The College Admissions sCANDAL

By Tristan McIntosh, PhD

In early March, news headlines unveiled that a group of rich and famous families used bribery and other fraudulent means to get their children admitted to selective, prestigious universities with the aid of university administrators and coaches. These devious behaviors include illegitimate use of disability diagnoses to gain advantages in standardized testing, paying for exam proctors to cheat on college entrance exams, and bribing university administrators and coaches to nominate and facilitate the admission of unqualified recruits. This becomes further problematic when one considers that many are already disadvantaged in the college admissions process and that these acts may have further perpetuated difficulties, especially for people of color and those with disabilities.

When first hearing about this scandal, one of the first questions that came to mind was, “Why?” Of course, parents want the best for their kids, and getting admitted to a prestigious university is a prized marker of status that reflects onto both the parent and the child. Getting an education from one of these universities is, in its own way, a form of life insurance; the end result is typically a good degree, good job, good money, and a good life. Who wouldn’t want that, either for themselves or for someone they care about? From that perspective, it’s understandable. But just because we can understand why someone might choose to do this, doesn’t make it right. Societal pressures such as wanting a good life and high status make it tempting to bend the rules to get ahead, or in this case, to stay ahead.

From another perspective, it’s important to consider, why did the universities choose to allow this? What were the coaches and administrators thinking? Why would someone create a business around helping people cheat their way into school? They may have felt compelled to participate in this scheme because of the opportunity to pocket additional money, a chance to advance their careers, or the increased donation-based cash flow to the university or department in play. 

Pressure to succeed and advance are everywhere and can influence all of us at any time, and in any place, if we aren’t careful. So what can be done to avoid falling prey to these pressures that could cause unethical, or even illegal, behavior? Below are three helpful hints for ways to avoid falling into this trap that apply to everyone:

1. Consider the consequences. For yourself. For those close to you, in your “in group”. For those who you don’t typically interact with or think about regularly, in your “out group”. Doing so will allow you to see the magnitude of ramifications that result from “cutting the corners”. Your actions don’t just impact your immediate social circle. They can have far reaching implications.
2. Acknowledge your biases. We all have biases that influence how we make decisions. In this case, the bias was likely a feeling of entitlement and privilege due to the parent’s status. But, you don’t have to be a millionaire to be privileged. If you are in a position of privilege, reflect on how this privilege has helped you be successful in life. Understanding that people are oftentimes successful because of hard work and privilege serves to help us notice how we may over-inflate our successes as being exclusively of our own merit. This, in turn, will provide perspective that can guide decision making when faced with tempting shortcuts. 
3. Identify pressures to cut corners. A key part to preventing unethical behavior is to identify what causes that temptation in the first place. These include a variety of environmental and internal factors, such as societal and family pressures, internally imposed expectations, and fear of not living up to a certain standard.