The Senior Issue
Special Edition Spring 2019
The Bark
Admission to college is often seen as a money game, and the most recent college scandal does nothing but confirm that.
How Did You Get Into College?
Kaitlyn Krueger
In early March, news broke about Operation Varsity Blues, a college admissions bribery scandal, one of the biggest of its kind. At least 50 people are alleged to have been part of it, a number of whom have pled guilty or agreed to plead guilty. Thirty-three parents of college applicants are accused of paying more than $25 million between 2011 and 2018 to fraudulently inflate applicants’ entrance exam test scores and to bribe college officials. This sent a shock through high schools around the United States, in some ways confirming a suspicion many have always had: the admissions process is highly fraudulent and based in money. Sam Winters, senior, explains the money game that can be the admissions process. “For those that don’t know, you have to pay an application fee just to apply to a college, with prices ranging anywhere from $40 to as much as $110. This is just to apply to the school, you have no idea if you’re going to be accepted or not.” He continued to explain the additional costs associated with sending SAT scores, AP scores, and possibly sending in financial information. “I
applied to 10 schools. Just applying to those schools cost my parents around $1000.” This deprives a lot of students of opportunities, opportunities given to students with a bigger budget. As Tori Vela put it, “it deprives real, hardworking students of any economic bracket, of the opportunity to be given an opportunity to attend a prestigious college.” This behavior puts a significant dent in the trust students have with the college system. Tori brought up the behavior of Ivy League schools, and in particular, Harvard. “[Harvard] is currently in the middle of another lawsuit that consists of them using algorithms to have a “quota” on what kind of person gets into their school.” College can often be viewed as a collection of elitists and trust fund babies, and scandals like this do nothing to promote trust in
these institutes of higher learning. Due to his safety with his athletic record, the news of this scandal did not affect Derek Kolb’s college perspectives, it did significantly diminish his opinion of these colleges. As he mentioned, “If these huge Ivy League schools can get away with it, why couldn’t these smaller schools get away with it, and much easier?” At this point, you may feel significantly more cynical towards these Ivy League schools, and college in general, and why shouldn’t you be? Having a blind faith in these institutions is a naive game that would be dangerous to play. However, do not take it as an end to opportunities. Go for that Ivy League college, try your best to get where you might want to go. Someone with a bigger pocketbook might buy their spot, but sleep peacefully, knowing wherever you go: you got there on your own merit.
“If these huge Ivy League schools can get away with it, why couldn’t these smaller schools get away with it?”
5