Scam of the Century Week in Higher Education
Your weekly report on campus news.
The admissions cheating scandal is horrible, but given what we know about higher education in America, it should come as no surprise.
- Wealthy Parents, Celebrities Charged by FBI in Massive College Admissions Cheating Scandal
- Governor Greg Abbott Tells Texas Universities to Re-Evaluate Admissions Process
Does this woman posses an ounce of self awareness?
The very culture of academia has become scandalous.
- Graduate English Program at CUNY Seeks to Combat the Problem of Whiteness
- Students at Concord University Forced to Fund Anti-Gun Protest at State Capitol
- Engineering Profs at Harvard Now Required to Submit Diversity Reports
Students are being radicalized and there is no political balance.
- Sarah Lawrence College “students of color” protesters issue 9-pages of demands, target conservative professor
- Bias Report Filed Against U. Oregon Prof for Defending Brett Kavanaugh
- Yale Students Ticketed for Occupying Investment Office Demanding Fossil Fuel Divestment
The call is coming from inside the house.
An emerging trend.
- Gonzaga University Crowdfunds Scholarships for Illegal Immigrants
- New Jersey Reportedly Gave $1.6 Million to Illegal Immigrants for College in Fall of 2018
A reckoning is coming.
- Hampshire College Now Warning Students About Readmission and Graduation Limits
- Argosy University at Brink of Shutting Down
Of course it does.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
The scam of the century is the FBI creating more theatrics to divert attention from Barr’s inaction on prosecuting corruption in the FBI/DOJ
These are historical times – Barr has a lot to live up to, unless he’s the boehner of the Justice Department.
Focus on the tax issues here.
The real scandal is what this case shows about the priorities in college admissions. Those of us who have been involved with higher ed have known for many years that the deck is stacked. Here are the priorities I’ve seen in action:
1. Children of high-profile politicians and large donors
2. Racial minorities
3. Athletes
4. Legacies (children of alumni who give money)
5. Top high-school grades and SAT scores
6. Regional representation
In extreme cases like a President’s kid or a minority athlete from Montana, acceptance is pretty much guaranteed if the SATs and high-school grades show the kid can probably get through. On the other hand, a studious Jewish or Asian kid from Brooklyn will have a much harder time getting in with the same grades and test scores.
Around 1970, the Dean of Freshmen told me that “We could accept an incoming class made up entirely of Jewish kids from New York City, and have better average grades and test scores than the class we actually admit.”
The major difference with this new scandal is bribing coaches to get the athletes’ preference. I’m surprised more students don’t simply claim to have some minority ancestry to get that preference.
I’m starting to feel sorry for Laughlin. Sorta.
There are a lot more people worthy of the kind of distain she is getting: like hillary clinton and Fauxcahontas.
Laughlin’s road to redemtion is is just one giant mea cupla, without excuses or fake emotion: that is: “I did it, I will do the time and I will spend the rest of my life redeeming myself.”
A point to consider: if Olivia Jade had enrolled at USC as a “social media” major, had gone to class occasionally, and did some work, no one would blink an eye as to whether or not she belonged. Of course she did — she has a YouTube channel with (I am told) 1.5 million followers. She monetized that channel with her “influence” accounts with Sephora, Amazon and other companies to make a tidy bundle already at the age of 19. Sephora and Amazon clearly thought this young woman would make money for them, as did others.
Social media? Seems like she aced that major.
So I’m a bit mystified as to how Mumzy and Dadzy couldn’t get their precious bundle into USC without paying a bribe. She’s clearly not stupid, whatever her SAT and high school grades are. You have to have something on the ball to have done what she’s done.
By the way, ditto times 0.95 for the sister, Isabelle, who is almost as good at social media as Ms. OJ. The Giannulli sisters know a thing or two about communications and media. YouTube? Yep, got that nailed. Social media? Advanced placement for sure. Public relations? Until recently, A+ grades there. I suspect they have trouble adding single digit numbers together with a calculator. But media? They’re over-qualified for USC.
So again: what was wrong with the parents that they couldn’t work the system in the usual way? Seems to me like their darling daughters would have gotten into a good party school without paying bribes.