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| College Admissions Scandal: Your Questions Answered | College Admissions Scandal: Your Questions Answered |
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| In March, federal prosecutors charged 50 people in a brazen scheme to secure spots at Yale, Stanford and other big-name schools in what they called the “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.” They have accused dozens of parents of paying millions of dollars in bribes to help their children get into the schools. | In March, federal prosecutors charged 50 people in a brazen scheme to secure spots at Yale, Stanford and other big-name schools in what they called the “largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted by the Department of Justice.” They have accused dozens of parents of paying millions of dollars in bribes to help their children get into the schools. |
| For those catching up, or those overwhelmed by the volume of news, here’s an overview of The New York Times’s coverage. | For those catching up, or those overwhelmed by the volume of news, here’s an overview of The New York Times’s coverage. |
| The ringleader, William Singer: The 59-year-old consultant, who worked in the college counseling business for the better part of three decades, was behind an elaborate effort to bribe coaches and test monitors, falsify exam scores, and fabricate student biographies — all to help wealthy parents secure slots for their children at desirable colleges. By the time investigators stepped in last year, Mr. Singer had grown bold about his “side door” scheme, even cocky. He pleaded guilty. | The ringleader, William Singer: The 59-year-old consultant, who worked in the college counseling business for the better part of three decades, was behind an elaborate effort to bribe coaches and test monitors, falsify exam scores, and fabricate student biographies — all to help wealthy parents secure slots for their children at desirable colleges. By the time investigators stepped in last year, Mr. Singer had grown bold about his “side door” scheme, even cocky. He pleaded guilty. |
| Thirty-three parents, many of them high-profile: The parents included the television star Lori Loughlin and her husband, the fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli; the actress Felicity Huffman; and William E. McGlashan Jr., a partner at the private equity firm TPG. Ms. Huffman plead guilty, along with 13 other parents, in federal court in Boston, where the investigation is based, on April 8. Jane Buckingham, an expert on youth marketing, was also charged in the scandal. | Thirty-three parents, many of them high-profile: The parents included the television star Lori Loughlin and her husband, the fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli; the actress Felicity Huffman; and William E. McGlashan Jr., a partner at the private equity firm TPG. Ms. Huffman plead guilty, along with 13 other parents, in federal court in Boston, where the investigation is based, on April 8. Jane Buckingham, an expert on youth marketing, was also charged in the scandal. |
| College athletic coaches: They were accused of accepting millions of dollars to help admit undeserving students to a wide variety of colleges, from the University of Texas at Austin to Wake Forest and Georgetown, by suggesting they were top athletes. Rudolph Meredith, a former Yale soccer coach has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. | College athletic coaches: They were accused of accepting millions of dollars to help admit undeserving students to a wide variety of colleges, from the University of Texas at Austin to Wake Forest and Georgetown, by suggesting they were top athletes. Rudolph Meredith, a former Yale soccer coach has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. |
| We’re waiting to hear about a mystery $6.5 million client: Andrew E. Lelling, the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said that one client of Mr. Singer’s had paid $6.5 million to facilitate their child’s admission to college — many times more than what any of the other parents have been accused of paying. This payment is not mentioned in any of the documents, and the person who paid this sum has not been revealed. A spokeswoman for the attorney’s office would not identify the family or the school, but said it was paid to get a child into college through the athletic recruiting scheme. | We’re waiting to hear about a mystery $6.5 million client: Andrew E. Lelling, the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said that one client of Mr. Singer’s had paid $6.5 million to facilitate their child’s admission to college — many times more than what any of the other parents have been accused of paying. This payment is not mentioned in any of the documents, and the person who paid this sum has not been revealed. A spokeswoman for the attorney’s office would not identify the family or the school, but said it was paid to get a child into college through the athletic recruiting scheme. |
| Here’s the full list of who has been charged so far. | Here’s the full list of who has been charged so far. |
| The system operated by falsifying a student’s test scores or fabricating their athletic status. Here’s how the authorities say it worked: | The system operated by falsifying a student’s test scores or fabricating their athletic status. Here’s how the authorities say it worked: |
| Parents paid for scores: According to prosecutors, parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 for higher test scores. Mr. Singer encouraged some parents to get a learning disability waiver for their children, which can give students more time to take the tests or allow them do so without the regular supervision. | Parents paid for scores: According to prosecutors, parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 for higher test scores. Mr. Singer encouraged some parents to get a learning disability waiver for their children, which can give students more time to take the tests or allow them do so without the regular supervision. |
| The cheating went down in three ways: Someone else would take the SAT or ACT exams for the student; a person in on the scheme would serve as the proctor and guide the students to the right answers; or someone would review and correct the students’ answers after the tests were taken. Many students were not aware their answers would be changed, prosecutors said. | The cheating went down in three ways: Someone else would take the SAT or ACT exams for the student; a person in on the scheme would serve as the proctor and guide the students to the right answers; or someone would review and correct the students’ answers after the tests were taken. Many students were not aware their answers would be changed, prosecutors said. |
| Sports opened a back door to elite colleges: University coaches and administrators were paid to secure admission for students who may not have even played the sport. | Sports opened a back door to elite colleges: University coaches and administrators were paid to secure admission for students who may not have even played the sport. |
| Athletic achievements and images were doctored: Students’ faces were photoshopped onto athletes’ bodies and bogus achievements were added to their college applications. | Athletic achievements and images were doctored: Students’ faces were photoshopped onto athletes’ bodies and bogus achievements were added to their college applications. |
| It was all under wraps: The parents made payments to Mr. Singer’s company that were disguised as donations and would be funneled through the organization to the universities, allowing the parents to claim tax deductions. | It was all under wraps: The parents made payments to Mr. Singer’s company that were disguised as donations and would be funneled through the organization to the universities, allowing the parents to claim tax deductions. |
| Read more about how the scheme worked, from bribes to doctored photos. | Read more about how the scheme worked, from bribes to doctored photos. |
| A broken system revealed: Asian-American students rejected by Harvard, fraud at the T.M. Landry College Preparatory School in Breaux Bridge, La., and now this scandal: American universities are often cast as the envy of the world but these cases have shown the admissions system as something else: exploitable, arbitrary, broken. | A broken system revealed: Asian-American students rejected by Harvard, fraud at the T.M. Landry College Preparatory School in Breaux Bridge, La., and now this scandal: American universities are often cast as the envy of the world but these cases have shown the admissions system as something else: exploitable, arbitrary, broken. |
| Mr. Singer has pleaded guilty: He pleaded guilty to counts of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice in federal court in Boston on Tuesday. The judge set sentencing for June 19, and Mr. Singer was released on a $500,000 bond. | Mr. Singer has pleaded guilty: He pleaded guilty to counts of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice in federal court in Boston on Tuesday. The judge set sentencing for June 19, and Mr. Singer was released on a $500,000 bond. |
| No charges for students: Federal prosecutors have not charged any students or universities with wrongdoing, saying that many students were not aware of what their parents were up to. But Ms. Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, a social media influencer with close to two million YouTube subscribers, was dropped from a sponsorship with the makeup company Sephora. | No charges for students: Federal prosecutors have not charged any students or universities with wrongdoing, saying that many students were not aware of what their parents were up to. But Ms. Loughlin’s daughter, Olivia Jade Giannulli, a social media influencer with close to two million YouTube subscribers, was dropped from a sponsorship with the makeup company Sephora. |
| But it’s not over for them yet: At least some children of the parents who were charged in the scandal have received so-called target letters, which notify people that they could be targets of a criminal probe, according to a lawyer involved in the case. A number of schools implicated in the scandal, including the University of Southern California, have warned that it might punish students who were connected to the scheme. U.S.C. students have been blocked from registering for classes or withdrawing, pending a university review. | |
| The parents are facing charges: Many parents were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. If they are convicted, their sentences would most likely be determined in part by how much they paid. For instance, parents who paid $75,000 could get 12 to 18 months in prison, while those who paid $500,000 could get 30 to 37 months, according to Courtney Oliva, a researcher at the New York University School of Law. It is unclear how much jail time any of parents will face, and for those plead guilty, the sentences could be somewhat shorter. | The parents are facing charges: Many parents were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. If they are convicted, their sentences would most likely be determined in part by how much they paid. For instance, parents who paid $75,000 could get 12 to 18 months in prison, while those who paid $500,000 could get 30 to 37 months, according to Courtney Oliva, a researcher at the New York University School of Law. It is unclear how much jail time any of parents will face, and for those plead guilty, the sentences could be somewhat shorter. |
| High-profile parents are taking divergent paths: Ms. Loughlin and Mr. Giannulli are pleading not guilty to the charges against them. They face counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Ms. Huffman has agreed to plead guilty, and she issued a long, hand-wringing apology. Ms. Loughlin has appeared more upbeat, at one point signing autographs before a court appearance, while Ms. Huffman has appeared in court looking more somber. | High-profile parents are taking divergent paths: Ms. Loughlin and Mr. Giannulli are pleading not guilty to the charges against them. They face counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Ms. Huffman has agreed to plead guilty, and she issued a long, hand-wringing apology. Ms. Loughlin has appeared more upbeat, at one point signing autographs before a court appearance, while Ms. Huffman has appeared in court looking more somber. |
| Coaches are facing the consequences: The sailing coach at Stanford was fired. The U.C.L.A. men’s soccer coach was placed on leave, as was the Wake Forest women’s volleyball coach, and the men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas. Other coaches have also faced disciplinary action. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of assets from Gordon Ernst, the former head tennis coach at Georgetown University. | Coaches are facing the consequences: The sailing coach at Stanford was fired. The U.C.L.A. men’s soccer coach was placed on leave, as was the Wake Forest women’s volleyball coach, and the men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas. Other coaches have also faced disciplinary action. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of assets from Gordon Ernst, the former head tennis coach at Georgetown University. |
| All of the defendants are out on bail, of varying amounts. | All of the defendants are out on bail, of varying amounts. |
| New investigations are opened: The federal Department of Education sent letters to the eight colleges where coaches are alleged to have taken bribes, saying that it was opening an investigation of its own | New investigations are opened: The federal Department of Education sent letters to the eight colleges where coaches are alleged to have taken bribes, saying that it was opening an investigation of its own |
| U.S.C. faces more scrutiny: This isn’t the first scandal to ensnare the University of Southern California, but this time, the school is near the epicenter. Four U.S.C. athletic officials are charged with taking bribes in the scheme, more than are named at any other institution. The case has also brought renewed attention to long standing class divides on college campuses. | U.S.C. faces more scrutiny: This isn’t the first scandal to ensnare the University of Southern California, but this time, the school is near the epicenter. Four U.S.C. athletic officials are charged with taking bribes in the scheme, more than are named at any other institution. The case has also brought renewed attention to long standing class divides on college campuses. |
| Lives rewritten: With the public largely viewing the parents as symbols of entitlement, many of them are facing repercussions far beyond the courtroom. Ms. Loughlin and Ms. Huffman have both lost acting jobs, though they have faced their charges with vastly different approaches. Mr. McGlashan was terminated by the private equity firm TPG on last month. Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of the global law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, was placed on a leave of absence and his management responsibilities were stripped. Another parent, Doug Hodge, the retired chief executive of Pimco, one of the world’s biggest bond fund managers, was removed from an investment firm’s website. Two California private schools where Mr. Hodge was a board member said they were cutting ties with him. The Thacher School said it had asked Mr. Hodge to step down, and the Sage School said he had resigned. | Lives rewritten: With the public largely viewing the parents as symbols of entitlement, many of them are facing repercussions far beyond the courtroom. Ms. Loughlin and Ms. Huffman have both lost acting jobs, though they have faced their charges with vastly different approaches. Mr. McGlashan was terminated by the private equity firm TPG on last month. Gordon Caplan, co-chairman of the global law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, was placed on a leave of absence and his management responsibilities were stripped. Another parent, Doug Hodge, the retired chief executive of Pimco, one of the world’s biggest bond fund managers, was removed from an investment firm’s website. Two California private schools where Mr. Hodge was a board member said they were cutting ties with him. The Thacher School said it had asked Mr. Hodge to step down, and the Sage School said he had resigned. |
| Other clients are stunned: Mr. Singer’s company’s website included testimonials from some of the hundreds of families who used its legitimate counseling services, including one from the golfer Phil Mickelson, whose daughter Amanda is a sophomore at Brown University. Asked about the scandal on Thursday after the first round of the Players Championship, Mr. Mickelson said, “We’re probably more shocked than anyone.” He said Mr. Singer had come well recommended by friends, and did not approach him about doing anything fraudulent for his daughter. | Other clients are stunned: Mr. Singer’s company’s website included testimonials from some of the hundreds of families who used its legitimate counseling services, including one from the golfer Phil Mickelson, whose daughter Amanda is a sophomore at Brown University. Asked about the scandal on Thursday after the first round of the Players Championship, Mr. Mickelson said, “We’re probably more shocked than anyone.” He said Mr. Singer had come well recommended by friends, and did not approach him about doing anything fraudulent for his daughter. |
| Read more about some titans of finance and law who have been swept up in the scandal. | Read more about some titans of finance and law who have been swept up in the scandal. |
| About a year ago, federal prosecutors in Boston were working on a securities fraud case, when their suspect gave them a tantalizing bit of information: He knew about a college admissions fraud scheme and he could help law enforcement learn more, according to a person with knowledge of the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity. | About a year ago, federal prosecutors in Boston were working on a securities fraud case, when their suspect gave them a tantalizing bit of information: He knew about a college admissions fraud scheme and he could help law enforcement learn more, according to a person with knowledge of the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity. |
| The suspect, who hoped to be granted leniency for his cooperation, told them that a college coach had taken bribes to secure athletic recruiting spots for prospective students. | The suspect, who hoped to be granted leniency for his cooperation, told them that a college coach had taken bribes to secure athletic recruiting spots for prospective students. |
| Investigators ran down the tip, and by last April the F.B.I. had set up a sting in a Boston hotel room, where they say Mr. Meredith, the Yale soccer coach, solicited a $450,000 bribe from a parent in exchange for saving a spot for his daughter on the team. | Investigators ran down the tip, and by last April the F.B.I. had set up a sting in a Boston hotel room, where they say Mr. Meredith, the Yale soccer coach, solicited a $450,000 bribe from a parent in exchange for saving a spot for his daughter on the team. |
| Investigators pressed Mr. Meredith, who led them to an even bigger target, Mr. Singer. | Investigators pressed Mr. Meredith, who led them to an even bigger target, Mr. Singer. |
| There is outrage and sadness: From coast to coast, the scandal has dominated conversations on campuses. Students railed against privilege and greed. Some worried that their diplomas had been tarnished. At Georgetown, arguments erupted in class as some students offered their loan applications as proof their parents did not game the system. We also received nearly 500 comments from students across the country. Most said they were appalled, but not surprised. | There is outrage and sadness: From coast to coast, the scandal has dominated conversations on campuses. Students railed against privilege and greed. Some worried that their diplomas had been tarnished. At Georgetown, arguments erupted in class as some students offered their loan applications as proof their parents did not game the system. We also received nearly 500 comments from students across the country. Most said they were appalled, but not surprised. |
| Students are suing: Two Stanford University students brought a federal class-action suit on Wednesday on behalf of “qualified, rejected” students, accusing eight schools of negligence. (The suit was amended on Thursday, dropping one plaintiff and adding others with no ties to Stanford.) | Students are suing: Two Stanford University students brought a federal class-action suit on Wednesday on behalf of “qualified, rejected” students, accusing eight schools of negligence. (The suit was amended on Thursday, dropping one plaintiff and adding others with no ties to Stanford.) |
| Applicants are anxious: For students who have followed the rules of the college admissions process, now is the nerve-racking time of year when they wait to hear whether they’ve been accepted. “It’s a very long journey, and now I’m just waiting for that moment,” one hopeful student said. | Applicants are anxious: For students who have followed the rules of the college admissions process, now is the nerve-racking time of year when they wait to hear whether they’ve been accepted. “It’s a very long journey, and now I’m just waiting for that moment,” one hopeful student said. |
| For nonwhite students, it was a reminder that nothing is equal about America’s college admissions process. “We can put in work from fifth grade to 12th grade, every single day, come in early, leave late, and it’s still not enough,” said Khiana Jackson, 17, a senior at Kauffman who has been accepted to the University of Chicago. | For nonwhite students, it was a reminder that nothing is equal about America’s college admissions process. “We can put in work from fifth grade to 12th grade, every single day, come in early, leave late, and it’s still not enough,” said Khiana Jackson, 17, a senior at Kauffman who has been accepted to the University of Chicago. |
| Some students were galled by the money being thrown around in the allegations. “I was mad at the fact that parents spent millions of dollars to pay these counselors to falsify test reports and in the meanwhile, I know everyone in here is figuring out how to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for the rest of our college education,” said Jacob Esquivel, 18, who plans to attend the University of Miami. | Some students were galled by the money being thrown around in the allegations. “I was mad at the fact that parents spent millions of dollars to pay these counselors to falsify test reports and in the meanwhile, I know everyone in here is figuring out how to come up with hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for the rest of our college education,” said Jacob Esquivel, 18, who plans to attend the University of Miami. |
| Read more about how the case has served as another harsh lesson in racial disparities. | Read more about how the case has served as another harsh lesson in racial disparities. |
| The scandal demonstrates what our reporters call “snowplow parenting,” where moms and dads clear away any obstacle to their children’s success — even when it means crossing ethical and legal boundaries. | The scandal demonstrates what our reporters call “snowplow parenting,” where moms and dads clear away any obstacle to their children’s success — even when it means crossing ethical and legal boundaries. |
| Private college consulting is “almost like the wild West”: From $300 consultations to $1.5 million full-service packages, most private college consulting is legal — but almost totally unregulated. | Private college consulting is “almost like the wild West”: From $300 consultations to $1.5 million full-service packages, most private college consulting is legal — but almost totally unregulated. |
| It’s gotten harder, even for the rich: It can cost $10 million or more in donations to earn an applicant truly special consideration beyond their merits, according to several experienced college admissions consultants. | It’s gotten harder, even for the rich: It can cost $10 million or more in donations to earn an applicant truly special consideration beyond their merits, according to several experienced college admissions consultants. |
| Paying full price is another way in: Another admission edge at many institutions is to pay for four years of tuition, room and board — up to $300,000 or so — without needing financial aid. | Paying full price is another way in: Another admission edge at many institutions is to pay for four years of tuition, room and board — up to $300,000 or so — without needing financial aid. |
| Parents say they face a quandary: Families who have hired college consultants discussed the pressure to keep up and where they drew the line. “We understand the privilege and social collateral that our socioeconomic status affords us,” one mother wrote. | Parents say they face a quandary: Families who have hired college consultants discussed the pressure to keep up and where they drew the line. “We understand the privilege and social collateral that our socioeconomic status affords us,” one mother wrote. |
| It’s not all bad out there: We spoke with Dylan Chidick, a formerly homeless high school student who has been accepted to 17 colleges so far. "There is always going to be someone with more privilege and more connections," he said. "You have to work harder to achieve the same goals." | It’s not all bad out there: We spoke with Dylan Chidick, a formerly homeless high school student who has been accepted to 17 colleges so far. "There is always going to be someone with more privilege and more connections," he said. "You have to work harder to achieve the same goals." |
| Now, standardized testing officials are scrambling to fix weaknesses in the process that the scheme exposed, particularly special-needs arrangements that allowed the cheating to happen. While federal authorities say that this is the largest prosecution of its kind in history, it is far from the first. | Now, standardized testing officials are scrambling to fix weaknesses in the process that the scheme exposed, particularly special-needs arrangements that allowed the cheating to happen. While federal authorities say that this is the largest prosecution of its kind in history, it is far from the first. |
| In one previous scandal, expert test-takers in New York memorized the answers and phoned them to people taking the exam hours later in Los Angeles. The answers were also carved in code on the sides of pencils being used to take the same tests. Here’s a list of other schemes. | In one previous scandal, expert test-takers in New York memorized the answers and phoned them to people taking the exam hours later in Los Angeles. The answers were also carved in code on the sides of pencils being used to take the same tests. Here’s a list of other schemes. |
| Several of the nation’s most selective universities trumpeted the news that they had record numbers of applicants — and record low admission rates. | Several of the nation’s most selective universities trumpeted the news that they had record numbers of applicants — and record low admission rates. |
| Colleges have a clear incentive to tamp down their admission rates, which figure in annual ranking surveys and help burnish schools’ sought-after status. | Colleges have a clear incentive to tamp down their admission rates, which figure in annual ranking surveys and help burnish schools’ sought-after status. |