I think it's much more common than people want to admit, particularly those who went to the top schools or have kids there.

more than 55percent in Harvard don't deserve to be there.

I knew PLENTY of people who played a sport in the first year of college, but dropped off due to the time commitment. Don’t act like you wouldn’t use that special talent angle if you could!

Yep, same deals going down at my Midwestern state flagship. Several eminently unqualified students with political or moneyed connections in a city known for its deeply entrenched political dynasties. Years later finally made the news and my “[school name] can do no wrong” parents finally believed me. LOL

Some of this was adumbrated in the Podesta emails. According to a reporter from the Guardian who sifted through masses of the emails:

"The dramatis personae of the liberal class are all present in this amazing body of work: financial innovators. High-achieving colleagues attempting to get jobs for their high-achieving children. Foundation executives doing fine and noble things. Prizes, of course, and high academic achievement."

I am confident that if Wikileaks had found a Republican power broker's cache of emails it would have shown the same thing.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/31/the-podesta-emails-show-who-runs-america-and-how-they-do-it

I knew a handful of unimpressive gals in high school that got into our state flagship because their parents were lawyers and social with men that had “juice” at the university. They weren’t rich, just connected.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a big story because it is sensational, because it feeds into the middle class's insecure belief that attending an elite college is the only way to move to a higher caste.

Nothing in this big story implicated admission officers.

Not directly, but they (admissions officers) took the coaches recommendation at face value, whether or not the student had ever played the sport. I do think some changes will be made going forward.

+1.

And there was zero accountability.

What happened when those students didn't even show up to the athletic orientation, or their teams?

Anonymous wrote:Are there really that many "Jared Kushners" (at the extreme end) or is this scandal being blown way out of proportion? Trying to remember, the only few genuine idiots I ever encountered in college were legitimate athletes, and even then we're talking a handful of teens out of my class of about 2,000.

Very small percentage.

The bigger numbers of questionable students get in through sports programs and "affirmative" action.

Anonymous wrote:Are there really that many "Jared Kushners" (at the extreme end) or is this scandal being blown way out of proportion? Trying to remember, the only few genuine idiots I ever encountered in college were legitimate athletes, and even then we're talking a handful of teens out of my class of about 2,000.

More than UMC and MC people would ever be comfortable admitting. Fraud , I think, is less common. Board seats, large donations, professorships (look how many are funded in a family name and every building, museum, section of the library chairs in a dining hall has somebody's name on it, oh I left off class rooms, stadiums, pools, you get the picture. And for the guy who said 50k was a lot. A lot compared to what: any inauguration Dem or Rep, 1 year's tuition for day school (not boarding), a trip...It is all relative.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a big story because it is sensational, because it feeds into the middle class's insecure belief that attending an elite college is the only way to move to a higher caste.

Nothing in this big story implicated admission officers.

Not directly, but they (admissions officers) took the coaches recommendation at face value, whether or not the student had ever played the sport. I do think some changes will be made going forward.

So on top of being admission officers fielding questions about every department and activity, they are supposed to be experts in every sport and know as much as a coach about who’s who in high school athletics?

Next you’re going to say they shouldn’t let faculty weigh in on art supplements or auditions.

It was a vulnerability that was exploited, aimed at two of the the weakest links in the system. I have no opinion on what admissions officers are supposed to know. I'm sure colleges will try to fix these problem areas in the future.

The 761 number came out of a wiretapped call. Singer was clearly exaggerating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a big story because it is sensational, because it feeds into the middle class's insecure belief that attending an elite college is the only way to move to a higher caste.

Nothing in this big story implicated admission officers.

Not directly, but they (admissions officers) took the coaches recommendation at face value, whether or not the student had ever played the sport. I do think some changes will be made going forward.

So on top of being admission officers fielding questions about every department and activity, they are supposed to be experts in every sport and know as much as a coach about who’s who in high school athletics?

Next you’re going to say they shouldn’t let faculty weigh in on art supplements or auditions.

Anonymous[b wrote:]I would have said it's a small percentage, but the ringleader of this fraudulent enterprise had 761 clients[/b]. That's quite a big number you ask me.

But it's not known that all the families were engaged in fraud. He ran a college consulting business. I imagine that most of his clients received the typical college consulting services. I doubt he brought up the idea of bribing official with all of his clients.

Anonymous wrote:It's a big story because it is sensational, because it feeds into the middle class's insecure belief that attending an elite college is the only way to move to a higher caste.

Nothing in this big story implicated admission officers.

Not directly, but they (admissions officers) took the coaches recommendation at face value, whether or not the student had ever played the sport. I do think some changes will be made going forward.

How many people here would feel comfortable donating 25-50,000 to the college of your choice in hopes that your kid would be admitted to the college of your choice? That's a pretty big gamble, how does anyone truly know if any particular college is receptive to that sort of bribe? I don't think that's a risk most parents (even wealthy ones) would be willing to take.