Ivy League Cheats

April 2019

Getting into an Ivy League school is easy. All you need is: persuasion, connections and a little cash. It may not be the case for you but for the party involved in the recent college admissions scandal, it was just that easy.

At the center of this grand scheme is William Rick Singer, a college advisor from NewPort Beach California. In exchange for donations to his non-profit organization— “The Key”, Singer organized ways to falsely excel student admissions into Ivy League schools. He colluded with admission counselors and bribed test prep moderators to change scores. He even went as far as fabricating athletic history for students who have never participated in sports.

Actresses, Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman has been indicted with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering. If found guilty, said charges hold a maximum sentencing of five years in prison. These two stars among 33 others have been arrested; those of which include college coaches, exam administrators, major CEO’s, a fashion designer, and co-chairman of a law firm. The list of defendants has been fittingly described as “a catalogue of wealth and privilege”.

The results of Singer’s operation could stem as far back as 2013, the year he founded “The Key”. This leads to the possibility of hundreds of students unfairly enrolled in colleges across the country. USC has been fairly vocal with their effort to remedy the situation stating, “We will be implementing significant process and training enhancements to prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”  Yale has made a statement that students connected to the scandal have had their acceptances revoked. Yet there is no discussion of redress for the students who applied and would have, other wise, rightfully been accepted.

Most children of the parents who have been arrested have been keeping fairly low profiles. Loughlin’s daughter is still officially enrolled but has been absent in in lieu of the scandal. Both Lori and Felicity plead not guilty on April 4, and have said to be terrified at the thought of their children having to testify. There is no telling if the judicial system will hold up against the privilege and stardom that will appear in its courtroom.