clear that perfuming is not taking feedback, it's having someone else write. That's not happening in schools (or if it is is not legal).

Okay, if that will help you sleep at night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So donating a library or a building was too much for them? They wanted it on the cheap?!

You would be okay if they cheated by buying a library?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TMZ is reporting that USC will evaluate on a case-by-case basis but will expel any students who were aware of the fraud. Didn't the Loughlin girl pose on a rowing machine so her dad could send "action pics" for her doctored admissions file? Hope she's kicked out STAT.

Amazing how morally bankrupt these parents and kids are.

Why do the kids need to know about the fraud? They should be kicked out because they were admitted on fradulent credentials. It doesn't matter if they knew or not. That's life.

+1 and the kids who got in based on sports know for a fact that they never rowed.

+2 they don’t deserve to be there and they should be removed

+3 I know people are being really mean about the kids on the internet. I think it’s trollish behavior meant to cause division. But these people broke the law. Done. The kids shouldn’t benefit from it. If you gain admission under false pretenses you get kicked out.

Every kid that breaks the law should be expelled?

First, I don’t think that’s what pp is saying.

Every kid who gained access through false pretenses should be expelled. Whether they knew or not. They broke the rules of the system.

Every child that was a pawn should be expelled. That's like arresting a prostitute who was trafficked. Let keep the eye on the ball girls.

I know you're all pissy that some kid who did not "earn it" is in a college... gasp. But your lack of morals are showing.

Colleges don't want kids who are going to fail. Unless they are bribing their way through all four years its doubtful these kids will pass the classes. If you have to pay 6 or 7 figures to get in some of these schools that are not even ivy, the kids are probably dumb as a box of rocks.

And some of the kids were absolutely aware. Give me a break

Breaking news: Rich kids with low scores do just fine in college.

Of cour$$$$$e they do! If they'll pay to get in why stop there? Grease the palms of professor's and administration along the way and you're golden!

I know you would love to believe that you need a 1400+ SAT to handle the course work but it's simply not true. You have a huge chip on your shoulder.

Yep, you can get through USC with very little work...USC has some damn easy classes, after all, they need classes for the football players. OJ Simpson went there. USC was the university in Boys in the Hood that the football player was going to go to if he got his 800 on the SAT.

These kids are taking those classes, they aren't taking premed classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't get myself to care that much about any of this. Are there criminals in the world? Yeah. Are there dumbasses? Yeah. Is there affirmative action for rich people? Yes, way more than for any other demographic category. Is any of this new? No.

Felicity Huffman is facing federal charges for faking a 1420 on the SAT's? A 1420.

I’m be embarrassed to claim the kid who needed to cheat just to get that score as my own.

I don't even know how to feel about the scores themselves. I hovered around the mid 1450s taking it pretty much cold and it was fine. Not HYP but Georgetown/Tufts/Davidson/ W&M. Not bad at all. But to cheat for that? With ALL of their resources?

At the same time, her baseline was 1020. If you're dealing with 1020 I bet 1420 sounds pretty miraculous for 15k and I am 100% sure it puts you in a totally different league of schools. Probably not Yale, but a far cry from 1020 league.

back in the 90s maybe. No longer.

W&M's 25/75 are 1300 and 1480. Tufts is 1410 and 1560. Davidson is 1320/1500. Assuming you have strong grades and ECs, a 1450 is still competitive for all those today.

Not if you are asian or white.

The rule of thumb as told by a duke admissions officer is unhooked Asians and whites need to view the 75th percentile score as a minimum threshold

[Anonymous]

The Christian Broadcasting Network had a delightful interview with Lori in 2014: Actress Lori Loughlin: Balancing Family, Faith, and Career

Money quote ...

Lori: And then when I had children … I always thought, I don’t want to do anything that one day might rear its ugly head and my children have to pay the price for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So donating a library or a building was too much for them? They wanted it on the cheap?!

It was too much for them. That kind of thing is for billionaires--it may only cost a million or two upfront to buy a building as the "sticker price", but they're looking for people who have *additional* billions that they might give to school when their kid graduates--"development cases..." so you need the upfront millions, but often ALSO the millions sitting around in the bank and a record of charitable giving. Hollywood types can't hang with the Silicon Valley rich or captains of industry and real estate (Kushner Companies) when it comes to these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the super neurotic areas of LA and DC, this story is clearly causing a lot of parents to squirm about related things like test prep and all.

No one should squirm for test prep. But, if they are doctoring things, I hope they squirm!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So donating a library or a building was too much for them? They wanted it on the cheap?!

You would be okay if they cheated by buying a library?

Not PP but even if it isn't fraud, buying a library is functionally the same.
It's almost like the feds are getting them on a technicality. Had they just done a straight donation, they'd have been in the clear. I disagree with this too.

[Anonymous]

Wasn’t there a story a few years ago about how UVA gave preferential treatment to applicants whose parents have at least $500,000? These parents should have just had their kids apply there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Christian Broadcasting Network had a delightful interview with Lori in 2014: Actress Lori Loughlin: Balancing Family, Faith, and Career

Money quote ...

Lori: And then when I had children … I always thought, I don’t want to do anything that one day might rear its ugly head and my children have to pay the price for that.

Priceless. My dad was so disappointed because he & my mom watch her stuff on Hallmark channel. He was like, "her character is so nice." I'm like, "Dad, you know the actor is a whole different person, right?" Oh, my poor parents! Of course, I am with them. I'm the PP, mourning the errors of Dr. Morgenstern and Jerry Lundegard (didn't he know how that movie ends for Jerry)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't get myself to care that much about any of this. Are there criminals in the world? Yeah. Are there dumbasses? Yeah. Is there affirmative action for rich people? Yes, way more than for any other demographic category. Is any of this new? No.

Felicity Huffman is facing federal charges for faking a 1420 on the SAT's? A 1420.

I’m be embarrassed to claim the kid who needed to cheat just to get that score as my own.

I don't even know how to feel about the scores themselves. I hovered around the mid 1450s taking it pretty much cold and it was fine. Not HYP but Georgetown/Tufts/Davidson/ W&M. Not bad at all. But to cheat for that? With ALL of their resources?

At the same time, her baseline was 1020. If you're dealing with 1020 I bet 1420 sounds pretty miraculous for 15k and I am 100% sure it puts you in a totally different league of schools. Probably not Yale, but a far cry from 1020 league.

back in the 90s maybe. No longer.

W&M's 25/75 are 1300 and 1480. Tufts is 1410 and 1560. Davidson is 1320/1500. Assuming you have strong grades and ECs, a 1450 is still competitive for all those today.

Not if you are asian or white.

The rule of thumb as told by a duke admissions officer is unhooked Asians and whites need to view the 75th percentile score as a minimum threshold

As if Duke is normal? Please. They go along with the one and done scheme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TMZ is reporting that USC will evaluate on a case-by-case basis but will expel any students who were aware of the fraud. Didn't the Loughlin girl pose on a rowing machine so her dad could send "action pics" for her doctored admissions file? Hope she's kicked out STAT.

Amazing how morally bankrupt these parents and kids are.

Why do the kids need to know about the fraud? They should be kicked out because they were admitted on fradulent credentials. It doesn't matter if they knew or not. That's life.

+1 and the kids who got in based on sports know for a fact that they never rowed.

+2 they don’t deserve to be there and they should be removed

+3 I know people are being really mean about the kids on the internet. I think it’s trollish behavior meant to cause division. But these people broke the law. Done. The kids shouldn’t benefit from it. If you gain admission under false pretenses you get kicked out.

Every kid that breaks the law should be expelled?

First, I don’t think that’s what pp is saying.

Every kid who gained access through false pretenses should be expelled. Whether they knew or not. They broke the rules of the system.

Every child that was a pawn should be expelled. That's like arresting a prostitute who was trafficked. Let keep the eye on the ball girls.

I know you're all pissy that some kid who did not "earn it" is in a college... gasp. But your lack of morals are showing.

Colleges don't want kids who are going to fail. Unless they are bribing their way through all four years its doubtful these kids will pass the classes. If you have to pay 6 or 7 figures to get in some of these schools that are not even ivy, the kids are probably dumb as a box of rocks.

And some of the kids were absolutely aware. Give me a break

Breaking news: Rich kids with low scores do just fine in college.

Of cour$$$$$e they do! If they'll pay to get in why stop there? Grease the palms of professor's and administration along the way and you're golden!

I know you would love to believe that you need a 1400+ SAT to handle the course work but it's simply not true. You have a huge chip on your shoulder.

Yep, you can get through USC with very little work...USC has some damn easy classes, after all, they need classes for the football players. OJ Simpson went there. USC was the university in Boys in the Hood that the football player was going to go to if he got his 800 on the SAT.

These kids are taking those classes, they aren't taking premed classes.

I'm am the poster who said the rich bribe their way through.

This is exactly my point. You have to be dumber than a box of rocks to have to bribe your way into USC. Aunt Becky's oldest kid was just under or at the low end of the acceptance cutoff. Sorry I know PP wants to believe she would "do just fine" but that is doubtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So donating a library or a building was too much for them? They wanted it on the cheap?!

You would be okay if they cheated by buying a library?

That is how rich normally get in. Where do you live if you don't know that? Libraries cost millions of dollars, they wanted a tax deduction too. Cheap parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wasn’t there a story a few years ago about how UVA gave preferential treatment to applicants whose parents have at least $500,000? These parents should have just had their kids apply there.

Link?