Was she a good student and deserving of a spot at Wharton? If not, then she unfairly took someone’s spot at Wharton.
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I think families of wealth (from above average to uber) have to deal with the fact that their kids will have enough money to to anything they want, or nothing at all. The former is fine and the latter is a waste.
I find it commendable that there kids from these families who choose to stretch and push themselves at rigorous schools like Wharton (and the other ivys). As we all know, these schools are hard to get into (FWIW, there are no buildings with Trump’s name on them at Penn).
Having immense resources at a young age can be a road to disaster and those who choose to go to school to try to make something of themselves should not be criticized (nor should their parents).
The movie was about parents and their children who were trying to cheat the system and reap the rewards without the hard work. I think we can all agree that cheating is bad.
However, to say all ultra/uber wealthy kids are undeserving or not good at school just because they come from wealthy families may be reflective of one’s own insecurity/problems.
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Why are you creating strawmen? No one here is talking about ALL children of wealthy families. We are talking about those who used their power and money to cheat their way in. So yes, all of them are underserving.
And the blame should be equally shared with the schools that are complicit in creating these back doors and side doors and so forth. Especially considering that all of them are doing so using public tax dollars and tax deductions. Schools like Stanford absorb hundreds of millions of public dollars in the form of tax deductions and such. They should be held to a higher standard.
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If you are only talking about the families involved in the Varsity Blues scandal, why do you bring up Ivanka Trump and whether kids who come from very wealthy families deserve to go to elite schools? Trump, despite his many faults, was not involved in this scandal. Conflating your political views with this act of cheating is wrong. Strawman indeed.
If you don’t want your kids to go to elite schools, don’t send them.
Have to agree. Let’s move the conversation forward.
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I agree completely, but for many of the people who consider doing this kind of side door thing, the quality of the education at these institutions is beside the point. It’s about prestige, and the doors that are opened to graduates of these schools through the various networks. It’s about being able to hold your head up when well educated peers ask where Jr. got in.
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I thought Matthew Modine did a pretty good job of portraying Singer. He was believable.
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@skieurope, thanks for keeping us on track.
While Operation Varsity Blues produced around 50 indictments, Singer stated he had helped over 700 families with his college counseling services.
Are there more indictments to come? What about those who used these illegal services and have already graduated from college?
It sounded like the final shoe yet to drop was whether or not Singer was actually going to be indicted himself with additional charges. The film seemed to leave that hanging. Anyone know if there is an update? Apparently he pled guilty and cooperated with the FBI but it sounded like the final resolution of his case was still pending.
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Didn’t Singer have college counseling services that were not considered “cheating”, as well as those that were?
Degrees can be rescinded.
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Singer had many clients who used him for test prep or polishing essays and applications. Phil Mickelson’s daughter was using his services at the time this all broke but there were no issues with her applications, and no accusations of cheating.
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Singer has already plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud US, and obstruction of justice. Sentencing is pending the results of the other indictments where the defendants have not taken a plea. Question is how much jail time he will receive and if it will be less than other defendants who have plead guilty.
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