Fake grades and achievements - how applicants got into Yale and Stanford for a bribe

In 2019, the largest corruption scheme for admission to elite universities, including Yale and Stanford, was exposed in the United States. It turned out that Hollywood stars, businessmen, and successful managers paid intermediaries from $15,000 to $75,000 to get their children to pass exam tests.

U.S. federal prosecutors have charged about 50 people from six U.S states with $25 million in bribery. To help the children of wealthy parents gain admission to the country's elite universities, the group rigged results, attributed nonexistent achievements to applicants, and arranged for other people to take the entrance exams. Among the educational institutions that have opened their doors to students - protégés of the criminal group are Yale, Georgetown, Stanford University, the University of California and others. This is the major university admissions crime case in the U.S. history."

Fake grades, fake photos, and fake achievements. The criminal scheme operated for almost 10 years, theUS prosecutor's office called it a "conspiracy on a national scale" and reported 50 arrests. Not only parents, but also the organizers of exams and standardized tests that the applicants took were arrested.

"The fraudulent scheme involved both experienced teachers who corrected the mistakes of applicants in the entrance exams, and sports coaches who, for bribes, attributed non-existent achievements to young men and women that gave benefits for admission."

Joseph Bonavolonta, FBI Agent:

"We believe that all of them – parents, coaches, university staff – lied and cheated to cover up their crimes, and hard-working students, honest taxpayers suffered."

The case has already been called the major fraud in the American education system. And all the laurels here belong to 58-year-old William Singer from California. In 2011, the man created a company to prepare for college. But instead of tutoring, they were engaged in bribing sports coaches and examiners, obtaining answers to tests, and rigging. Experienced teachers could be sent to the exams under the guise of students. Among the services there was also a photomontage - children who had never played sports, in one second in the photo, turned into champions in rowing or football.

Collegegate shrouded the American dream in a very foul-smelling shell, if not destroyed it. It turns out that if you are rich and famous, you can bypass the general rules, and the talent and achievements of others in this situation mean nothing.

"In one case, the head coach of the Yale women's football team took on an applicant in exchange for $400,000, knowing that the girl had not even played football. After the applicant entered the university, William Singer received $, 1.2 million from her parents," said Massachusetts District Attorney Andrew Lelling.

It's a similar story for actress Lori Loughlin, whose daughters were enrolled on the University of Southern California rowing team for the "token" sum of $500,000. Moreover, both of them have never held oars in their hands. Another star, desperate housewife Felicity Huffman, paid much less — just $15,000 - giving it as a charity.

And what about the clear and strict rules of admission, the system of selecting the most worthy candidates, which are the basis and pride of the most popular American system? The press immediately recalled the case of Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. He was accepted to Harvard shortly after his father donated $2.5 million to the university.

It is worth noting that it is extremely interesting to observe such a situation: after all, universities such as Harvard and Stanford have always been a dream for students from all over the world. It seemed that this was a truly magnificent education that would open any doors. But now it is clear that not all, and not for everyone.