College Entrance Fraud (non-WSU)

[wufan]

Honestly surprised this is illegal... I understand money laundering and failing to report income on taxes, but if you’re a private institution, why shouldn’t someone be able to pay more to get into your school? Obviously if the school is handing out degrees to students, then the AASCB can pull accreditation...

I guess my question is... if kid 1 says I’ll pay $300,000 to go to Harvard, and kid 2 says he’ll pay $3,000,000, why wouldn’t Harvard take kid 2? Again, assuming both kids will be given the same level of coursework once accepted.

I recently sold my home and had multiple offers. I’m sure the single mom that offered $10,000 below asking price THOUGHT she deserved the house more- and maybe she did- but I took the highest offer. Am I wrong?

I think there is a level of fraud in this case. The college is advertising meritocracy as the standard, which is what gives the degree value, but they are selling status based on unregulated capitalism. Not the same as selling physical goods IMO.

[jdshock]

No one is alleging that the institutions did anything wrong at this time, as far as I can tell.

[wufan]

You are correct. The paying the realtor analysis below is a much better analogy.

[jdshock]

Honestly surprised this is illegal... I understand money laundering and failing to report income on taxes, but if you’re a private institution, why shouldn’t someone be able to pay more to get into your school? Obviously if the school is handing out degrees to students, then the AASCB can pull accreditation...

I guess my question is... if kid 1 says I’ll pay $300,000 to go to Harvard, and kid 2 says he’ll pay $3,000,000, why wouldn’t Harvard take kid 2? Again, assuming both kids will be given the same level of coursework once accepted.

I recently sold my home and had multiple offers. I’m sure the single mom that offered $10,000 below asking price THOUGHT she deserved the house more- and maybe she did- but I took the highest offer. Am I wrong?

That isn't what is being charged. Donating $5 million for a building so that Harvard will admit your kid is almost certainly legal. That is the "above board" way to get your kid admitted.

This is a totally different allegation. The indictment alleges conspiracy to commit bribery for and the actual fraudulent administration of the ACT/SAT, bribing coaches and those coaches fraudulently designating the students as recruits, and the illegal use of charitable organizations.

In terms of your home analogy, this is much more in line with the single mother paying your realtor an extra $5,000 so that the realtor would get you to accept the single mother's purchase price.

[abdullah_sharif]

hell no jd.. i’m an unapologetic capitalist. why should you take a haircut because of her life choices? (unless she was widowed)

[Shockm]

Honestly surprised this is illegal... I understand money laundering and failing to report income on taxes, but if you’re a private institution, why shouldn’t someone be able to pay more to get into your school? Obviously if the school is handing out degrees to students, then the AASCB can pull accreditation...

I guess my question is... if kid 1 says I’ll pay $300,000 to go to Harvard, and kid 2 says he’ll pay $3,000,000, why wouldn’t Harvard take kid 2? Again, assuming both kids will be given the same level of coursework once accepted.

I recently sold my home and had multiple offers. I’m sure the single mom that offered $10,000 below asking price THOUGHT she deserved the house more- and maybe she did- but I took the highest offer. Am I wrong?

The institutions weren't mentioned as doing anything wrong at this time. The parents have been accused for cheating and keeping other students from being able to attend school that didn't cheat and pay the go between and testing services money.

[Stickboy46]

Honestly surprised this is illegal... I understand money laundering and failing to report income on taxes, but if you’re a private institution, why shouldn’t someone be able to pay more to get into your school? Obviously if the school is handing out degrees to students, then the AASCB can pull accreditation...

I guess my question is... if kid 1 says I’ll pay $300,000 to go to Harvard, and kid 2 says he’ll pay $3,000,000, why wouldn’t Harvard take kid 2? Again, assuming both kids will be given the same level of coursework once accepted.

I recently sold my home and had multiple offers. I’m sure the single mom that offered $10,000 below asking price THOUGHT she deserved the house more- and maybe she did- but I took the highest offer. Am I wrong?

The problem is the schools DIDN'T agree to it. Singular people inside the school, and people outside the school falsified documentation (along with money changing hands) to present the kids in a way that wasn't factual. That's where it became fraud. The schools were ultimately unaware that this was happening (according to the court documents)

[pinstripers]

If Lori Loughlin asked me a favor, it wouldn't cost her no 500 thou

[1972Shocker]

How do you know she didn't receive a deep discount at that price in exchange for other considerations?

[WstateU]

beware of the makeup....

[Eric]