College administration bribery scandal

[MacMadame]

I could be wrong, but I think you have to register. That's how WaPo works with these "gift" links.

Internal records show USC fundraisers anticipated significant donations from families of those admitted and, in some cases, became enraged when money failed to materialize.

Bwahahaha. Serves them right.

I'm starting to gain some limited sympathy for the families dragged into Singer's mess.

I'm not. They did things like have other people take their SATs and create fact CVs of sports they didn't do.

The fact that they could have just spent that money making donations to the schools they wanted their kids to attend, just highlights how dumb they were. It doesn't excuse their behavior.

 

[barbk]

I could be wrong, but I think you have to register. That's how WaPo works with these "gift" links.


Bwahahaha. Serves them right.


I'm not. They did things like have other people take their SATs and create fact CVs of sports they didn't do.

The fact that they could have just spent that money making donations to the schools they wanted their kids to attend, just highlights how dumb they were. It doesn't excuse their behavior.

Yeah, the SAT fraud is a huge problem, but given that USC was, on its own, admitting fake athletes at the very same time makes me more sympathetic to those involved without SAT fraud.

 

[Vagabond]

Yeah, the SAT fraud is a huge problem, but given that USC was, on its own, admitting fake athletes at the very same time makes me more sympathetic to those involved without SAT fraud.

But the parents of the fake athletes appear to have been engaging in fraud too.

• Internal records show USC fundraisers anticipated significant donations from families of those admitted and, in some cases, became enraged when money failed to materialize.

The Mater Dei HS (a very prominent Catholic athletic powerhouse that sends many students to USC's sports teams) was in the other story:

• Mater Dei routinely sends athletes to fill the ranks of USC sports teams, but it also delivered at least half a dozen affluent students who were admitted through the athletic department but never appeared on team rosters.
• Former Mater Dei President Patrick Murphy was deeply involved in pushing for students and others connected to the Catholic school to be admitted to the university as walk-on athletes.
• In one case, records show Murphy promised USC that a family would donate $2 million if their son were admitted. Murphy denies making such a pledge.

Even if U.S.C. understood that the applicants wouldn't actually be walk-on athletes, at least some of the parents led the university to believe that they would be making substantial donations in exchange for their children's admission.

Regardless, U.S.C. and the parents conspired to give undeserving applicants places that would otherwise have gone to more deserving applicants who likely came from less wealthy families. It isn't just those unsuccessful applicants who suffer when weatlh and connections are given preference over hard work, talent, and intelligence; it is society as a whole. Those involved in this scheme deserve opprobrium, not sympathy.

 

[MacMadame]

But the parents of the fake athletes appear to have been engaging in fraud too.

And fraud is against the law. But if the university doesn't choose to press charges, I don't think there is anything the law can do.

 

[Vagabond]

And fraud is against the law. But if the university doesn't choose to press charges, I don't think there is anything the law can do.

Law enforcement does not need a victim to "press charges" before it can investigate this.

 

[MacMadame]

Law enforcement does not need a victim to "press charges" before it can investigate this.

Without cooperation from the victim, it will be a very hard case to prove. I doubt any DA will do anything about it.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Presumably all of the concise between potential donors and universities was off the books, ie, without a contract. The university acted without even a pledge in hand or a down payment on an oral agreement.

Not a lawyer, but are all lies fraud from a legal standpoint?

 

[MacMadame]

Presumably all of the concise between potential donors and universities was off the books, ie, without a contract. The university acted without even a pledge in hand or a down payment on an oral agreement.

Not a lawyer, but are all lies fraud from a legal standpoint?

I don't know but I'm taking back that's fraud. Or even lying. Universities admit who they feel like and don't use objective criteria.

 

[Prancer]

Leaked university emails show ivy leagues accepted wealthy students who 'we would really not have otherwise admitted', lawsuit says

The final line of an email read: “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids!”

fortune.com

Children of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools.

The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors.

“That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Children of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools.

The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors.

“That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

I believe it was actually in a different thread that I was told by multiple posters that the top schools are need-blind and so it doesn't matter if a student is classed as "self-pay," but this thread was more recent and really more relevant. In any case, I've heard for years that, PR aside, a lot of the top colleges do indeed consider it an admissions advantage for students to be able to pay their own way, needs-blind admissions or not.

See also:

Penn among elite universities accused of forming ‘cartel’ to avoid paying aid. Ex-dean testified that applicants connected to big donors were ‘untouchable.’

Ten of the 17 elite-universities that were originally sued settled for a combined $284 million in July. Penn said the lawsuit has "no merit."

www.inquirer.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2024/12/17/georgetown-elite-colleges-financial-aid-price-fixing-lawsuit/

 

[Vagabond]

For those who can't get behind the paywall, here is a link to an article that should be accessible to all: https://www.yahoo.com/news/elite-us-universities-favor-wealthy-210705259.html

 

[Debbie S]

None of this is really new. When I was applying to colleges in 1989-90, there was a large anti-trust lawsuit filed against many colleges, both top-ranked and not-so-top-ranked, for allegedly price-fixing tuition and financial aid offers. There was some sort of settlement...that may be the collaboration provision the Fortune article referred to.

But in the years since, there have been multiple articles I've seen (i remember in particular a long piece in the NYT) about colleges giving preference to children of wealthy would-be donors and children of alumni. Of course, many colleges, even those in Division III, also give preference to varsity athletes....

Re the comment in the Fortune article about the waiting list....most colleges aren't need-blind with their waiting list, b/c usually when all is said and done with the regular rounds of admission, the available money is used up. I remember one year in college, there was a big brouhaha when it was revealed that the second round of the waiting list (6 students admitted) for the freshman class had not been need-blind. Admissions director spoke to student Senate and explained that most schools aren't need-blind with their waiting list, our school was in the first round, they had no more money to be need-blind in the second round.

 

[barbk]

For those who can't get behind the paywall, here is a link to an article that should be accessible to all: https://www.yahoo.com/news/elite-us-universities-favor-wealthy-210705259.html

If you asked anyone who works with college admissions, you'd hear that elite private colleges give special attention to kids from rich families, kids with famous/influential parents, and kids who attend ritzy private schools, even when those students have mediocre records. Athlete privilege is well known, but at least athletes are genuinely talented in their sport. If your parent is a senator, a Nobel prize winner, or a tech exec...miracles do happen, and no backdoor/sidedoor payments are required.

This article from 2019 goes into some of the stats on elite private school admissions - https://slate.com/news-and-politics...s-competitive-college-advantage-problems.html