Rich Folks Get Their Not Qualified Kids Into College, But This Time, Illegally

 

A story broke this morning about a scheme involving some rich folks, including two actresses (Felicity Hoffman and Lori Loughlin) have used to get their kids who wouldn’t have otherwise been admitted into college.

My friend Salena Zito remarked,

And Daniella Greenbaum Davis rightfully pointed out,

With parents like these, I think I’m even better off having gone to Rutgers on my own merits, on my own dime.

Published in Education
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  1. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Misthiocracy secretly (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    For $1.2 million, I’d tutor a kid for four years.

    A degree from the University of Stad beats Haaaaavard any day . . .

    You joke, but if you do the math of how much the average college professor makes per hour multiplied by the number of hours of instruction that are required to get a bachelor’s degree, it would be both cheaper and faster to hire PhD-level tutors than to attend a four-year college.

     

    This is absolutely dead-on accurate. Something has to give. It makes me crazy.

    • #31
  2. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    It was said that one of the payments was for $6 million.

    For this amount of money, one could buy or start a significant business for the kid.

    Gives some idea of just how extreme the valuation of educational *credentials* (not actual education) has become in America today.

    • #32
  3. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    What is it worth to a) supposedly develop human capital and b) make connections that you are going to profit off of?

    What a scam. 

    • #33
  4. LC Member
    LC
    @LidensCheng

    If both your parents are actors like Felicity Huffman and William H Macy, do you really need to go to a “good” school?

    Turns out Felicity Huffman really is a desperate housewife.

    • #34
  5. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    LC (View Comment):

    If both your parents are actors like Felicity Huffman and William H Macy, do you really need to go to a “good” school?

    Turns out Felicity Huffman really is a desperate housewife.

    I saw this coming. I never liked her character.  Bree and Susan would never do this.

    • #35
  6. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    Not to worry. The rigorous academic standards at these prestigious institutions quickly would have exposed any fraudulent admission practices.

    • #36
  7. The Great Adventure! Inactive
    The Great Adventure!
    @TheGreatAdventure

    Basil Fawlty (View Comment):

    Not to worry. The rigorous academic standards at these prestigious institutions quickly would have exposed any fraudulent admission practices.

    • #37
  8. aardo vozz Member
    aardo vozz
    @aardovozz

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

     At that point my son was interested in physics as well as theology (how’s that for a combo?)…

    Funny you should say that. One of my high school friends began his higher education career determined to be a physicist and instead finished as an ordained rabbi. 

    • #38
  9. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.” 

    • #39
  10. The Great Adventure! Inactive
    The Great Adventure!
    @TheGreatAdventure

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.”

    Man, you know how to ingratiate yourself with the Trojan fan base, don’t you! 

    • #40
  11. Jeff Hawkins Inactive
    Jeff Hawkins
    @JeffHawkins

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.”

    USC is private.

    but they’re also “influencers” (attractive people paid to hawk stuff on social media)….you’d think they could do their own bribery.

    but they might be dumber than a bag of wet mice.

    • #41
  12. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.”

    Man, you know how to ingratiate yourself with the Trojan fan base, don’t you!

    While I can’t bring myself to contest the description of the kids in question, USC is a private school.  Would OJ go to a public school?

    • #42
  13. Jimmy Carter Member
    Jimmy Carter
    @JimmyCarter

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.”

    Man, you know how to ingratiate yourself with the Trojan fan base, don’t you!

    While I can’t bring myself to contest the description of the kids in question, USC is a private school. Would OJ go to a public school?

    He might take a stab at it. 

    • #43
  14. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Jimmy Carter (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    EJHill (View Comment):

    Lori Loughlin’s kid’s must be dumber than a bag of wet mice that you have to bribe someone to get them in a state school. Coming up next season on the Hallmark Channel, “When Calls the Federal Judge.”

    Man, you know how to ingratiate yourself with the Trojan fan base, don’t you!

    While I can’t bring myself to contest the description of the kids in question, USC is a private school. Would OJ go to a public school?

    He might take a stab at it.

    Hey, I’m just here to tee ’em up.

    • #44
  15. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    I think this is my favorite tweet from one of Lori Laughlin’s daughters

    https://twitter.com/oliviajadee/status/855271683405488131

    To think, she paid $250K just to get her admitted.

    • #45
  16. The Great Adventure! Inactive
    The Great Adventure!
    @TheGreatAdventure

    Funny how USC keeps appearing in all these scandals. 

    • #46
  17. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    The Great Adventure! (View Comment):

    Funny how USC keeps appearing in all these scandals.

    Pete Carroll was the worst IMO–and he got out of Dodge to make big bucks before the you-know-what hit the fan.

    • #47
  18. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this.  Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status.  The minorities do not have to cheat, Uncle Sam does it for them.  The only people getting screwed are poor whites and maybe the Asians.   

    • #48
  19. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this. Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status.

    I don’t think that anybody has actually said any of that. But, whatever.

    • #49
  20. Instugator Thatcher
    Instugator
    @Instugator

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this. Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status. The minorities do not have to cheat, Uncle Sam does it for them. The only people getting screwed are poor whites and maybe the Asians.

    My schadenfreude meter has been pegged all day over this. It is too delicious.

    Plus the part about the spoiled kids not appreciating what mom has done for them.

    • #50
  21. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    Instugator (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    I’m not defending this, just wondering “why is this news?”

    Dude, I am just wondering why it is a crime?

    Why is bribery a crime?  Are you serious? 

    In America, unlike many other many other countries on the American continents, our culture has historically disapproved of corruption, especially bribery.  Yes, we had some, but it was historically socially unacceptable.  Now, Hillary’s pay-to-play Sate Department along with widespread income tax cheating (at least in small ways), the decline of America accelerates.

    Me, I still think bribery is bad and needs to be vigorously prosecuted.

     

    • #51
  22. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Misthiocracy secretly (View Comment):
    it would be both cheaper and faster to hire PhD-level tutors than to attend a four-year college.

    Better yet, hire grad students.  They’re even cheaper than PhDs, and a lot of them teach in place of the PhDs . . .

    • #52
  23. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    Instugator (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    I’m not defending this, just wondering “why is this news?”

    Dude, I am just wondering why it is a crime?

    Why is bribery a crime? Are you serious?

    In America, unlike many other many other countries on the American continents, our culture has historically disapproved of corruption, especially bribery. Yes, we had some, but it was historically socially unacceptable. Now, Hillary’s pay-to-play Sate Department along with widespread income tax cheating (at least in small ways), the decline of America accelerates.

    Me, I still think bribery is bad and needs to be vigorously prosecuted.

     

    So what are you going to do about all the people who donated buildings and/or endowed chairs to get their kids admitted?  And what’s the difference?

    • #53
  24. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    Instugator (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    I’m not defending this, just wondering “why is this news?”

    Dude, I am just wondering why it is a crime?

    Why is bribery a crime? Are you serious?

    In America, unlike many other many other countries on the American continents, our culture has historically disapproved of corruption, especially bribery. Yes, we had some, but it was historically socially unacceptable. Now, Hillary’s pay-to-play Sate Department along with widespread income tax cheating (at least in small ways), the decline of America accelerates.

    Me, I still think bribery is bad and needs to be vigorously prosecuted.

    So what are you going to do about all the people who donated buildings and/or endowed chairs to get their kids admitted? And what’s the difference?

    One’s against the law and the other isn’t. And one’s above board and the other isn’t.

    • #54
  25. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    David Carroll (View Comment):

    Instugator (View Comment):

    Cato Rand (View Comment):
    I’m not defending this, just wondering “why is this news?”

    Dude, I am just wondering why it is a crime?

    Why is bribery a crime? Are you serious?

    In America, unlike many other many other countries on the American continents, our culture has historically disapproved of corruption, especially bribery. Yes, we had some, but it was historically socially unacceptable. Now, Hillary’s pay-to-play Sate Department along with widespread income tax cheating (at least in small ways), the decline of America accelerates.

    Me, I still think bribery is bad and needs to be vigorously prosecuted.

    So what are you going to do about all the people who donated buildings and/or endowed chairs to get their kids admitted? And what’s the difference?

    One’s against the law and the other isn’t.

    So as long as you structure your bribe appropriately…

     

    • #55
  26. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):
    The only people getting screwed are poor whites and maybe the Asians.

    Actually,  as hard as it might be to believe, rich whites are also being screwed. Get woke, go broke.

    Prep schools, who do give an excellent education, are not getting kids into those schools any more. Schools like Princeton are finding obscure schools in the sticks, preferring unprepared white students to richer white ones.

    The big exception is students who are rich enough to afford 7-figure donations.

    • #56
  27. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this. Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status.

    I don’t think that anybody has actually said any of that. But, whatever.

    It has been in about every article I have read about this event as well as many twitter posts.  The whole white privilege thing gets very old.  

    • #57
  28. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this. Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status.

    I don’t think that anybody has actually said any of that. But, whatever.

    It has been in about every article I have read about this event as well as many twitter posts. The whole white privilege thing gets very old.

    My apologies.  I thought the reference was to here.

     

    • #58
  29. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Hoyacon (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Love how everybody keeps interjecting white privilege into this. Like maybe these parents would not have to cheat if Affirmative Action did nor rule the day and any minority with 3 brain cells and a few bucks were not given automatic protected guaranteed entry status.

    I don’t think that anybody has actually said any of that. But, whatever.

    It has been in about every article I have read about this event as well as many twitter posts. The whole white privilege thing gets very old.

    My apologies. I thought the reference was to here.

    Only in that the links in the OP kept point me into that direction thus my response here.  My mistake was responding to something here that was deeper in the linked articles.  

     

    • #59
  30. The Great Adventure! Inactive
    The Great Adventure!
    @TheGreatAdventure

    I can’t get rid of the nagging thought though – the FBI doesn’t have anything better to investigate?

    • #60
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