It’s outrageous no matter how you look at it. Wealthy parents buying, lying, bribing, cheating, etc. to get their kids into prestigious colleges. Or maybe into any college at all.
It’s an outrage that kids who worked and studied hard to earn their spots at those colleges were denied.
It’s an outrage that the children of those wealthy, cheating parents were denied the satisfaction of earning those admissions on their own … or the lesson that wealth and privilege can’t get you everything in life.
It’s an outrage that, until now, some of those rich kids might have been totally unaware of their parents’ actions and thought they had legitimately earned their admissions.
It’s an outrage that so much money, time, and effort went into advancing already privileged students when it could have gone into scholarship funds for many who really needed and deserved the help.
It’s an outrage that this is how our future leaders are being groomed.
It’s an outrage that our educational system has become so dysfunctional.
It’s an outrage. Period.
Yes, it is. Higher education has become something for the elite and that’s whether they buy their way in or are legitimately accepted. It is so different from my day. When I started Purdue, my tuition was around $700/semester. Didn’t include housing, which I stayed in a dorm my Freshman year. But I’m sure it wasn’t expensive at all. State colleges back then just didn’t charge an arm and a leg, especially to in-state students.
Kids these days just have to get what they want – and their parents are (obviously) enabling them. Most state-run universities will let in residents, even if their grades are below average. But, nooooo. State-run universities are just not good enough. I tell ya, I loved Purdue and I am damn proud of my degree. And when job-hunting, I’ve always received respect for that degree. One of my first jobs, post-graduation, was doing some graphics. I brought my portfolio in for the company to review my work and they said they didn’t need to. They saw my grades and new what Purdue’s curriculum was and that was fine with them.
Everything has changed so much, and definitely not all for the better.
That’s exactly the kind of respect all those wealthy parents are hoping to buy for their kids. Which brings to mind another outrage. This scandal may cast a cloud over all graduates like you, who earned their prestigious degrees honestly.
I earned my humble BA from the University of Oklahoma, after a freshman year at the Univ. of Colorado. I’m sure my parents would have preferred I accept one of the private school offers, but they left it up to me.
Hmm. Why is it then that people so admire the rich? (You probably know who I am thinking about.)
The rich are admired? Hmm. Those who admire wealth are probably just as shallow as those who think wealth somehow makes them special.
Envied, perhaps. I do appreciate those who use much of their wealth for the public good. But even more, I admire the very wealthy who go about their lives quietly and privately, doing good without ostentation, without seeking credit or public acclaim. I like to think there are a lot of those.
And obviously you are, as would I be under those circumstances.
It’s both infuriating and heartbreaking. The wealthy have bought Washington. Why should anything else be immune?
Our dear precious country is sinking fast. Let us continue to scratch and claw against such disgraceful, despicable acts. Let us all speak out as you have done so well here. Blessings always……..
We are regressing on so many fronts. Lessons learned are being forgotten or ignored. It’s so disheartening. We can only hope the pendulum swings the other way before it’s too late to recover.
Politicians who promise free stuff and shortcuts to success keep getting elected though.
Currently, the media is enamored with the likes of Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and others who admittedly want more unauthorized federal government.
For good reason nobody is enamored with Republicans who want the same things, but lie about it .
Just don’t blame me when (ANY) one of them gets elected.
Unfortunately too many people believe the promises of free stuff and shortcuts to success.
As for the media, I still blame them for Trump’s election. They didn’t do their due diligence in scrutinizing him from the beginning. He’d have never passed muster.
Nope, I won’t blame you if one of the aforementioned candidates gets elected. But I might hitch a ride out of the country.
Infuriating indeed.
My kid worked so hard to earn merit/academic scholarships – and worked since she was 15 – and while talking with CU the financial aid people, one commented to us how appalling some parents were: one father flew in that morning on his private jet and stomped in demanding to know what his daughter did not get a scholarship – and seemed angry when he was told “because she didn’t need it – you have money.”
Buying credentials for their last or not up to speed kids. So much of kids’ attitudes comes from the parents – a little window into why the younger gen. act as they do – trained to expect the best without effort.
(And now will voters really see celebrity endorsements for candidates as worth noting?…probably…so few connect the dots from one incident to another)
Wonder how long people will remember this
Bravo for the CU people! Of course, being a parent myself, I can’t be entirely objective. But it never occurred to me to try to buy admission or credentials for my son, even if I could have. Which I couldn’t. College may be one of life’s first big tests, where if a kid wants it, he or she must work hard to earn it. And shouldn’t be cheated out of his or her spot because some rich kid bought his or her way in.
As you say, the old adage of you need appreciate things that are given to you free without any effort on your part.
Those parents have set their kids up for failure.
Cheers for all those who struggle and persevere- and those who let/encourage that
Spoiled rich kids have been around for a long time. It’s just that this time they are being spoiled at someone else’s expense.