In a perfect world, college is meant to be a step-stoning to a better future.
Where regardless of age, economic status, race, religion, etc. you can excel yourself with hard work and a desire to learn. A place where you can grow your mind and spirit while preparing to change the world. For a good portion of college students, that is still true. But the recent college admissions scandal casts doubt over the true fairness of college admissions.
According to Forbes, the U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts charged 50 people in federal court in accordance with a far-reaching investigation into high school students illegally gaining admission to top colleges and universities. Parents allegedly paid prices ranging from $200,000 to $6.5 million to have their children admitted to different schools. The most notable parents charged in this investigation are Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) and Lori Loughlin (Full House, Fuller House). Parents are not the only ones being indicted. Executives from a major asset manager, an investment firm, law firm, college coaches, SAT and ACT test proctors, and a college counsellor named William Singer. Singer cooperated with the Justice Department by wearing a wire to implicate others. Singer claims to take responsibility and his role in the racket. These are important facts and I am extremely hopeful that the U.S. justice system does its job. But I am skeptical.
These people have taken advantage of a societal system that is already geared towards them. The parents used the money to open a door for their children that other families could only dream of reaching for. They have shown their children and the world that money can truly buy you anything. The spots that were paid for and undeservingly given to should have been for students who have actually worked hard. It is so disappointing that these many people were involved and at no point did anyone stop and think about the wrongs they were committing. What else are the rich doing with the money that we don’t know about? America is supposed to be equal opportunity. That is the opposite of what happened here. And who is to say that the courts will treat them differently? The U.S. justice system has a repeated habit of letting the rich off easy. I would like to think this won’t happen in this case. But I’m starting to realize that maybe money is the key to everything.