People Of The Color Green
Frederick M. Hess and Hannah Warren write in NRO of the legally accepted admissions scandal, wildly rich people buying their dumbass kid into college through more direct bribery than Felicity Huffman's (and others') -- bribery that goes straight to the college:
Just last week, court records from the Varsity Blues scandal's aftermath revealed some of the ways in which the University of Southern California offered preferences in the admissions process to students whose parents made substantial contributions. In an eye-opening account, the Wall Street Journal described the intricate, color-coded spreadsheets that USC used to track "special-interest applicants," which were peppered with comments such as "'given 2 million already,' '1 mil pledge,' 'Previously donated $25k to Heritage Hall' and 'father is surgeon.' "The ongoing lawsuit against Harvard University's affirmative-action policies has similarly brought to light missives which show just how explicit the admissions hustle can be, even at the nation's most respected institutions. In one 2013 email with the subject line "My Hero," the former dean of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, David Ellwood, thanked a colleague for help in admitting a set of students with very "special" qualifications. "Once again you have done wonders," Ellwood wrote. "I am simply thrilled about the folks you were able to admit. . . . [Redacted] has already committed to a building."
In another email from the Harvard suit, Associate Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development Roger Cheever observed, in discussing the merits of another Harvard hopeful, that the student's family had at one point given Harvard $8.7 million, but had proven "challenging" in recent years. "[Redacted] was a devoted [redacted] Chair and generous donor," Cheever wrote, but "going forward, I don't see a significant opportunity for further major gifts." ("[Redacted] had an art collection which conceivably could come our way," he noted, almost as an afterthought, coming off for all the world like Tony Soprano surveying the assets of a New Jersey sporting-goods store.)
As the Harvard Crimson drily noted, "The public has long suspected that Harvard favors those who fund it. But blatant examples like those presented Wednesday -- the promised building, the 'conceivable' art collection, the 'red carpet' treatment -- rarely if ever become public knowledge."
When people indignantly talk about merit-based admissions, they tend not to be talking about how big a building some student's mommy and daddy can buy.
Why is Felicity Huffman's brand of bribery illegal and not the other kind? Just tradition? Better lobbyists? The Congressman's kid hopes to go to Harvard or USC?
Yes. And this is nothing new. As I said at the time the 'scandal' wasn't that colleges take bribes. It was that these particular employees weren't authorized to take the bribes on the school's behalf.
Also, any of these people bribe their way into MIT? I'm not saying MIT is above taking bribes (they really aren't). But it would look pretty stupid to bribe your way in and then flunk out within a year.
Ben at September 20, 2019 5:53 AM
The question comes down to this: do they graduate these admits no matter what? or do they allow them to wash out?
The former waters down the value of the institution in question. The later is not allowing suckers to keep their money.
I R A Darth Aggie at September 20, 2019 7:09 AM
What you have to understand about these schools, especially Harvard, is that grade inflation is rampant. These spots are being bought for liberal arts and business majors, not STEM kids bc you can’t fake your way through calculus by writing an essay at the end of term. In the early 2000’s, Harvard’s cheating/grade inflation story was exposed and then quickly hushed up bc our elites still to go there. I wouldn’t send my child to any of those schools, even with free tuition. The leftists sucked the marrow and merit out of these schools decades ago.
Sheep Mom at September 20, 2019 7:24 AM
Choose!
(To hope for a mix of these is a dream too grandiose.)Crid at September 20, 2019 8:22 AM
If this is wrong then the Clintons getting Chelsea a $400,000 starter job is wrong.
Shaking my head at you communists. Just unbelievable envy. You should be ashamed, and you should work harder.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 20, 2019 10:40 AM
Nothing to see here, peasant, move along...
If the scandal was as Ben said: " As I said at the time the 'scandal' wasn't that colleges take bribes. It was that these particular employees weren't authorized to take the bribes on the school's behalf." then the univ employee should be fired, not Huffman arrested.
cc at September 20, 2019 11:24 AM
Well, aside from the whole "one is criminal and the other isn't," there's the fact that a building or grant benefits the whole campus community -- not only current students but students to come -- whereas the illegal behavior benefits only one person and disadvantages another. A place in the incoming class at elite universities is a scarce resource, so any spot filled by this student is denied to some other, law-abiding student.
Szoszolo at September 20, 2019 12:40 PM
"a building or grant benefits the whole campus community -- not only current students but students to come"
Also current professor and administrators, as well as professors and administrators to come.
David Foster at September 20, 2019 1:11 PM
That's because the Ivies used to be set aside for people of a certain social class. Now, it's not and the generous endowments which that class used to bestow are drying up. The progeny of that class are instead going to private Southern universities and their parents' money is following.
The social class that formerly endowed the Ivies knew how to endow a university: donate a building, start construction, and then have Junior apply to the school - with Junior quietly enrolled as the university marvels at its new building.
When an Ivy accepted Junior before, it was the university that was bribed. Now, it's the employee or even an outsider who is bribed. Felicity Huffman did not endow a chair or donate a building. She wrote a check to en university employee.
This new social class bribing its way into "elite" schools does not know even how to slip the maitre d a twenty without calling attention to itself.
Conan the Grammarian at September 20, 2019 3:01 PM
"This new social class bribing its way into "elite" schools does not know even how to slip the maitre d a twenty without calling attention to itself." ~Conan
Aint that the truth. None of this would have come to light if the main people involved could have kept their mouths shut. Instead they bragged about the crimes they committed to anyone and everyone who would listen.
Ben at September 20, 2019 4:06 PM
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