Today on March 12th, 2019, news broke that actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, among approximately 50 people, were being arrested in the reveal of a college cheating scam.
Those being indicted allegedly are guilty of paying bribes of up to $6 million in order to ensure their children's admissions to colleges like the University of Southern California, Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, and others.
According to several reports, actress Felicity Huffman, conspiring with William Singer — who is the owner of a college counseling service called Key Worldwide Foundation, paid $15,000 in order to ensure her oldest daughter more time to complete the SAT test and also made it so that the proctor secretly graded her responses, even changing some that were incorrect.
It also discusses how Lori Loughlin, who is best known for her role as, Aunt Becky, on the sitcom "Full House" and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, paid approximately $500,000 in order to have their daughters, Bella and Olivia, portrayed as athletes to be recruited for the University of Southern California rowing teams, neither of which had ever participated in the sport, however it ensured their acceptance to USC.
It is sickening to see that there are those out there who find it acceptable to commit acts such as this in order to pull strings like this for their children, even though there are so many others more deserving.
As a student who attends Michigan State University, a Big Ten school, I had to work very hard in order to gain my acceptance. I also used to watch Lori's daughter Olivia on her YouTube channel in which she has gained her own fame and following, but she discussed college in a video that received backlash as she talked about wanting to experience game-days and parties, but said outright that she, "doesn't care about school." After this, however, she lost my subscription. Now knowing that this scheme was facilitated in order for her to attend a school that she doesn't even particularly care for and doesn't care about her education, makes me very angry. Those of us who work as hard as we possibly can to get into the schools of our dreams with no help, with no special treatment and no special circumstances, are pissed about this, and even if they aren't, I am.
Just because you have money, doesn't mean you should use it this way.
It doesn't mean that because you're a celebrity or that because you're a big name with a lot of power means that you can use that to not only unfairly give an advantage to your children, but to take away the opportunity from others more deserving. Those of us who worked to be where we are will be watching how this plays out, and we'll be hoping that justice will be served as it should be.
