Recently, I found myself watching the Netflix documentary about the 2019 college admissions scandal. The documentary mainly focuses on Rick Singer, the mastermind behind the whole ordeal. Singer would use what he called “the side door” as a way to get his clients’ children into the school of their choice. Unlike “the back door,” which is just donating large sums of money, the side door involves the parents paying Rick to create a fake athletic portfolio for their kids, which then gets approved by his connections within the school and guarantees the students admission to their desired school. The parents were usually CEOs, celebrities, lawyers, etc. After watching the documentary, I was left pondering many topics.
As a student, it’s easy to believe that working hard will get you into a top-ranked school and set you up for success later in life. But, in reality, no matter how hard you work, there’s always someone who can take your spot because they have more money. Operation Varsity Blues reveals exactly how rich people use their money to exploit the education system. The colleges involved in this scandal were the ones who actually created the system that allows wealthy people to bribe their way into top institutions. Colleges prefer wealthy families because they get money from them one way or another. They also add prestige to these schools by making them seem more exclusive and valuable, even though nothing regarding their educational value changes. In situations like these, there is no way colleges can lose.
One thing that stood out to me was how the families involved had access to every resource, yet still cheated. The SAT and ACT often determine whether or not one will get into a college. The wealthy have access to the best college counselors, programs, tutors and more and will often pay any amount of money for their kids to be successful. Even though they have all the advantages one could have, they still cheated their way into these schools — the lack of consequences they face shows how privileged they are.
One student featured in the documentary raised a particular question: when it’s time for our children to go to college, where will they go? Many colleges are becoming increasingly selective. If these institutions continue operating the way they do — by catering to the rich — what will college admissions look like 30 years from now? College admissions were different 40 years ago, so it’s hard to imagine how they will be in the future. I assume that unless the system changes, nothing else will.
After watching this documentary and thinking about the college admission system, it’s important to note that these schools’ prestige is an illusion that raises their ranking to make them look more valuable. The academics at these schools are not changing and there are thousands of other colleges to choose from. Therefore, it’s important to remember that even though you may not get into the top-ranked school on your list, it does not mean you are not good enough.