Loughlin’s kids need to withdraw – whether they knew what their parents did or not. They were never students.
@glasshalffull123 While I do not share your analysis, as a parent, I certainly respect any decision a parent makes on behalf of their child. I said my piece in detail at post #1333 on page 89 of this thread. So I will not repeat myself to that extent here.
This is unfortunately not new. Influence peddling and especially using money as a means to secure spots for lesser candidates has been going on since the inception of higher learning. Back in the 80s, at JHU, we were likewise astonished by a handful of lesser candidates who got in due to the extreme wealth of their families. And it has always happened at the Ivies and elsewhere. Yesterday’s revelation is troubling as it puts a new twist on the prior nefarious model of simply offering up large sums of money directly… adding in the element of bribery to secure false athletic recruitment or even worse - the falsification of test scores.
As for USC’s involvement, I am presently only aware of two current students tied to this scandal, and they could clearly face retribution from the university as they clearly knew that they were not crew athletes. Their applications were thus fraudulent. And speaking of small percentages, 2 out of 45,000+ (in terms of current USC students overall) is a very small % indeed. 99.9956% of all USC students are not involved and should not be connected with some irresponsible actions on the part of a set of fraudulent and deceptive parents. And 2 employees caught up in the scandal and immediately fired… out of nearly 20,000 current USC employees overall is also a very small percentage. 99.99% of all USC employees were also not involved and should not be connected or associated with the irresponsible and criminal actions of two petty thieves. It would be great if all organizations of the size and scope of USC could be perfect when hiring as many as 20,000 people… but simple greed, and especially at the level that tempted these people, can unfortunately sway some weaker individuals.
But if you are hesitant about sending your child to a college or university where any past or current students had their way in paved by money in one form or another, I am sorry but the remaining list of available options is likely very very short. It will certainly not include any private institutions, and it will likely not include any of the 50 top colleges or universities in this country.
Good luck with your ultimate family decision… hopefully she gets in and then you can decide later.
@slimjim005 I would like to see how USC handles these kids specifically. That will speak volumes to me as to whether this is a USC problem, i.e., is it a victim of a scam or is it complicit. I have wondered, regardless of the scandal surfacing now, how these kids have continued to earn their place at the school by passing classes, etc.
^^^ that is certainly a good point. I sent two daughters to USC the right way. USC does need to take corrective action. They already fired those responsible and are reviewing athletic recruitment and recommendations or influence via any of their employees and also analyzing ways to revamp admissions oversight… but they also need to set a firm example with any connected students there if it can be proven that the students themselves were complicit in fraud or deception of any form.
I tend to doubt there were only two. Those were the ones caught in THIS sweep. I bet there will be more scrutiny going forward…on athletes, of private college counselors, of embellished applications, etc. (at USC and other schools caught up in it THIS time, and other highly selective universities).
All applications should be reviewed again before admissions go out by end-March (what is the date decisions are expected?)
Also it is well known at private schools (all over the US) that USC takes students that are not the top students, but the ones who have wealthy parents. They also tend to accept kids from wealthy zip codes.
I understand WWWard and others defending USC. But the frequent long posts are probably not helping much as the views are not objective. It is perfectly ok to have a passion for USC but there is no need to keep defending it.
It is clear that this is not the first scandal USC has had to deal with. The President was removed last year due to several scandals which supported the position that the administration knew about complaints and looked the other way. The managing of a scandal like this is important. Looking the other way and acting like victims is not the correct response. Let’s see if USC and the interim President deal with this harshly or not.
The right response is quick action to evaluate all current applications, review the athletic department organization and potentially remove additional individuals, and set policies to not allow this sort of thing to continue in the future. Maybe an independent committee to investigate and propose changes.
I agree with the main comments though that this will probably have little impact on everyone’s decision to attend a great university like USC. But it would make me feel better if the administration was addressing the issue.
@glasshalffull123 Someone else posted on here that they attend the Loughlin girls’ HS now. It doesn’t appear those girls were ever students. Also, someone said those girls have someone checking them in for classes that they don’t attend. They need to stop the farce. USC should ask them to leave if they don’t withdraw themselves in the next 24 hours.
@wwward I sincerely did not mean to offend you. I know you have been very helpful on this board. I was just offering a perspective as the parent of a prospective student. Most kids who applied to USC will have other options and although USC has some great advantages (which is why we applied), the scandal will be a factor in our decision making process.
@WWWard With all due respect, your kids got in to USC. Please keep in mind that other applicants did not get in, due to unethical admissions of X# students. I doubt it is only 2, as USC is known for taking celebrity kids, kids of the super-rich, etc.
anyone else who applied for financial aid get emails asking for additional documents this week?
@2019are my D received an email yesterday asking additional document for FA … not sure if this is a good sign at this moment??
@2019are got one request on last Thursday
@2019are we received an email a couple of weeks ago. We had to give additional tax info.
it said in the email that all financial aid applicants were asked for it and it is not indicative of a decision. wasnt sure if they were just saying that or??
@2019are my D’s email didn’t include that statement … the request was very specific …
EDIT I was wrong … the email includes “it is not indicative of a decision” like @2019are mentioned. Just their request is very specific … not just tax documents.
There is one more attending in addition to Lori’s girls. I read an article listing all Bay Area parents charged. There are parents charged with bribing a USC official to get their daughter in as a volleyball recruit. The dad posted a pic of her acceptance packet last March. And as of this morning, the mom was a member of the USC moms group.
@glasshalffull123 my D is a freshman this year. She is surrounded by highly motivated, intelligent, passionate peers. I understand why you would be hesitant in light of this scandal but I hope you don’t let this deter your child if USC turns out to be the best fit. While there are certainly very wealthy, privileged kids there, they are not the majority. My D has met good, down to earth people who are working hard and contributing to the USC and surrounding communities.
@glasshalffull123 No worries. I am not at all offended. I of course offered my opinions to my kids as well. They likely did not apply to certain schools or favored some due to my analysis or opinions. It is how parenting works, and every family needs to make their own decisions based on factors important or critical to them. This is a very stressful time for applicants and their families alike. I am so glad to be beyond it. And it does not end with admissions’ decisions. Soon… the excitement at getting in will be tainted by the sticker shock reality for many. While USC will likely only accept 12% this cycle, the cruel extra reality is that 63% of those admitted will then in turn reject USC for whatever reason. And many of the 88% who were rejected will of course be bitter. And many of them would have committed and attended if admitted. Overall… it is just a lot to deal with. So I feel for your upcoming decision and its prerequisite thought process.
And my daughters’ experiences & friendships have mirrored @Marcie123 's. Every USC student can define their own path and serve as the architect of their own college experience.
@sunnyschool Understood. Yes… the vast majority will not get in. And yes… some who get in have the advantage of fame/celebrity or wealth or connections not accessible to others. But in the admission process, USC will also reject 90% of legacy applicants – upsetting many, including many wealthy families - and reject 4K+ kids with absolutely perfect stats, etc., etc. 88% will be disappointed regardless. There is no escaping that. But of those admitted… 17% or more will be FirstGen, 21% or more will be low-income… and other diversity factors will be at play too… all designed to craft a diverse and well-rounded freshman class. The overall freshman profile does not point to just a group of 3000 wealthy and privileged kids. It is very diverse… both ethnically and in economic terms. The #s from yesterday seem to indicate that at least 24 got in from 2014-18 unfairly. During those 5 years, another 44K+ were also admitted the normal way without undue influence or corrupt practices… and then roughly 29K of those 44K rejected USC in turn. I can name roughly 20-30 celebrity kids or kids of the super-rich at USC right now myself… but that is also out of a pool of over 19K undergraduates. 4000+ of those 19K receive Pell Grants after all and are deemed low-income. Even if the true # of celebrity kids is double or triple what I am aware of, it is still a very small percentage of the overall student body. USC does need as many full pay students as possible to allow for the 66% who receive merit and need-based grants.
@2019are and others…
And as for financial aid and any of their inquiries or follow-up requests for info… they do operate on a completely separate and independent path. They do not communicate with Admissions at this stage… and nothing received from them in any form is an early indication one way or the other.
Do you know if asking for specific financial aid documents a good sign? they asked me to fill out a VERY detailed form yesterday and was wondering if that meant anything
^@WWWard
when is the predicted day that decisions will come out?