Earlier this year, news broke that many well-off parents were paying to allow their children to get into exclusive universities in the U.S. The operation was called “Varsity Blues,” just like the teen movie from the 90’s. Unlike the film however, it wasn’t inspiring or entertaining.
Being from the U.S and applying to colleges during the same time as many of the children in the scandal, I felt livid. I remember the work I did: the hours I worked on my grades and SAT scores, the days I spent doing extracurriculars so I could be appealing to a good school, and the nights I cried and stayed home, getting ready for the week ahead of me. I felt like they had personally wronged me, even though I hadn’t applied to those schools.
Soon, I stepped back and realized that I have always been fortunate. My parents have always supported me and helped me. I moved around the world but went to amazing public and private schools. I always had a meal on the table and someone willing to do anything to help me. A lot of people aren’t that lucky, and these students were taking up spots at schools simply because they had the money to buy their way in, rather than getting admitted through the merit and hard work that many more less fortunate students have.
One way that the students were gaining admittance was by being considered athletes, due to their parents indirectly paying bribes to coaches. The coaches would then put their child down as recruits, so they wouldn’t have to be admitted based on their grades. In the U.S., athletes get admitted with a combination of grades and talent. It is a high stakes game, as being an athlete usually comes with large scholarships that many students need in order to afford to go to school.
I know many people who are student athletes and the dedication and sacrifice they make is out of this world. Some of them are even homeschooled so they can practice more. They give up a normal high school experience to try and get ahead in their sport. The athletics recruiting and scholarship programs are, for many of them, the only shot they have at a higher education.
Considering that the children of these elite parents could afford both the tuition, as well as the best schools and tutors, they had all the tools to succeed, making the scandal even more egregious. Many of the students didn’t even want to go to university, and were solely attending for what appears to be the status associated with the school.
Anyone going to university is aware of the status that comes with certain universities. People think that the exclusivity of a university gives it a higher value, and oftentimes the university name alone can open up the best opportunities. Some schools have amazing connections and resources, but each person has different needs. Many people go to schools because their parents went there or based on the name value alone. Many, including myself, feel pressure to go to a good school not only to get a good job but to have it as a status symbol. I luckily didn’t have parents who pressured me or wanted to be what I call, “bumper sticker” parents. This is what many of the parents involved in the scandal wanted. They wanted to brag that their children went to this name specific exclusive university without concern for what their own children wanted or needed.
I’ll be honest, I felt no pity for the parents. They knew what they were doing was illegal and they were even getting tax deductions for their “charitable” donations. If they had taken those donations and invested in their own children perhaps they could have honestly earned admission themselves. However, when dealing with the children I am still left confused.
Did they know? They are the same age as me, and I’d like to believe I would have known; but I know I cannot assume. It’s not an easy thing to judge. Did they know what the staged pictures of them playing whatever sport their parents had donated to were being used for? Did they not question why they got extra time on the SATS when they didn’t have it before? Some days I feel like I would have known for sure and that they got what was coming to them. All that donation money is now wasted when it could have been better used. But other days I think about how I trust my parents and wonder if maybe they just did the same. Now they will always be known for what their parents did for them (or what they helped their parents do) and, no matter what the truth is, they are guilty in the court of public opinion.
I do know some things. Firstly, the college application system is not fair and sadly will not ever be. People with wealthy parents always get better consulting or tutoring and can have a parental legacy benefit at certain schools. The small corruptions in the system are present. At one of my schools, a counselor used her connections to get a girl into a prestigious university with lower grades. This type of corruption will never have consequences. I will always be angry about these injustices, not only for me but for others.
Secondly, thank goodness there are some consequences in this case. This week, one of the parents was sentenced, showing the reality that there will finally be repercussions. However, I don’t know how to feel about the children or young adults involved. I probably never will. To anyone who, like me, still feels this sting, we just gotta keep on going on. We have the right to be angry, but at least we were admitted to university by earning our place ourselves.