A Massive College Admissions Cheating Scandal Gets People Talking

7 comments on “A Massive College Admissions Cheating Scandal Gets People Talking”

1. College. It’s a universal goal for every child up until the year they graduate. A finish line for their educational careers before university. An accumulation of, for most, 12 years of rigorous schooling, sports, music, summer jobs, summer internships, competitions and awards. A testament to what every student thinks is their true character, their value as a person. This article and the entire college admissions scandal that has been unfolding in recent times is an attestation to how far off the concept of college has been derailed. Personally, as a high school sophomore in Southern California, I have seen this derailment first hand.

   From fellow students taking a thousand AP classes freshman year they have no interest in to being forced to play an instrument or get on a varsity sports team, I’ve seen it all. The idea that it is no longer students pursuing their passions or interests, but rather a school name is what daunts me the most. The fact that the mindset going into college admissions is no longer, “I will be the best person I can possibly be” but instead “I need to go to this university” is harmfully rewiring the brains of this nations youth. This is evident when looking at the recent suicide of a 16 year old student in Newport Harbor High School, very close to my high school. The student, pressured by the competitive nature and constant comparison to his peers by his parents, left a harrowing note before he took his own life as a result of the toxicity and burden of the college admission process. He explicitly wrote that “you are looked at as a loser if you don’t go to college or if you get a certain GPA or test score.” This incessant need to get a certain number on a test or get into a certain college was an environment that surrounded and squeezed him so tightly he felt that the only way out was to take his own life. The only way out of a system so brutal and misguided that parents and students are willing to pay egregious sums of money to game and cheat.

   I guess the real question at this point then is who to blame. Who’s fault is it that such a system is in place in which parents can actually see worth and benefit in using their hard earned money to bribe college counselors and sell their dignity for a small name on a diploma. In the end, everyone is a pawn in this game and the only thing to blame is the game itself. Not the pawns on the chessboard, but rather the way the chessboard is designed. The way our college admissions are designed is inherently flawed which causes the buying out of college counselors to be an effective strategy. The weight on character has lessened and the weight on numbers, ranking on a varsity team, and the grocery list of achievements that must be hit to get into a good college has increased. Now, there is no clear way to combat this problem. On one hand, the argument exists that a student isn’t just a number on a transcript or standardized test but on the other hand that number is still symbolic of a certain degree of work ethic and intelligence. In order to spark the flame and change the way college admissions are perceived, a paradigm shift needs to occur starting with the parents. The parents of this generations youth need to raise their kids with good work ethic, a healthy life style, and to become intelligent and successful members of society. From that starting point, a good college is bound to follow. Right now, the situation is in complete reverse which is what is causing so many of these students and parents to be caught up in huge scandals in efforts to cheat college admissions. The mindset of all these parents and students in the scandal are that a good university will represent and show the world how good and amazing a person is rather than a student representing how good and amazing he or she is resulting in potential acceptance into a good university.

   Now, the entire college admissions process has always and will always be a confusing process for everyone. The questions of what are colleges looking for is one that will forever be in existence as long as colleges still exist. In light of these scandals, it is time to take a step back and look at this problem more holistically. How do we rewire the mindset around college admissions in a way in which parents and students will no longer see the need to cheat it. This starts with a shift in priorities on both the parents and students side. The order needs to start with building character and work ethic and end with college rather than start with college in hopes that will build character and work ethic. Who you are as a person is defined by you and not a name on a diploma or where you go to school. That will hold true for as long as you live and once people start realizing that is when the first step is taken to ensure scandals like those mentioned in the article never happen again.

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   • Kevin, I couldn’t agree more with your thoughtful analysis of the current state of college admissions and its detrimental impact on students’ mental health and well-being.

     As a high school senior who has been going through the college process, I cannot say that I don’t feel that college has been the sole determinant of our identities. The past few months, college has been all I heard about from my friends. From studying for the SAT to managing their college list and focusing on their personal essays. You bring up a great point on how people take AP classes and participate in activities they may not take interest in. Even as a sophomore, people at my school would brag about the classes they were taking, as if it defined them.

     You pose a thought provoking question of who is to blame. The stigma surrounding getting into top colleges cannot be blamed by one singular force. However, I believe that a primary reason for this situation is the heavy emphasis that society places on college rankings and prestige. In the society we live in today with easy access to the Internet and with the heavy use of social media, the idea of attending prestigious colleges is romanticized. This leads many students to feel an overwhelming pressure to gain acceptance to these schools, with some even sacrificing their true passion and interest. And with others, turning to cheating. As you mentioned, I also agree that the real problem lies within the college admissions process.

     I believe that the first big problem that many had with college admission is the methods that are used. The fact that a student’s family income and race plays a role, just goes to show how many of the different little boxes a student has to tick off in order to be deemed as an “ideal” student. The recent Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard which overturned affirmative action just goes to show how problematic some aspects of this long enduring college process is.

     From critiquing students’ GPAs on a numerical scale to a standardized test that doesn’t even measure your intelligence, students are being nitpicked like products at a market. These schools are reducing students to mere statistics, neglecting their individuality and potential. This rigid system not only fails to capture the true essence of each student but also limits many from reaching their full potential. Faced with this pressure, some students may resort to cheating to improve their statistics or impress their parents.

     Another factor that you mention which plays a role into this whole “scandal” are parents. I come from a first generation family, my parents being immigrants who came to America to give me a better life and better opportunities. With this in mind, it’s not uncommon for children of immigrants to feel a profound sense of responsibility to succeed. In terms of cheating, many students will cheat to make their parents proud because after all, they did leave everything they had behind to create a better future for us. This reminds me of a giant cheating scandal that happened at my school this year. My school hosts quarterlies and midterms, with quarterlies taking place every quarter of the school year. During the spring physics quarterly, a student from second period, took their phone out and took a picture of the test, sending it to their friends. And as you can guess, the photo went around and caught a teacher’s attention. These students were AP Physics students, who were forced to take another test invalidating the first. This just goes to show how students will take their grades more seriously than anything else. This article also mentions cheating with bribery in order to gain admissions to these schools, this is just another example of how people will do anything to get into a prestigious school they may not even fit in with simply for the title, throwing away their dignity. High school students are being defined by college acceptance but not for who they are which shows the biggest flaw in society today.

     However, you also bring up a point where college is the universal goal for every child. However, I do not think that is entirely true. There are tons of students out there who want to drop out of school as soon as possible and start up a youtube channel, or a twitch-stream account, or even join the military. It is hardly a universal goal. Surely, you must be thinking about children whose parents raise them in such a way as to leave little room for any other types of considerations. Yes college is an important stepping stone to the next chapter in the lives of many people, but we do have to keep in mind that it is not entirely necessary. Yes, getting a good education is important but I believe having an identity matters more.

     Reply

2. In the three years that have passed since the college
   admission scandal, the college admission process has
   radically changed. Ironically this change was not because
   of the scandal alone, but it is an outcome of the ongoing
   Covid pandemic in combination with the outrage created
   by the admissions scandal. Pandemic has eliminated the
   SAT requirement for many top universities including IV
   leagues, and the admission scandal has created a tectonic shift in the extracurricular activist’s category; where for the first-time admission officers are taking in to account the burden low-income students face, such as caring for sibling or having to work. It’s fair to say the navigation of college admission has entered an era of unpredictability! Hundreds of articles were written about the 2022 admission rate and how the legacy and wealthy children were denied access to the top schools. Pandemic has caused many woes, however upending the admission process and opening doors for more students to have a shot at a top university, I believe, is one of the positive outcomes. I find the unpredictability of college admission a welcome change, now there is no road map, so wealthy parents are less likely to be able to bribe their way into the top universities. In addition, the expensive college counselors that have given an edge to the privilege, have also lost their superpowers, as they too are unclear on what direction the admission officers are taking. I feel for the first-time in decades college admission might be a level playing field. This equilibrium will only last for a few years before the wealthy find a way to work around the newly developed system. Nevertheless, let us mortals enjoy the very brief time in history, in which we are not invisible to college admissions officers.

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3. As a student that will be applying to college in exactly one year, I found the title of this article to be relevant to the future that is ahead of me. While reading through, I noticed that the general reaction from the public of this scandal was mainly of disgust and outrage. Some suggestions were made in response to the scandal, such as establishing clear ethical standards for our society. College holds an undeniable weight in people’s lives, especially for people like me who continuously swim towards a vague goal of being successful in our society. Such dishonesty in college admissions may be dream-crushing news, so the fury and animosity towards the rich is an inevitable result of this scandal being publicized. However, after reading through the article, my views on the matter seemed to deviate from convention.

   My perspective after reading about this turmoil was that society is targeting the wrong aspect of this situation. Of course, the people responsible for fraudulent acceptances should be disciplined accordingly. But, as for the general public, instead of blindly condemning the rich and feeling helpless, they should realistically be questioning the system of society as a whole.

   Why do students feel obligated to succeed? Why do millions of students beat themselves up trying to squeeze in an extra AP class into their already-packed schedules? Most of them don’t know. If you were to ask one of them, they’d respond somewhere along the lines of, “to go to a good college and make money.” This perception is engraved into their minds; it is the perception that societal expectations of success have tattooed into their brains. All schools offer a similar education, giving its students the same degree, whether it’s a community college or a world-ranked top college. What makes the latter so special?

   Clearly, in this society, the prestige of where one receives their education defines their intelligence; it represents their determination and competence, and defines their future, even. This prestige, this title, follows around the resumes of every top university student, no matter how they got in. It’s a privilege gifted by an acceptance.

   This was one case that was exposed. This is one of millions of cases that exist right now – one of millions of cases where people have likely used these exact tactics without anyone knowing. Now, their child grasps the aforementioned privilege in their hands and uses it to advance their career. The publicity of this scandal and the peoples’ fury over it isn’t going to convince the other dishonest college counsel academies to suddenly become righteous and put an end to their deceptive ways; it’s only going to encourage them to be more secretive and more careful in their wrongdoings. It is impossible to eliminate every case of fraud and dishonesty. Complaining isn’t actually making a difference.

   Now, I’m not justifying Singer’s actions or anyone involved in submitting fake credentials and test marks. Of course, it is incredibly angering to suffer a disadvantage due to unfair schemes. However, I believe there is irrationality in the public’s response to this matter. In a society like this, where university so heavily defines success and status, isn’t it completely expected that people with enough resources to do so will go out of their way to place themselves at their desired universities?? They possess the money to earn themselves an advantage into success, basically, like hiring the best tutors and getting a good impression by donating buildings. I can say for myself that if I were capable, I’d use every resource to buy myself a better chance, because that’s the only way to prevail. Despite the clear violation of morals, most people, if placed in this affluent position, would use their power to firstly secure their position within the flawed system, rather than trying to change it. And this isn’t something we can change. It’s a part of human nature.

   So, as for the rest of us, what steps can we take? The passage provides some suggestions, such as reestablishing ethical morals and changing society’s cultural ethos. I would argue that this goal is entirely too idealistic and large-scale to set as our next immediate benchmark towards a more ethical college admissions process. There will always be someone that tries to weasel out of hardship or take advantage of their resources.. So, the only option for us future applicants is to work harder to dilute elitist environments and bring long-term change to the system. In a world where admissions are seemingly becoming tougher every year,. we can only utilize these given circumstances as an incentive to push ourselves further, to put ourselves above everyone else, instead of feeling discouraged from a matter that is simply out of our current reach.

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   • Hey Hayoon,

     You exposed the real feelings that anyone near the college application process might feel as reading about this scandal. I have to agree with you, that it is only a natural response from the public, the fury and protests against the rich. It is frustrating to realize that your opportunity to go to a prestigious college might be due to someone who had better financial means than you was able to buy their way into getting a “prestigious” education. It makes you doubt if all the work that you have put through your years of high school and extracurricular activities, was worth it, and ultimately, it makes you question the exclusivity of these universities, as they are accepting students financially accommodated, rather than those with great intellectual, creative, innovative, and entrepreneurship abilities, who thought they would succeed in life due to the name of the university, from which they would get their degree, a fact that in our society, is not so distanced from our reality.

     I agree with you that we are targeting the wrong aspect of the problem. While the admissions directors of the colleges involved in this scandal hold a great responsibility for what has happened, your words on how these events have happened before and will continue to happen, were the wisest of your comments. Admissions officers won’t stop such practices just because the problem is now coming to the public view. Believing that we should attack those involved in the consequences of the problem, such as admissions officers, or students who got into top colleges through financial means, is like only seeing the top of the iceberg. As you said, Hayoon, the problem here is the desperate feeling of students that a degree from a top university will guarantee their future success. With this comes the privilege supported by society, as you said, gifted by acceptance.

     Although I agree that most universities could at some debatable point give a similar education to their students. The one thing that distinguishes top university students from the rest, is the important connections their students can form, entering into a prestigious college. As a high school student who is in a very similar position to you, one year away from the college application process, I share your thoughts on what I would do if I was in a facilitated financial position. I, and most students can agree with this, would use every method available to me to build a great future for myself, hiring tutors, and donating to such universities, in the flawed system that we live in. I agree with you that this response and the need to stand out in a highly competitive world is but the most normal part of our nature. And going back to what Jonker mentioned about this scandal, I might add that money is the solvent in the society we live in, and we couldn’t expect anything less but for those with easy access to great amounts of money, to use it to favor and make their existence and expectations easily fulfilled.

     Lastly, we cannot propose vague and dispersed solutions such as changing the values of our society, and the dishonesty of admissions officers because it has too much of a wide range of possible engagement, not offering a clear solution to this crisis in college admissions. With this I need to reinforce that as a society, we need to stop looking for etiquettes of titles to dictate our value or intellect as human beings. It is not the degree from a college that defines us as people with a good intellect, but what we do with our experience and our attempts to translate our ideas into real projects that will contribute to society in some impactful way, striving to have a lasting effect in our world. We need to remind ourselves that as Khiana said, the character we build when we have to work to earn our goals, is different from the one formed when things are easily handed to us. Lastly, I agree that we can benefit from these devastating scandals to motivate ourselves to stand out from the rest of the applicants while finding support and reaffirmation in our journey, through Khiana’s words, and coming to clearer thoughts on whether top colleges will define our success.

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   • I completely agree with Hayoon’s opinion and even felt so hopeless before the massive force that expects students to be subject to this “flawed” system, as Hayoon put it. It is indeed a matter of fact that everyone is aware that “acceptance” to a renowned college per se already promises people social prestige for the rest of their lives. To earn that prestige, we cannot follow the rules that “they” set because we students are the ones who want that prestige. We play the game, but we do not set the rules. And it makes us even more hopeless when we have to dedicate our whole school years and work for it when we know that the rules are “flawed.” It seems there is no place sacred from money’s wielding power. How can we make college admissions ethical when we clearly admit that every chance is benefitted by money? As Hayoon said, those who are financially secure will find the best tutor to excel academically, attend resourceful private schools, afford to pay the high tuition, and go to summer camps or fly out to international conferences without needing to look for part-time jobs over the summer. Do we believe it is a fair game from the beginning? Is there such a thing as “play by the rule?”

     Last year, affirmative action was repealed from college admission, which now even took away chances for those students who “worked” for their college admissions in given socioeconomic situations. The only way to make college admissions “equitable” has now disappeared from the table, and achieving the American dream, where one busts oneself at least to “earn” what their efforts deserve, has become much more challenging. It makes the situation even more ironic to see how legacy admissions and “back door” admission policy where a person donates to universities or sports teams survived amid a series of college admissions scandals and turmoils.

     It is human nature that people have the intuition to pay the costs (whatever it takes) to reach their goals, whether it be going to their dream school. Money is the easiest means to manipulate people and information, and it is the most commonly utilized bribe. Success in people’s lives can be defined as which college they go to, and it is very understandable for people to do everything they can to go to a prestigious college. However, would they even learn how the fruit of hard work tastes? Would they even know what it takes to plan ahead, sacrifice their priorities, and wait nervously for whatever results their efforts will bring them?

     I believe that authenticity matters, and I think it is one of the most important values in our lives. What good will going to a prestigious college be when all those backdoor students realize they do not deserve it? It feels good for a while if people succeed and earn lots of money, but that does not truly define people’s achievements—even characters. Living in a “made-up” life will always backfire on people.

     Another thing that grabbed my attention in this college admissions scandal was the rationale behind the judge’s sentence. The judge approved donations made to the colleges or universities for the sake of admissions because they would benefit more people, while donations dedicated to an individual are deemed bribery. The judge correctly differentiated the characters of donations and their benefits. However, regrettably, the rationale officially approved “purchasing admissions” through money, which is still possible if a party can accept their status of “not guaranteed” until it becomes “secured.”

     The coach said in one of the interviews that there are front doors where everyone fairly competes for his or her place in colleges or universities through test scores, extracurricular activities, GPAs, and so on– the efforts and back door where people make donations, but only that their admissions are not guaranteed. So he created a side door that complemented the weaknesses of the back door with a slight change– donations to an individual but with guaranteed admission. The judge officially approved the backdoor as a legal means to college admissions.

     To ordinary students and their families, any other way besides one’s effort to win an important, prestigious place, especially a competitive one that everyone would want and must work hard to earn, seems unfair—whether it is a side door or a backdoor. Because it is too obvious, people do not even feel it necessary to explain it. For example, what if a swimmer can buy a gold medal in the Olympic games? It is just as simple as that.

     For so long in our history, quid pro quo has kept people’s social prestige in society and passed it down to their family members or significant acquaintances, which has taken away other people’s opportunities to move up the social ladder. People have tried to correct the wrongs and implemented various measures, such as affirmative action, to redistribute wealth and opportunities through equitable chances. Fair play and democracy have become the foundation of the American dream, and people have believed that finding a diamond in the ruff was possible and more worthy than any other thing that can happen in one’s life, acknowledging people’s efforts to develop their talents and finally make their dreams come true. However, some people knowingly misconstrue what it means to make efforts, which does not mean “whatever it takes” because that unfairly “steals” another person’s place and changes society’s ethics and moral values, which sets precedence for the next generation.

     Using money to buy a membership in a prestigious college or university is one of the remnants of historical wrongs that somehow became deeply rooted in our society and must have been banned already simply because it is wrong. It is against our moral values and disrupts social order.

     However, as indicated in another Wharton published article under the title A Recent High School Grad Reflects on the Clamor Over College Admissions, building extracurricular activities in high school years costs a lot of money, and it is riches that could pull strings to include significant ones in their applications. However, at least many of them have to work for them.
     Last year, affirmative action officially became unconstitutional, while legacy admissions and donations still maintain their places in college admissions. Imagine a sense of futility. American dreams and fair play have deteriorated severely, and college admissions are indeed standing for “by the rich, for the rich, and of the rich” by making its admissions available for riches to buy, like the items in the auction. How simple is that? Just like people sit in their seats and express their willingness to pay.

     Thankfully, life has its way of showing people karma. I’ve seen some students who paid their way to Ivy League schools, and righteously, most of them dropped out because they just couldn’t keep up with the rigor of the curriculums. However, still, too many students who deserved their places got turned down and may have lost their dreams or at least compromised their paths meanwhile.

     One of my acquaintances attended a renowned private school on the Upper West Side of New York City and was recommended by a consulting firm for college admissions, demanding over a million dollars for the college admission process. Although her family could afford it, her dad turned it down and suggested she take a gap year because her dad– a “Yale” graduate– did not think it was right. It is people’s choice that can change the phase of our college admissions legacy, and a clear boundary shows how unfair schemes do not have a place for a process; only fair play must rule.

     I do not believe that it is too ideal to make a change that is too obviously right because it is people’s choice. Not all rich people make the same choice. It is just that too many institutions allow riches to wield their unfair standard at the expense of another youth’s opportunity and future. It is those institutions that nurture the idea that it is more important to be rich than to work hard and earn it. For example, donations can be a valuable asset for colleges to provide more benefits to their students, research developments, and school facilities. It is just that donations do not have to attach a string of college admission as their condition. They can change the culture just as affirmative actions disappear from the admission table. Some say that it is part of diversity that colleges and universities try to vary their admission policies. However, can they be fair instead of letting students experience and accept injustice and discriminative aspects of their society as part of their college life, especially when they dedicated more than a decade to earn it?

     As indicated in Hayoon’s comment, these scandals only exacerbate the distrust towards the admission process. Society wants transparency. One way to correct this is to make everything public. Suppose colleges and universities receive donations from families and businesses. In that case, they may want to officially declare them on their websites or school papers so that it does not stigmatize the legacy of the well-intentioned donations.

     Although the judge reasoned donations from “the backdoor” benefit both the college and the students who attend that college as a whole, colleges and universities must prohibit donations to impact college admission acceptance. Donations, by definition, are charitable work that does not expect something in return. No strings must be attached.

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   • Hey Hayoon, thank you for the hot take and thought-provoking comment. I’ve already read your comment ten times, carefully digesting all of your points and arguments.

     We’re wearing somewhat similar-fitting shoes. As a rising senior myself, I will be applying to college in the next few weeks. Reading both this article and your comment made me question: just how fair are college admissions?

     To begin, I think we can both find some common ground and agree that the individuals who flaunt their wealth and illegally exploit the use of backdoors in the college admission process are morally abhorrent and should be punished accordingly. However, I’d like to push back on your approach to solving these injustices. You say that instead of focusing our sights on the privileged who abuse the system, we should instead question society’s obsession with prestige and work harder individually – truthfully, I would prioritize making admissions more fair before anything else.

     The fact of the matter is that the wealthy are using their money to commit crimes and gain unfair advantages, and that is unacceptable in and of itself. You mentioned that “It is impossible to eliminate every case of fraud and dishonesty,” and I completely agree. Everyone has been dishonest at some point in their lives. I know for a fact that I have been deceptive at times—for instance, I remember telling my mother that I would be home by 9 PM but then end up tiptoeing through the front door past midnight. When juxtaposed to the crimes committed by these CEOs, however, my broken promise is nothing more than an unfortunate accident. These elites are playing with people’s futures, and we simply cannot allow them to sweep their blatant malfeasances under the rug. Those who are guilty must face the consequences of their actions. After all, if our society’s laws are being undermined, does our society even deserve to be referred to as one?

     More importantly, deserving students are being robbed of their rightful opportunities. The people who took part in the Operation Varsity Blues scandal not only forged documents, falsified information, and committed fraud. They squashed livelihoods and severed pathways of upward mobility for numerous families as well. On the other hand, you claim that community colleges and top universities offer similar education and that the only major difference between these institutions is the level of prestige. Then, I pose this question to you: would a student who has been admitted to one of the world’s finest scholarly institutions truly receive the same networking opportunities and educational resources at their local community college?

     Absolutely not!

     I agree that humans naturally crave prestige and social status. It is one of the most popular, recurring themes throughout all of history, exemplified by Caesar, Napoleon, Rockefeller, Pinochet… The list goes on. Because of this, Thorstein Veblen, an American sociologist and economist from the late 19th century, wrote a book titled “The Theory of the Leisure Class” to theorize the reasons behind our inclination to ambition. He believed that the reason we constantly chase status is because we are always comparing ourselves to our “neighbors.” Veblen asserted that humans will never be satisfied because we will never be content with our rung on the social ladder, for as long as we see our “neighbors” climbing up the hierarchy as well. Rather than blaming prestige’s presence in society, we need to come to terms with prestige because, as long as we humans exist, prestige will never disappear.

     This process will be easier when we understand that prestige is not inherently evil. There is nothing wrong with rewarding an individual for their grit, dedication, hard work and natural talent. However, we have been too blinkered in this discussion to appreciate merit because we have only been looking at this issue through educational lenses. Instead of seeing the social hierarchy as linear, we should see it as multi-dimensional.

     For example, Howard Gardner, a linchpin and pioneer of the field of psychology, believed that there were eight types of intelligence: musical, visual-spatial, linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Modern psychologists have even attempted to append to the list, arguing their case for creative intelligence or sexuality intelligence.

     With so many areas of speciality, shouldn’t we celebrate aptitude wherever we see it, in all its diversity of appearances? It’s a regretful world where fabricating SAT results provides more advantage than cultivating one’s own talents to the fullest. If we truly want to address the root cause of the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, we must show that success can appear in many forms and encourage students to find their niche; students should not worry about an arbitrary standardized test score. We must commemorate our perfect pitched musical geniuses, our genetically gifted and diligent athletes, and even our card-counting gamblers. We mustn’t blame prestige. Rather, we must welcome it with open arms.

     Nevertheless, I must admit that this world where everyone can succeed in their discipline is incredibly utopian and unrealistic. I just believe that accepting prestige in all aspects of life would be a better method of preventing the wealthy from cheating the system.

     Hayoon, if you see this, I’d love to continue our discussion and even start a thread about college admissions! It’s been really fun thinking and researching about controversial topics such as this one, especially when college admissions affect the lives of millions of students each application cycle. Some are fortunate enough to get into the university of their dreams, others still cling onto the possibility of being accepted off the waitlist, and the rest are redirected to other, great places.

     Although time passes by and students are forced to accept the news, the only way these students can make peace with their result is if their applications are fairly assessed. Until then, worrying about prestige or social hierarchy is not their primary concern. For the students that need closure and for justice to be served, holding accountable those who use their privilege to bypass the admissions process is a necessary first step.

     On a related note, I can tell you all about my college application process once I’m finished this upcoming semester! I’m looking forward to finding out about your journey next year too, so I hope to hear back from you soon.

     Reply