I just tried to call the USC admissions office. According to the recording, the office is “closed for a training session.” I bet. I felt compelled to call and be heard. Wanted to at least be able to leave a voice mail; my effort would do nothing but at least I would feel better. It is bothering me WAY more than I thought it would, especially since now it appears that four current students got in through this scam.
A news story today said USC already terminated the admissions person, Donna Heinel. Lovely, but what about the scammers’ kids who still get to be there? I keep reading how the kids are innocent. Fine if they want to believe that, but even so, those students need to be expelled. Or put in a monitored room with a real proctor and be forced to re-take the SAT. And they better have scores higher than all those earnest students who received rejection letters in the mail from USC the years the scam kids were admitted.
Donna Heinel worked in the athletics dept, not admissions.
If a current student is shown to be culpable of fraud or deceit… which lying on your application is in terms of either fraudulent test scores or pretending to be a varsity athlete if you weren’t… then yes - USC should take appropriate actions against those students too. I believe that USC is taking it all very seriously, and I will be curious to see what they do moving forward.
I suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg. Like steroids in baseball everyone was making money: “private high school counselors”, coaches, and the U’s are getting well funded students so everyone kept quiet.
Does anyone think water polo, crew, sailing, fencing, and squash teams are anything other than a way to recruit well funded students?
After top U’s admit legacy (up to 20%), athletes (10%), international (15%), URM (30%), VIP’s, donor, and cheaters there aren’t many spots left for unconnected students.