Bribery, greed: All for a little bit of Ivy League

Seems like there could also be a plausible cost-benefit calculation, at least for some of them. I could see the Loughlins thinking their Instagram influencer daughter has a decent chance to meet & marry serious money if she goes to USC, probably better than if she goes to Arizona State. That difference might be worth a pretty hefty bribe.

 

Rich people have used their money to grease the skids for their kids forever. They could have gone the "donate money to the school" route that allowed a $2.5m donation to get Jared into Harvard. A scammer set this up, they went along, bribes got passed out, kids got in undeservedly. Lots there to dislike, and I really dislike that the #1 guy in all this got caught, flipped, and was able to sleaze his way into position for more favorable sentencing.

The kids who should have gotten a chance and were unfairly taken out are the true victims here, and I feel for them. The whole thing reeks of wealth, privilege, and helicopter parents run amok.

The part about deducting their bribes as donations to the school is adding insult to injury that set me off. Other than that, this is the sort of abuse and sleaze that has sadly become normal for the wealthy. They get what they want, no matter who they have to bribe, lobby, or blackmail. I'm pretty cynical about that anymore.

 

Between this and the Fyre Festival documentary, "Instagram influencer" is the most annoying thing I've seen in 2019, and there isn't a close second.

 

The modern-day version of snake oil salesman.

 

I'd believe it. (Seems a little high, but generally I believe it.)

 

All of these guys are in it for all they can get.

Not exactly a newsflash, I know.

 

Between all the stories about cheating, higher ed costs and student loan default rates, I am more and more thankful every day for the track Baby MMSW is on.

She got turned down for her Ivy and was prepared for one of her backups — Boston U, George Mason — but a little eclectic school up here that’s known for her major and for its outstanding placement in her field backed up the Brinks truck. Scholarships and grants covered all but $6,000 this year. It’ll go up, of course, but thanks to the college credits they accepted, she’ll be done in five years — and 80 percent of the classes are in her major or electives.

Bachelor’s degree, a likely job in her field (she already has three summer offers) and zero student loan debt, before her 21st birthday. That’s a pragmatic choice.

 

Boogie-
Like any man I have my regrets, but ignoring Full House isn't among them.
I went to solid state schools for undergrad and beyond.
A prep-school education- which I think you said you had- and the places I'd lived made me disinclined to that kind of parochialism in college.
I'd had my fill of Eric Trumps and the Winklevii by the time I hit 18.

 

The American people are a weird lot. They seem to acknowledge "the elites" have advantages that they do not, but when someone they may consider a peer seems to have an advantage that they do not - they get a lot more upset. Not sure how this will play out. Figure the AOCs of the world have some fresh ammo if nothing else. Reminds me of the "speech" in Meatballs.
Even if every man, woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to get admitted, it just wouldn't matter, because all the really good schools would still go with the students from Mohawk 'cause they've got all the money! It just doesn't matter if we go to a private school. IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER!