Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the DOJ will ignore the apparent money laundering aspect and defer to the NCAA, but maybe with the help of Mr. Zhao's legal team?

Can someone explain how this is money laundering?

Disguised bribery as a sale for value, at an inflated valuation. Classic trade-based money laundering. It had all the elements too: placement, layering, and integration.

So in this case, who’s laundering the money? Does the term “laundering” mean that you are taking money earned illegally and converting it to untraceable clean money or is that just the movie description? Because it doesn’t sound like the guy who bought the house did so with illegally earned money.

No, read the section at the end of the article. The dad donated $1 million to a fencing foundation. That foundation in turn donated $100K to a charity newly created by the Harvard fencing coach. The dad's older son was subsequently admitted to Harvard. The Harvard fencing coach's charity only lasted a couple of years after the donation, which could suggest that it was set up for the sole purpose of laundering money.

That’s money laundering? Isn’t that how foundations work?

A few comments:

No one is guaranteed Harvard admission just because they had high scores, excellent grades and went to a rigorous school. Mr. Zhao surely knows this (and was likely the motivation for his actions). The only guarantee is getting a "likely letter." The younger Zhao was in no way a lock, and previous posters who believe that he would have gotten in anyway have not been through the process to know that this is simply not true.

The boys supposedly did not know their dad had bought their coach's house. Doesn't that make it fishier? He clearly did not want them to know, or be part of his schemes.

Only 2 boys from STA 2017 were accepted to Harvard, while numerous students with equivalent grades and scores -- including several who contributed much more to the life of the school did not get in. While it seems STA had nothing to do with these actions, just like the other college scandal, it reeks of unfairness when one can just buy a coach's house (instead of a straight up bribe), contribute to the coach's charity and get your kid in above others. At least when development candidates get in, the $$ goes to the benefit of all who go there.

The BS that 40 people from the Admissions Committee make the decision is laughable. Every coach from every Ivy sport gets a certain number of pre determined slots. If the coach recruits you, and Admissions give the coach the green light after a pre-read from transcripts and test scores, the recruit gets in through ED.

Needham isn't exactly so far from Harvard that it is a hardship.

And yes, different from the Varsity Blues scandal, these boys actually were on the fencing team. The older one was even captain his last two years, perhaps due to the largesse of his dad buying the team plane tickets and other goodies. Neither are the stars of the team; just read the web site and see neither are mentioned in most of the recaps. And the younger son's profile and name on the roster has been removed.

There is some irony that this wealthy individual will get a tax loss on this "investment."

The deal was structured in a savvy way so as to not be illegal on the face of the transactions. But if anyone thinks this is acceptable behavior -- by the coach, by the father and by Harvard -- you need to reassess your value system.

Anonymous wrote:Harvard fencing coach's house sells for almost twice its assessed value. Town assessor notes: "makes no sense." It was bought by a wealthy Maryland businessman whose kid was subsequently accepted to Harvard and joined the fencing team.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

Why didn't Harvard FIRE the coach?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard fencing coach's house sells for almost twice its assessed value. Town assessor notes: "makes no sense." It was bought by a wealthy Maryland businessman whose kid was subsequently accepted to Harvard and joined the fencing team.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

I love so much about this story. The house is in my home town of Needham and the coach is a neighbor of my parents who is kind of an a$$. I also think the whole fencing/St. Albans connection makes me happy that DD chose GDS over NCS for high school.

Hahaha, now we know how that special GDS-->>Harvard connection works...

You mean STA.

GDS has spent years promoting some unique connection.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I doubt the DOJ will ignore the apparent money laundering aspect and defer to the NCAA, but maybe with the help of Mr. Zhao's legal team?

Can someone explain how this is money laundering?

Disguised bribery as a sale for value, at an inflated valuation. Classic trade-based money laundering. It had all the elements too: placement, layering, and integration.

So in this case, who’s laundering the money? Does the term “laundering” mean that you are taking money earned illegally and converting it to untraceable clean money or is that just the movie description? Because it doesn’t sound like the guy who bought the house did so with illegally earned money.

No, read the section at the end of the article. The dad donated $1 million to a fencing foundation. That foundation in turn donated $100K to a charity newly created by the Harvard fencing coach. The dad's older son was subsequently admitted to Harvard. The Harvard fencing coach's charity only lasted a couple of years after the donation, which could suggest that it was set up for the sole purpose of laundering money.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the hypocrite? You or the people who believe the ends justify the means?

What you are describing are average middle class methods. The parents you are describing above are gunners. Gunners know no bounds. Why do you think these families have intergenerational wealth... because they come from a line of gunners. Most people that obtain and hold onto a ton of cash are gunners. Robber barons, Opioid manufacturers, internet apps.. does not matter what time in history.

Gunners or criminals?

I'll take my ethics and send my kids to a "lesser" school, thank you very much.

Wasn't it George Bernard Shaw who ridiculed "middle-class morality?" The rich didn't need it, e.g. Prof. Henry Higgins, and the poor couldn't afford it, e.g., Alfred Doolittle.

That's me. Although our HHI is about $1 million per year. Alas, we are "new money" by DCUM standards, which I am also fine with.

My HHI is several times that, and my DH and I still take our ethics over any of this bull - no private tutors, no extra time, no payments to anyone, no fancy internships. We know people who run in these circles, and we are still shocked. But we were both raised solidly middle class, so we are new money, too.

Do you want an award? It must suck to be your kid with you looking down on everyone and probably your own nonmiddle class kids too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard fencing coach's house sells for almost twice its assessed value. Town assessor notes: "makes no sense." It was bought by a wealthy Maryland businessman whose kid was subsequently accepted to Harvard and joined the fencing team.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

I love so much about this story. The house is in my home town of Needham and the coach is a neighbor of my parents who is kind of an a$$. I also think the whole fencing/St. Albans connection makes me happy that DD chose GDS over NCS for high school.

i know a number of excellent fencers enrolled at GDS. so you lose, there, too.

Isn't GDS inflating ( to politely say fudging) grades forever? How long before that breaks out?

Link to proof? Or are you just spitballing here?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harvard fencing coach's house sells for almost twice its assessed value. Town assessor notes: "makes no sense." It was bought by a wealthy Maryland businessman whose kid was subsequently accepted to Harvard and joined the fencing team.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/04/04/bought-fencing-coach-house-then-his-son-got-into-harvard/EIWVMIxUFQ1XweY1xfB1GK/story.html

I love so much about this story. The house is in my home town of Needham and the coach is a neighbor of my parents who is kind of an a$$. I also think the whole fencing/St. Albans connection makes me happy that DD chose GDS over NCS for high school.

Hahaha, now we know how that special GDS-->>Harvard connection works...

You mean STA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who is the hypocrite? You or the people who believe the ends justify the means?

What you are describing are average middle class methods. The parents you are describing above are gunners. Gunners know no bounds. Why do you think these families have intergenerational wealth... because they come from a line of gunners. Most people that obtain and hold onto a ton of cash are gunners. Robber barons, Opioid manufacturers, internet apps.. does not matter what time in history.

Gunners or criminals?

I'll take my ethics and send my kids to a "lesser" school, thank you very much.

Wasn't it George Bernard Shaw who ridiculed "middle-class morality?" The rich didn't need it, e.g. Prof. Henry Higgins, and the poor couldn't afford it, e.g., Alfred Doolittle.

That's me. Although our HHI is about $1 million per year. Alas, we are "new money" by DCUM standards, which I am also fine with.

My HHI is several times that, and my DH and I still take our ethics over any of this bull - no private tutors, no extra time, no payments to anyone, no fancy internships. We know people who run in these circles, and we are still shocked. But we were both raised solidly middle class, so we are new money, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You pay to play. It's so wrong that Jared Kushner's entry is legitimate because his dad paid Harvard directly while Zhao will be investigated because he paid the fencing coach (by buying his house above market value). Both were buying entry into Harvard. It shows how corrupt the American system is once you scratch below the surface.

Are you really stupid enough to equate these two scenarios?

Why do you have to make your point by being so insulting? It reflects poorly on you and drags down the whole forum. I bet people avoid you IRL.

You just insulted someone.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You pay to play. It's so wrong that Jared Kushner's entry is legitimate because his dad paid Harvard directly while Zhao will be investigated because he paid the fencing coach (by buying his house above market value). Both were buying entry into Harvard. It shows how corrupt the American system is once you scratch below the surface.

Are you really stupid enough to equate these two scenarios?

Why do you have to make your point by being so insulting? It reflects poorly on you and drags down the whole forum. I bet people avoid you IRL.

There’s no doubt this con artist dad fabricated everything about his grubby kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These schools need to be sanctioned by the NCAA asap.

The NCAA can - and does - sanction schools for failure to provide oversight to coaches and athletic directors (see every college basketball and football scandal of the last 20 years).

If the NCAA strips these schools of their ability to compete, the fake or real athlete side store is shut, at least for a while.

Unless or until UNC football and basketball get the death penalty for the academic fraud, the NCAA will be held as one of the biggest grifting jokes in the country.

Harvard may not the the only school that the Zhaos bribed their way into.

STA?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These schools need to be sanctioned by the NCAA asap.

The NCAA can - and does - sanction schools for failure to provide oversight to coaches and athletic directors (see every college basketball and football scandal of the last 20 years).

If the NCAA strips these schools of their ability to compete, the fake or real athlete side store is shut, at least for a while.

Unless or until UNC football and basketball get the death penalty for the academic fraud, the NCAA will be held as one of the biggest grifting jokes in the country.

Harvard may not the the only school that the Zhaos bribed their way into.

Anonymous wrote:What a waste and a shame as it sounds like he would have gotten in anyway. He had almost perfect SAT scores, all A’s except one B at STA, which is very difficult, plus his mother and brother went there so he had legacy and sibling affiliations. Not condoning it. Also STA has nothing to do with this except that he attended the school.

When the shit bucket drops, it splashes everywhere.