https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/feds-uncover-massive-college-entrance-exam-cheating-plot-n982136

A large-scale scheme to cheat on college entrance exams has been busted by the FBI and federal prosecutors in Boston, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday.
The alleged scheme focused on getting students admitted to elite universities as recruited athletes, regardless of their athletic abilities, and helping potential students cheat on their college exams, according to the indictment.

The plot involved students who attended or were seeking to attend Georgetown University, Stanford University, UCLA, the University of San Diego, USC, University of Texas, Wake Forest, and Yale, according to federal prosecutors.


There's no indication that the schools were involved in any of the wrong-doing.
In all, 12 people, some of them college coaches, have been indicted in the scheme.

Not sure why you say that. The school's listed appear to be the victims of the crime.

PartyBear said:

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Not sure why you say that. The school's listed appear to be the victims of the crime.

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There's no telling how deep this goes. You'd have to believe that no one in the athletic department or the school noticed the oddity. You also have to put blame on the administrators that hired the tennis coach.

Looks like Uncle Jesse gonna have to settle for conjugal visits on the weekends....
https://amp.tmz.com/2019/03/12/felicity-huffman-lori-loughlin-arrested-college-admissions-bribery-scam/

YoakDaddy said:

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Looks like Uncle Jesse gonna have to settle for conjugal visits on the weekends....
https://amp.tmz.com/2019/03/12/felicity-huffman-lori-loughlin-arrested-college-admissions-bribery-scam/

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Did they catch Felicity trying to sneak out the bathroom window like her husband did?

Former UT President and creator of Longhorn Network Bill Powers died yesterday...one of the accusations against him was allowing special favor admissions to friends family and people of high net worth.

Supposedly he died of a progressive disease..just ironic this story comes out next day.

Justice has been on this for years so I'm sure they dug deep.

Looks like very wealthy people were able to pay off administrators or coaches with the consideration their kids would be admitted when otherwise they would not be. One couple paid 500K.

Someone was lining their pocketbook with this bribe money.

To be honest, I always thought the very rich paid their kids way through donations etc., when they otherwise did not qualify.

Quote:

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I always thought the very rich paid their kids way through donations etc.

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Of course they have and always will. It happens everyday and is not in the slightest bit illegal.

"Say, Little Susie here likes Art and has wanted to go to your school since she was a little tyke. I understand you need a new endowed chair in Art History. Perhaps we have some mutual interests."

or

"The Trustees of the family trust, which has been very generous to your school for a lot of years, would be very disappointed if little Johnny could not be admitted."

The truly rich do not cheat on tests, they bypass that step entirely. The people cheating are likely not really rich enough to play the game or just dummies.

That's how endowments are built.

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Loughlin allegedly told the cooperating witness that she would arrange for her daughter to be photographed on a rowing machine to bolster the false claim on the application to USC that her daughter was the crew coxswain for the L.A. Marine Club team, according to court papers.

In an e-mail, Loughlin allegedly agreed to keep the acceptance of her daughter and the scheme "hush hush."

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Quote:

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Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 for getting one of her daughters unlimited time for her SAT test. The actress also explored a plan to boost the test scores of a second daughter, according to court papers.
In a recorded call on Feb. 19, Huffman discussed the possibility of having a ringer take the SAT exam for her daughter, prosecutors say. But she raised concerns about the discrepancy in scores that could result from her daughter taking the SAT test in March but then allowing someone to take it in her place sometime afterward, court papers say.
"I just didn't know if it'd be odd for [the tutor] if we go, "Oh, she did this in in March 9, but she did so much better in May," Huffman allegedly said on the call. "I don't know if that'd be like if [the tutor] would be like, 'Wow.'"

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Stefano DiMera said:

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Former UT President and creator of Longhorn Network Bill Powers died yesterday...one of the accusations against him was allowing special favor admissions to friends family and people of high net worth.

Supposedly he died of a progressive disease..just ironic this story comes out next day.

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This story isn't related to UTs issue with congressional leaders and state politicians trying to get friends and relatives admitted to UT.

CorsicanaBear said:

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Quote:

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I always thought the very rich paid their kids way through donations etc.

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Of course they have and always will. It happens everyday and is not in the slightest bit illegal.

"Say, Little Susie here likes Art and has wanted to go to your school since she was a little tyke. I understand you need a new endowed chair in Art History. Perhaps we have some mutual interests."

or

"The Trustees of the family trust, which has been very generous to your school for a lot of years, would be very disappointed if little Johnny could not be admitted."

The truly rich do not cheat on tests, they bypass that step entirely. The people cheating are likely not really rich enough to play the game or just dummies.

That's how endowments are built.

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The cheaters are certainly rich, just not uber wealthy

Gee, only 50 caught up in the "sting" concerning corruption at the "elite" schools that has been happening since the NCAA became a big business and "the club" has been in place to guarantee nepotistic based business futures.

The very people who can afford to send their kids to university are the ones cheating

Meanwhile the rest of us lowly Serfs do our best to scrimp, save and scrape together the cost of university and/ or take loans out that go into the hundreds of thousands! All while we are being taxed, fee'd, regulated and pecked to death by our states and the Fed.

Crazy world ya'll.

Yeah no different than when families have a lineage at an Ivy League school. The kids could be dumb as a rock but they're still getting in because of who they are.

What makes this look bad is that these kids must be so dumb they can't get into that list of schools. That's more embarrassing than anything else.

Doc Holliday said:

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Gee, only 50 caught up in the "sting" concerning corruption at the "elite" schools that has been happening since the NCAA became a big business and "the club" has been in place to guarantee nepotistic based business futures.

The very people who can afford to send their kids to university are the ones cheating

Meanwhile the rest of us lowly Serfs do our best to scrimp, save and scrape together the cost of university and/ or take loans out that go into the hundreds of thousands! All while we are being taxed, fee'd, regulated and pecked to death by our states and the Fed.

Crazy world ya'll.

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What's odd is the kind of cognitive dissonance that develops among people in these situations.

It's like when I hear UT alums say, "We don't cheat because we're the Longhorns." That's absurd in its own right, but they just keep repeating themselves, completely ignoring that the exact same standard they demand of the program is one of the key motivating factors for...you guessed it...CHEATING.

The "haves don't need to cheat" line of thinking is why problems come about in various walks of life.

Jack Bauer said:

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My kids still watch reruns of Full House. That meme made me spew my drink! Hilarious. + rep!!!

BarleyMcDougal said:

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Doc Holliday said:

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Gee, only 50 caught up in the "sting" concerning corruption at the "elite" schools that has been happening since the NCAA became a big business and "the club" has been in place to guarantee nepotistic based business futures.

The very people who can afford to send their kids to university are the ones cheating

Meanwhile the rest of us lowly Serfs do our best to scrimp, save and scrape together the cost of university and/ or take loans out that go into the hundreds of thousands! All while we are being taxed, fee'd, regulated and pecked to death by our states and the Fed.

Crazy world ya'll.

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What's odd is the kind of cognitive dissonance that develops among people in these situations.

It's like when I hear UT alums say, "We don't cheat because we're the Longhorns." That's absurd in its own right, but they just keep repeating themselves, completely ignoring that the exact same standard they demand of the program is one of the key motivating factors for...you guessed it...CHEATING.

The "haves don't need to cheat" line of thinking is why problems come about in various walks of life.

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While I welcome a little Schadenfreude and hope they throw the book at these people it avoids the true scandals in our midst that lead people to do this:

1.) The college loan scam and the institutions running the con.

2.) The colleges themselves and their total lack of accountability to their product, its success, or an ROI that can show why we should all pony up.

3.) The admissions process and how it has been distorted away from simply accepting the best candidates in some quantitative sense.

4.) The lie we've all been told that this generic concept of "a degree" is your only viable path to a future.

If ever there was a more obvious example of a skewed market that is far from operating freely, and the consequences that result from those market distortions on both supply and demand, I cannot think of one.

bularry said:

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Stefano DiMera said:

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Former UT President and creator of Longhorn Network Bill Powers died yesterday...one of the accusations against him was allowing special favor admissions to friends family and people of high net worth.

Supposedly he died of a progressive disease..just ironic this story comes out next day.

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This story isn't related to UTs issue with congressional leaders and state politicians trying to get friends and relatives admitted to UT.

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That is correct and Powers was removed as President of the University because of that scandal which while a scandal at UT, is just standard practice at our alma mater.

"How does it feel to be
One of the beautiful people?
Now that you know who you are.
What do you want to be?
And have you travelled very far?
Far as the eyes can see"

If UT were my only option, I would gladly pay a bribe.

Your education is too important to blow off like that.

Doc Holliday said:

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BarleyMcDougal said:

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Doc Holliday said:

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Gee, only 50 caught up in the "sting" concerning corruption at the "elite" schools that has been happening since the NCAA became a big business and "the club" has been in place to guarantee nepotistic based business futures.

The very people who can afford to send their kids to university are the ones cheating

Meanwhile the rest of us lowly Serfs do our best to scrimp, save and scrape together the cost of university and/ or take loans out that go into the hundreds of thousands! All while we are being taxed, fee'd, regulated and pecked to death by our states and the Fed.

Crazy world ya'll.

---

What's odd is the kind of cognitive dissonance that develops among people in these situations.

It's like when I hear UT alums say, "We don't cheat because we're the Longhorns." That's absurd in its own right, but they just keep repeating themselves, completely ignoring that the exact same standard they demand of the program is one of the key motivating factors for...you guessed it...CHEATING.

The "haves don't need to cheat" line of thinking is why problems come about in various walks of life.

---

While I welcome a little Schadenfreude and hope they throw the book at these people it avoids the true scandals in our midst that lead people to do this:

1.) The college loan scam and the institutions running the con.

2.) The colleges themselves and their total lack of accountability to their product, its success, or an ROI that can show why we should all pony up.

3.) The admissions process and how it has been distorted away from simply accepting the best candidates in some quantitative sense.

4.) The lie we've all been told that this generic concept of "a degree" is your only viable path to a future.

If ever there was a more obvious example of a skewed market that is far from operating freely, and the consequences that result from those market distortions on both supply and demand, I cannot think of one.

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I, on the other hand, don't think this minuscule number of people bribing to get a kid into Yale is some referendum on the value of higher ed.

CorsicanaBear said:

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Quote:

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I always thought the very rich paid their kids way through donations etc.

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Of course they have and always will. It happens everyday and is not in the slightest bit illegal.

"Say, Little Susie here likes Art and has wanted to go to your school since she was a little tyke. I understand you need a new endowed chair in Art History. Perhaps we have some mutual interests."

or

"The Trustees of the family trust, which has been very generous to your school for a lot of years, would be very disappointed if little Johnny could not be admitted."

The truly rich do not cheat on tests, they bypass that step entirely. The people cheating are likely not really rich enough to play the game or just dummies.

That's how endowments are built.

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Heck, that stuff (and actions similar to it once students are admitted and move through the curriculum) happens at Baylor (much less high-and-mighty Ivys or more prestigious schools) every single year and goes back multiple decades. May not be illegal. But doesn't make it right either.

For those who haven't figured this out by now in various stations of life, money indeed does talk (especially so after the USSC's Citizens United decision -- that just formalized this reality). And life is not fair. No matter how well a less advantageous student may perform, they are always subject to being trumped by the lesser student with the bigger bank account (or parents bank account as the case may be -- doesn't matter, they'll inherit it anyway).

Indeed, this is one of the biggest lessons I learned as a BU undergrad, as this type of scenario during my time at BU ended up costing me a substantial opportunity in my future career field. The affluent beneficiary who "acquired" this opportunity instead never even pursued this career field upon graduation. In fact, said beneficiary had only three credit hours in the major upon receiving it, whereas I had completed all but 3 of my 30 (or so) required hours in the major. It should not be surprising that this student's parents are among BU's more major donors and that the family's name adorns at least one of Baylor's buildings ...

That's not just America, folks. It's the world. All us "lesser folk" can do is do their best and beyond that, certain things are simply beyond one's control. Over time, us "lesser folk" learn to steel themselves against this reality -- and just worry about the things they can control and make the most of that.

Doesn't justify things or make them right -- whether or not they pass legal muster. Simply the way an imperfect world works -- and how people who strive to be virtuous try to wade their way through it.

Affirmative action... would love to hear thoughts.....

Media Bear said:

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CorsicanaBear said:

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Quote:

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I always thought the very rich paid their kids way through donations etc.

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Of course they have and always will. It happens everyday and is not in the slightest bit illegal.

"Say, Little Susie here likes Art and has wanted to go to your school since she was a little tyke. I understand you need a new endowed chair in Art History. Perhaps we have some mutual interests."

or

"The Trustees of the family trust, which has been very generous to your school for a lot of years, would be very disappointed if little Johnny could not be admitted."

The truly rich do not cheat on tests, they bypass that step entirely. The people cheating are likely not really rich enough to play the game or just dummies.

That's how endowments are built.

---

Heck, that stuff (and actions similar to it once students are admitted and move through the curriculum) happens at Baylor (much less high-and-mighty Ivys or more prestigious schools) every single year and goes back multiple decades. May not be illegal. But doesn't make it right either.

For those who haven't figured this out by now in various stations of life, money indeed does talk (especially so after the USSC's Citizens United decision -- that just formalized this reality). And life is not fair. No matter how well a less advantageous student may perform, they are always subject to being trumped by the lesser student with the bigger bank account (or parents bank account as the case may be -- doesn't matter, they'll inherit it anyway).

Indeed, this is one of the biggest lessons I learned as a BU undergrad, as this type of scenario during my time at BU ended up costing me a substantial opportunity in my future career field. The affluent beneficiary who "acquired" this opportunity instead never even pursued this career field upon graduation. In fact, said beneficiary had only three credit hours in the major upon receiving it, whereas I had completed all but 3 of my 30 (or so) required hours in the major. It should not be surprising that this student's parents are among BU's more major donors and that the family's name adorns at least one of Baylor's buildings ...

That's not just America, folks. It's the world. All us "lesser folk" can do is do their best and beyond that, certain things are simply beyond one's control. Over time, us "lesser folk" learn to steel themselves against this reality -- and just worry about the things they can control and make the most of that.

Doesn't justify things or make them right -- whether or not they pass legal muster. Simply the way an imperfect world works -- and how people who strive to be virtuous try to wade their way through it.

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Exactly
This stuff has been going on
It's how Jared Kushner got into Harvard

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-story-behind-jared-kushners-curious-acceptance-into-harvard

Not to UT, but listened to someone on radio this morning say one person paid a 6.5 million bribe to get the right college placement for their kid.

I'm sure this is how 100's of thousands of undeserving students got their place over the years. Usually probably a smaller $$ scale, but not always.

As the bribed college coaches and administrators start to squeal I think we will see more fish (from the acedemic side) in the net.

This is like the FBI taking on the shoe companies and runners. It's one of those things that everyone knows is happening and glosses over forever until, for some odd reason, they don't.

C students run the world.

Doc Holliday said:

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C students run the world.

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LOL...it reminds me of when someone gathered the heads of all the major investment firms and tried to explain credit default swaps. Their collective response was, "Did you understand that?"

Stefano DiMera said:

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Affirmative action... would love to hear thoughts.....

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While reading all the above comments, the neon light in my small memory bank kept flashing the words Affirmative action and Title 9. Then I read this post and thought great minds run on the same track.