Community Chat

[lovesrecess]

The word that everyone seems to forget is cheating. Having test results altered or having someone else take the test fraudulently is wrong! Having your app moved forward faster in the process at the school where you father went is not unusual, but it isn’t fraudulent. If you are a legacy, many schools will give you preference over someone else who is not. That is also not fraudulent. This whole scandal is all about fraud. Misrepresenting yourself as an athlete, faking your scores, etc....all fraud.

[lovesrecess]

There are actual books that give tips for applying to college or trying to get scholarships....even websites...many of them will say to include any minority connection you can possibly dream up...among other “liberties” in order to get an edge....am sure many parents do a lot of these things and it is never noticed because there are not large sums of money changing hands and no celebrities involved.

[Puppy Lips]

I think many parents will help their kids get ahead or get an advantage if they can, but legally. I know with our boys we paid for extra sport lessons, sat/act prep, reading comprehension classes, etc. Nothing wrong with that. Paying money to cheat is downright wrong. I am shocked, though I shouldn’t be, that a proctor could be bribed to change answers on a test. I hope they get in trouble too.

[Johnnyeager]

Mark Riddell was the principal proctor, working closely  with Singer and his scheme.  He corrected tests, coached students during test taking and in some instances, took the test posing as a student.

He plead guilty to all charges on April 12th, was a chief cooperating governmental witness and will be sentenced on July 18th.

(Singer's sentencing is scheduled for June 19th).

[stevieb]

---

@lovesrecess wrote:

Now students will have an “ adversity score” based on 1-100, included in their SAT score. Students won’t see the score but it will be submitted to their schools along with their test grade....it will take into account zip codes, type of neighborhood, socio economic data,  crime statistics, etc. They are reporting this as brand new, but when one of my DDs applied to law school in 2007, the only school that didn’t accept her said our zip code had too many attorneys so she would not be “contributing to the diversity of careers in our state”. Ridiculous, right?  Was accepted at 9 other ones and offered fellowships....adversity scores sound like affirmative action with a new name. Does this mean someone who achieves a super low score but lives in a crime-ridden, low-income area would be admitted based on their adversity score? Do you think this is fair? 1-100 sure is a lot of leeway.

---

@lovesrecess... No, I don't think it's justified. Personally, I think it's a crock... You don't correct one wrong by perpetrating another. You don't push one person to the head of the line because they had it rough by denying someone else the place in line they earned. I'm a firm believer in the best all around qualified applicants gaining admission, getting the job whatever...

[Johnnyeager]

Yesterday, there were two more formal hearings as guilty pleas were entered and accepted.  6 more hearings are scheduled for the rest of week.

Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of the prestigious international law firm., Wilkie Farr & Gallagher   He paid $75,000 to have his daughter's ACT exam corrected after she took iit.

Prosecution recommends 14 month prison term and $40,000 fine.

Agustin Huneeus, executive of a family owned Napa Valley vineyard.  He agreed to pay $300,000 to fix his daughter's SAT exam and have her falsely recruited to the USC water polo team.  He had paid $50,000 but was arrested before the balance was paid.

Prosecution recommends:  15 month prison term and $95,000 fine.

Clearly, by pleading guilty these parents will do considerably less than the 20 year maximum term possible.

Too bad Lori and Mossimo didn't understand this.  Their sentences would have been higher due to the $ amount involved, but at least it wouldn't be 40 years.

[cherry]

It seems the fine should be equivalent to the bribe. What happens to the bribe money? Must it be returned,do the people who accepted it get off Scott free?

[Johnnyeager]

Many of the coaches who accepted the bribes have been arrested and indicted.  Some have already entered guilty pleas, as has Mark Riddell who was paid to alter test exams.

The government has seized bank accounts in multiple cases and will recapture the bribe payments.

I assume that the fines go into the Treasury, or perhaps a victim's compensation fund of some sort, but I'm not sure.

[suzyQ3]

I am in favor of some type of adversity ranking. But it should be tweaked to have more transparency. The devil is always in the details.

[Johnnyeager]

The College Board's website gives a very detailed description of exactly what data is assembled to calculate an "adversity score".  Officially, they call it the Environmental Context Dashboard.

Personally, I have no problem with it.  It's just another data point of information for a school's admissions department.  They don't have to use it.  Or they could factor it into a decision.  They same way they can deal with the SAT.  Weigh it solely, weigh it heavily, barely weigh it.

And, importantly, it doesn't alter a student's SAT score.