College Admissions Scandal: Felicity Huffman Arrested!

[VelociRapture]

15 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

That’s the thing, how can any of these kids feel like they ever accomplished anything on their own? 

One of the articles said that a lot of the kids apparently didn’t really know anything like this was going on. That’s incredibly sad to me. A lot of these students trusted their parents and the adults in the situation and now everyone with an internet connection knows that they didn’t really earn their spot at their school. Up until now a lot of them likely thought they got in on their own merits and hard work. 

I’m curious about what the schools will do to the students already enrolled though. Will they allow them to continue attending? Will they be asked to leave the school or kicked out? Will it depend on the type of bribery each student willingly/unknowingly benefited from? 

[nausicaa]

Dumb question for people with more legal and/or university knowledge than me: How is any of this illegal to do at private colleges (Georgetown and the Ivies were mentioned). People have been making huge donations to universities to get their kids in for decades. Can't a private college admit a student for whatever reason they wish? Including open bribery? 

And isn't the College Board a private organization? So why would the FBI be involved if people are cheating on it? 

[47of74]

Dumb question for people with more legal and/or university knowledge than me: How is any of this illegal to do at private colleges (Georgetown and the Ivies were mentioned). People have been making huge donations to universities to get their kids in for decades. Can't a private college admit a student for whatever reason they wish? Including open bribery? 
And isn't the College Board a private organization? So why would the FBI be involved if people are cheating on it? 

Probably because the institutions are taking Federal student aid and probably the amount given to the schools was affected.

[nausicaa]

5 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

Up until now a lot of them likely thought they got in on their own merits and hard work. 

Eh, "hard work." I'm reading through the documents now, and these are helicopter parents to another level. Parents offering to take the SAT for their kid because little prince/princess just can't make it to school on a Saturday to take the test. Faking medical issues for extra time on the test. I'm not done yet, but these kids come off as complete entitled brats rather than hard workers who were given an unknowing boost. 

[CTRLZero]

6 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

One of the articles said that a lot of the kids apparently didn’t really know anything like this was going on. That’s incredibly sad to me. A lot of these students trusted their parents and the adults in the situation and now everyone with an internet connection knows that they didn’t really earn their spot at their school. Up until now a lot of them likely thought they got in on their own merits and hard work. 

I’m curious about what the schools will do to the students already enrolled though. Will they allow them to continue attending? Will they be asked to leave the school or kicked out? Will it depend on the type of bribery each student willingly/unknowingly benefited from? 

Another question is what will happen to the various athletic programs?  In other scandals, championship trophies have been taken away retroactively, whole programs suspended, etc.  Imagine being an innocent student and suddenly your team is sanctioned/suspended because of corruption. 

[ifosterkittens]

31 minutes ago, 47of74 said:

Yep the internet has gone to work

 

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5c87d3e5e4b0450ddae49683?ncid=APPLENEWS00001

Thank you so much for this! I am still shocked aunt Becky could do such a thing!

[47of74]

Another question is what will happen to the various athletic programs?  In other scandals, championship trophies have been taken away retroactively, whole programs suspended, etc.  Imagine being an innocent student and suddenly your team is sanctioned/suspended because of corruption. 

 

If it was willful, repeated, and widespread the NCAA could impose their death penalty and shut an entire program down.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_penalty_(NCAA)

 

After the Sandusky scandal at Penn State students were allowed to transfer without losing eligibility so if that was done again I suppose innocent students would be allowed to immediately transfer.

[JermajestyDuggar]

11 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

Eh, "hard work." I'm reading through the documents now, and these are helicopter parents to another level. Parents offering to take the SAT for their kid because little prince/princess just can't make it to school on a Saturday to take the test. Faking medical issues for extra time on the test. I'm not done yet, but these kids come off as complete entitled brats rather than hard workers who were given an unknowing boost. 

That’s what I’m thinking. Felicity’s daughter knew she got extra time on the SATs. She then suddenly score 400 points higher than before. I think many of these kids have an idea of what’s going on. And the brattiness shows in Lori Laughlin’s youngest.

[luv2laugh]

Will Lori Loughlin's daughter Olivia be expelled from USC? It's not fair that her daughter got into that school based on fraud. Lori Loughlin is married to the founder of Mossimo clothing and the family is extremely wealthy.

This scam is ridiculous but it's only the tip of the iceberg. As someone mentioned, look at Jared Kushner. He was not Harvard material and he only got in through his daddy's donations.

• Jared Kushner and his brother only were able to start their own PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS because DADDY FUNDED THEM. The Kushner children are big babies that ride off of daddy's success and their entire lifestyle is because of Daddy, much like Trump. I have no respect for popular model Karlie Kloss who chose to marry into that family.

Republicans complain all of the time about affirmative action instead of looking at the biggest scam in this country: LEGACY BASED ADMISSIONS TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE RICH PARENTS WHO DONATE MONEY TO GET THEIR KID INTO ANY COLLEGE THEY DONATE TO.

In order to help make this country a bit more "fair", legacy based admissions as well as admitting the kids of rich donors needs to STOP!

Also, there's a significant issue with the fact that the rich can afford thousands of dollars to spend on PRIVATE TUTORS to train their kids for the standardized exam compared to the parents who cannot afford to do so.

• Additionally, the wealthy are "gaming the system" through the thousands of dollars they spend on hiring private coaches to train their kids in a sport also grant them admission, along with the standardized exam score and a six or seven figure donation to the college.
  • The offices of admissions at colleges admit to the fact that anyone who donates a large sum of money to the school increases their child's admission to the college...

Corrupt. Corrupt. Corrupt. It's disgusting. My husband is hispanic and went to an ivy-league school AND I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTEMPT TO SAY "OOOH HE ONLY GOT IN BECAUSE HE WAS HISPANIC..." How racist.

It's horrible! Why complain about POC who get into these schools when 30% of the entire class is only attending a competitive college BECAUSE THEIR WEALTHY PARENTS DONATED MONEY?!?!

 

Can you tell this topic gets me angry?

Edited March 12, 2019 by luv2laugh

[luv2laugh]

This is the fraudulent criminal Rick Singer's book.
Getting In: Gaining Admission To Your College of Choice (Volume 1) Paperback – August 6, 2014
Easy to understand and simple to follow steps to improve the odds of getting in to the college of your choosing. Rick Singer, 26 year coaching veteran with 250,000 success stories of families that were able to gain admission to the school of their choosing and take the first steps to a life-fulfilling future.

https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Gaining-Admission-College-Choice/dp/0615837972

Watch this 2 minute video from CNN now that explains what happened:
"We've charged 50 people with participating in a conspiracy that involved cheating on college entry exams and securing admission to elite colleges by bribing coaches at certain schools to accept students under false pretenses. In return for bribes, these coaches agreed to pretend that certain applicants were recruited competitive athletes when they were not and the coaches knew that the students athletic credentials was fabricated. Overall today we have charged 3 people who organized these scams, two SAT/ACT exam administrators, one exam proctor, one college administrator, 9 coaches at elite schools, and 33 parents who paid enormous sums to guarantee their children's admission to certain schools through the use of bribes and fake athletic and academic credentials. 

Today we have charged 33 parent's with hiring Singer's group to defraud testing companies and/or various universities. These parents are a catalog of wealth and privilege. They include:

•  CEOs of private and public companies
• Successful securities and real estate investors,
• 2 well-known actresses and a famous fashion designer,
• the co-chairman of a global law firm.

Based on the charges unsealed today, all of them knowingly conspired with Singer and others to help their children either cheat on the SAT/ACT and/or by their children's admission to elite schools through fraud. Singer's clients paid him between $100,000 and $6.5 million for this service though the majority paid between $200,000-$400,000 per student." 

• NOTE: Obviously, the 2 actresses are Felicity Huffman (and her husband, famous actor WIlliam H. Macy) and Lori Loughlin. Clearly, the fashion designer is Lori Loughlin's husband, founder of Mossimo.
   

 

Edited March 12, 2019 by luv2laugh

[tabitha2]

Using your own (presumably) worked for or inherited wealth  to provide the very best for your children in tutoring, schools and coaches is not a crime. It’s not nice or fair but Life is not either. As long as it ultimately depends on the childs own ability at the test or game though of course . Even the poorest of parents will go all out and into debt for a child after all. 

The donations and legacy game Is travesty though.

Edited March 12, 2019 by tabitha2

[Maggie Mae]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

That’s the thing, how can any of these kids feel like they ever accomplished anything on their own? 

It doesn't matter to them, or they don't realize that they didn't. There's cognitive dissonance there when you've never been exposed to life without a safety net. And some of them do work hard - but their "work hard" is relative to someone who grew up under different circumstances. 

[luv2laugh]

1 hour ago, VelociRapture said:

I’m curious about what the schools will do to the students already enrolled though. Will they allow them to continue attending? Will they be asked to leave the school or kicked out? Will it depend on the type of bribery each student willingly/unknowingly benefited from? 

I also want to know the answer to this. Although it's unfortunate that these rich kids might've not known what their parents did for them, it's still unfair. In my opinion, they need to be expelled. 

I'm not worried about their future. These kids, if expelled, will still be highly rich and successful adults because of their parent's money, just like Jared Kushner.

Edited March 12, 2019 by luv2laugh

[Howl]

The issues are mail fraud and cheating the IRS.  Rick Singer set up an entity that he structured as a not for profit (charity).  The parents would send the bribe $$$ to the fake charity and then deduct that donation from their taxes as a charitable donation.  Never, ever fuck with the IRS.  

Mail fraud and honest services fraud is confusing to me.  Just read part of the honest services fraud WIKI.  It looks like proving honest services fraud can get murky fast, which will make defense attorneys rich and happy.  On the other hand, this is being handled through DoJ, so there's that. 

Sad to say, the kids need to lose their college admission, whether they knew about the fraud or not.  However, one commenter noted that no kids have been charged, just the parents. I suppose it will be up to each school or university system on dealing with the kids who received admission as part of the scam.  If the kid was part of the fraud, they need to be shown the door. 

[Maggie Mae]

This makes me so irritated about wealth inequality.  Her parents bought her way in to college. She gets set up in a room, all new stuff, clean, can order whatever she wants. Then she instagrams it and gets money (that she doesn't really need) from Amazon. 

Back when I went off to college, I showed up with a suitcase of clothes, a laptop, and some (not enough) cash for books. I had planned to use the meal plan (that I was required to have and was paid for through a Perkins' Loan) to eat. A few days later, 1/2 the teachers went on strike. A day after that, Food and Beverage went on strike. So guess who had to beg around for food? (Also there was not a grocery store near enough to walk to). Having to do work-study, work a part-time job, try to figure out what you want to do, and how to buy books/feed yourself is not what I went to school for. The students who had someone bankrolling their time in school had less stress, more time to study, more time to socialize, the ability to participate in all of the college activities and do all the things you are supposed to to.  I had an excellent time in college and I loved it, but it's completely fucked that some people who are born rich get paid to be rich and aren't using these opportunities to be even a tiny bit intellectually curious about the world around them. 

Spoiler

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

This makes me so irritated about wealth inequality.  Her parents bought her way in to college. She gets set up in a room, all new stuff, clean, can order whatever she wants. Then she instagrams it and gets money (that she doesn't really need) from Amazon. 

Back when I went off to college, I showed up with a suitcase of clothes, a laptop, and some (not enough) cash for books. I had planned to use the meal plan (that I was required to have and was paid for through a Perkins' Loan) to eat. A few days later, 1/2 the teachers went on strike. A day after that, Food and Beverage went on strike. So guess who had to beg around for food? (Also there was not a grocery store near enough to walk to). Having to do work-study, work a part-time job, try to figure out what you want to do, and how to buy books/feed yourself is not what I went to school for. The students who had someone bankrolling their time in school had less stress, more time to study, more time to socialize, the ability to participate in all of the college activities and do all the things you are supposed to to.  I had an excellent time in college and I loved it, but it's completely fucked that some people who are born rich get paid to be rich and aren't using these opportunities to be even a tiny bit intellectually curious about the world around them. 

  Hide contents

Yep. I don’t buy into the “poor little rich girl” garbage. People say stuff like that to make themselves feel better about the insane inequality. Wealthy people and their children have less problems. Because their problems can be solved with money. It’s always been that way. Are there unhappy wealthy people? Of course! But those people can also afford the best therapy money can buy. They can afford medications. How many Americans can even afford regular therapy? Their medications? 

[AliceInFundyland]

That is the most ridiculous looking half of a dorm room I have seen today. The makeup brushes and tv instead of computer and pens say it all.

[luv2laugh]

11 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Yep. I don’t buy into the “poor little rich girl” garbage. People say stuff like that to make themselves feel better about the insane inequality. Wealthy people and their children have less problems. Because their problems can be solved with money. It’s always been that way. Are there unhappy wealthy people? Of course! But those people can also afford the best therapy money can buy. They can afford medications. How many Americans can even afford regular therapy? Their medications? 

Preach.

Little princess or prince gets expelled from school? No problem. Daddy can give them millions of dollars of capital to seed their kid's own start-up company just like Jared Kushner.

Do you want to know an honest story? My cousin dated a girl whose father is a multi-millionaire and owned a mansion on Lake Michigan that recently sold for $6 million dollars and now lives in a mansion in Naples.
His daughter dropped out of college and has a baby (and is pregnant again) with a guy that is 30 years old and I believe does not work. They live in a very expensive apartment in a swanky neighborhood and I do not believe either of them work. Why? They do not have to nor do they want to. She is the only child and her father funds their lifestyle.

Why is Kylie Jenner a billionaire? Easy access to capital and connections.  Additionally, Kris Jenner is an intelligent businesswoman who coached her.

Edited March 12, 2019 by luv2laugh

[tabitha2]

There are plenty of very rich, seem to have it all people who end up commiting suicide. All the money and medication and therapy  in the world could not buy a fix for them. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 minutes ago, luv2laugh said:

Preach.

Little princess or prince gets expelled from school? No problem. Daddy can give them millions of dollars of capital to seed their kid's own start-up company.

I love how people are calling Kylie Jenner the youngest self made billionaire. 

Hahahahahahaha! Bull.Shit. There is nothing self made about that girl. Let’s compare her to other women her age with no college and a child. How are those girls doing? 

6 minutes ago, tabitha2 said:

There are plenty of very rich, seem to have it all people who end up commiting suicide. All the money and medication and therapy  in the world could not buy a fix for them. 

But they at least have access to the best therapy, rehab, medications money can buy. Many people in the US do not. Which is appalling.

Here is a good way to look at it. Wealthy people still die from cancer too. Even though they have access to healthy foods, the best doctors, cancer treatments, and medications out there. I bet a much higher percentage of poor people die from cancer every year than wealthy. Because they don’t have equal access. 

Edited March 12, 2019 by JermajestyDuggar

[tabitha2]

Yes. I know. But money does not necessarily make a person happy or healthy or life effortless. Anyway Most likely  Laughlin’s daughter is going to end up a C list celebrity at best, relying on her looks. 

[CTRLZero]

USC's president has already issued a statement saying the university was the victim in all this.  I'm guessing the other universities will frame their stance the same way.  The NCAA is stating they will look into it to see if any violations, etc.  I do think the students involved should be shown the door, especially if they are taking up space on teams but not contributing.  They can always buy their way into another college if so desired.  I can't imagine even wanting to stay, especially with my teammates and classmates giving me the side-eye. 

[luv2laugh]

48 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I love how people are calling Kylie Jenner the youngest self made billionaire. 

Hahahahahahaha! Bull.Shit. There is nothing self made about that girl. Let’s compare her to other women her age with no college and a child. How are those girls doing? 

But they at least have access to the best therapy, rehab, medications money can buy. Many people in the US do not. Which is appalling.

Here is a good way to look at it. Wealthy people still die from cancer too. Even though they have access to healthy foods, the best doctors, cancer treatments, and medications out there. I bet a much higher percentage of poor people die from cancer every year than wealthy. Because they don’t have equal access. 

I boycott the Kardashian family because they are a famous example of what is wrong with America. 

Ultimately, yes if people go to an accredited university and perform well, they have the potential to have a comfortable middle class lifestyle. However, the American Dream is not a reality for the majority of people. Most people will not be able to dramatically change their "social class".

Why? This college scam as well as Kylie Jenner are examples of the problem.

It's been studied that the financial success of a person is primarily based on the (wealthy) social connections of their parents.

If a parent is extremely rich, their child has a built-in, influential social network of powerful connections.

Edited March 12, 2019 by luv2laugh

[Maggie Mae]

10 minutes ago, luv2laugh said:

Why is Kylie Jenner a billionaire? Easy access to capital and connections.  Additionally, Kris Jenner is an intelligent businesswoman who coached her.

And her name. Just like Hilton, Rothschild, Trump, Bush, Guinness, Vanderbilt, Rasmussen, names with recognition makes doors open. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 minutes ago, tabitha2 said:

Yes. I know. But money does not necessarily make a person happy or healthy or life effortless. Anyway Most likely  Laughlin’s daughter is going to end up a C list celebrity at best, relying on her looks. 

Which is a hell of a lot better than most people in the US.