On March 12th of this year, a massive scandal broke involving multiple well-known colleges. Right around 50 different people were involved, including 33 parents and a handful of college admissions officers and varsity coaches. The entire situation has made national news; wealthy families are buying their children into the college of their choice. But this type of situation is actually quite frequent. In fact, most rich parents were able to find seemingly legal ways of getting their children into universities, as the loopholes available to them are unregulated.
The first reported case of cheating on college admissions through the SAT was in 1992 when answers were carved into pencils that were later used on the test. But if cases like these are so common, then why is that this case has grown so large? After a bit of research, I do believe I have found the answer to that question.
It is natural for people to feel a bit of jealousy. That little green monster that comes around the corner whenever we see someone else enjoying the fruits of labor we ourselves do not have; especially when the person in question did not have to endure any of the actual labor. Therefore, whenever we see someone wealthy finally have to face the music, it comes as a welcome surprise. Alas, envy is not the only reason as to why many care so much about this ordeal.
People tend to get absorbed in the lives of celebrities. They watch their shows, see all of their drama. Such as the case with the Kardashians, a family who happens to have a reality television show. It isn’t that we truly enjoy the family, as many would voice a certain distaste for their antics, but that we enjoy seeing how their lives play out with drama that isn’t our own. On top of that, it allows us to “fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame. Ordinary people can watch the shows, see people like themselves and imagine that they too could become celebrities by being on television,” according to Psychology Today.
Many of the views for the college scandal when it was advertised that Hollywood stars Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman were involved. Loughlin played the character ‘Aunt Becky’ in the extremely popular 90s show ‘Full House’. Huffman was most notable for her role in ‘Desperate Housewives’, which ran for eight years. Both of these women took part in shows that were involved in the lives of millions of viewers. In turn, all of these viewers were interested in seeing how such beloved actresses could take that dark turn in life and what might happen to them. The news coverage on the scandal was nowhere near as big as it was after those two names hit the headlines.
While it is true that a handful of students might have been cheated out of going to a high-ranking university, there is very little proof to support that idea. Mind you, that has not stopped anyone from suing for that exact purpose. According to CNN News, a group of families is suing seven different colleges because “they spent money to apply to schools named in the college admissions scandal, and attorneys say they wouldn't have applied had they known about the alleged scheme.” Among those listed are Yale and the University of California at Los Angeles. The fate of the case has not yet been decided.
In the end, this entire scandal really doesn’t affect anyone. Or not anyone in Dunellen High School, at least. Because the scandal is already being dealt with, ending with most of the convicted going for plea deals, it is unlikely to affect anyone in any high school at the moment. Ergo, there is no reason as to why anyone should truly concern themselves with the development of the situation. Instead of worrying oneself with all the ways they might be cheated out of a university, they should instead focus on working hard enough to make sure that they cannot be turned down from any school.