In a video posted to YouTube by Olivia Giannulli, now a first-year student at University of Southern California (USC), Giannulli expressed an interest that a lot of college students have: “I do want the experience of game days and partying.”
She followed that statement, though, with a single sentence uncharacteristic of a student admitted to a school as highly regarded as USC, superficially declaring to her nearly two-million subscribers, “I don’t really care about school.”
Students who were denied admission to USC, Yale University, Georgetown University and several other renowned universities can certainly identify with the feeling of being cheated after hearing Giannulli’s comment.
Many students already have an advantage in the admissions race at universities by virtue of athletics, family legacy or even donations. Higher-education officials historically have claimed that the college-application process is a fair one, despite knowing that people who have money or the right connections are able to manipulate the system.
What the scandal has made clear, though, is that the college admissions process needs to be re-evaluated, and changes need to be implemented to ensure that students who really deserve a spot receive one.
In case you were unaware, the FBI has named the college admissions scandal “Operation Varsity Blues.” Fifty people were allegedly involved in the scandal, which admitted students under false pretenses facilitated by notable actors, college coaches and standardized test proctors.
William Singer—a college admissions consultant, founder of the charity Key Worldwide Foundation and the mastermind behind it all—had a “side door” scheme, in which he helped wealthy families get their children into schools that they didn’t necessarily meet qualifications for.
He guaranteed families that he would be able to get their child into certain colleges–even if it meant bribing college coaches with millions of dollars, sending in Photoshopped images of students playing sports or manipulating the standardized test-taking process to ensure necessary scores. He was recorded by the FBI bragging that his scheme was successful for more than 700 college applicants.
Among the parents facing charges are Giannulli’s parents, actress Lori Loughlin, well known for her role in Full House, and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli. Their daughters Isabella and Olivia got accepted to USC through Singer’s scheme, claiming falsely to be recruits for the crew team.
Our society’s focus on status over substance has consumed too many, causing them to lose touch with reality. Students all over the country feel pressured to attend the “best” colleges as measured by academic rankings and reputations in sports and student life.
If Giannulli just wanted the “college experience,” she could have attended a less prestigious college without cheating. Students like Giannulli, who end up at prestigious schools by fabricating their credentials, presumably won’t fit in anyway because they won’t have had the same rigorous academic preparation as their peers.
College admissions corruption has been happening for long enough, and, hopefully, something is now going to be done about it. According to The Washington Post, several of the universities involved have “pledged to take a closer look at their admissions processes.”
Everyone should earn their place at a college, especially at Ivy League and other top-tier schools. Even the rich should have to earn their place.
The “Operation Varsity Blues” scandal has once again reminded us how corrupt the college admissions process can be and how people who have money can find loopholes to get their way. Shame on the parents involved for setting a poor example for their children and other young people when they know and certainly preach better.
