As the parent of a child who received a scholarship to an Ivy League school through hard work, brains, and true athletic ability, I’m disgusted by the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal. And yet, I’m not at all surprised. It’s always been a fact of life that the kids of rich people were admitted to better colleges. But all of this may backfire on the colleges, themselves. Many bright young people had already decided a college degree isn’t really worth it. ( See link here : https://livingwellafter80.com/why-some-bright-kids-drop-out-of-college) And now, thanks to celebrities Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, the value of a college degree just nosedived once again.
The college administrators claim ignorance that admission tests were faked and coaches were bribed, but I’m sure they had an inkling of what was going on. Didn’t it seem odd that celebrities children were so brilliant ? And everyone always knew that most college athletes weren’t quite as bright as the other students. Football players, especially, bragged about getting good grades in spite of flunking quizzes and missing classes. It was all part of the game.
Generations of young people knew the system was rigged, but we put up with it. Why? Because a college degree led to a better job, more social status, and a higher income. That’s still true, to a certain extent. Many young college grads have good jobs and high salaries. But guess what? They owe thousands of dollars in college debts, can’t afford to get married, much less buy a house and start a family, until they’re almost thirty. Many will dip into their retirement funds in order educate their own children .
Meanwhile, the high school grad who went into a skilled trade married young, bought a starter house, and had a couple of kids. By the time they were thirty, they could move up to a better neighborhood, and– with no college debts– enjoy the good life.
So, perhaps all the rich and famous cheaters who bribed their kids way into college have inadvertently done young people a favor. They’ve proven that the college admissions process is rigged, and probably not worth the effort.