Hate to follow, but this is just so bad. One of the USC girls involved, Olivia Jade Gianelli, only learned about this thing while she was spring breaking on a yacht in the Bahamas owned by the billionaire Chairman of the USC Board of Truesstes, Rick Caruso. The USC corruption situation is actually beyond belief. We all thought she was a varsity rower!! She never laid a hand on an oar. Clever by too much!!!!

I have always wondered what happens to people who get a boost like this to get into an elite college...you have a gimmick to get into a tough school, now how do you survive? How do you stay afloat at an Ivy League school when the only way you got in was parents' money, bribes, people taking your SATs for you...Same thoughts come up with so many stories about scholarship athletes. And how will they make it after college? (That is, if there's not a job waiting for you as VP in charge of coffee and social media at parent's corporation.....but I digress.)

They survive and thrive very well since I presume it's all about connections and money at that level (ie. George W. Bush, the Trump family, Jared Kushner, as well as people who don't support their views.) As long as you have money and power, the rules are so biased in your favor that a very rich and elite mediocre student can succeed in life more easily than a very smart poor student who can't afford to go to college.

72 Well, they can always survive by just paying someone to take all their tests and do their homework. Remember the WalMart heiress who paid $20,000 to another student to do just that? Where did this happen? USC in 2004. Where else. . . .

Some of these schools must have two tracks; a serious student track, and a pay-as-you-go track. Upon completion of which ever track they pursue the former should get actual diplomas and the latter can just get participation certificates.

I see that the Gianulli sisters have "withdrawn" from USC. Probably had someone fill out the withdrawal forms, or tweeted them.

And Olivia’s comment on the whole thing: “well, I really never wanted to go to college anyway.” Simply unbelievable that such human beings exist. I must also strongly disagree with the prosecutions decision not to charge the students, but rather classifying them as unknowing “victims”. What total nonsense. These kids knew exactly what was going on. As such they participated in a criminal conspiracy and should be charged along with their parents.

Some generalizations, some falsehoods. How do students like Chelsea Clinton survive? Ethnic, gender studies. Mass communications. Cheating. Six year plan, summer credits.

"Very smart, poor students" can get 100% of their tuition and living expenses covered! Harvard made the commitment years ago, other Ivies followed. Tons of programs for poor students and "people of color".

FWIW, most of these people seem to be on Kushner's side of the isle (liberal). I read yesterday someone claiming Obama stated in his book he was just an average student, but he went to 3 private colleges, traveled the world, and I can't recall any mention of his having a job until he graduated law school.

The more I read about Olivia Jade Gianulli, the more I think that the Kardashians are women of great intellect and substance.

Funny that the main problem in all of this is the so-called “recruited walk on in the Olympic sports” not the major college sports. And many of the sports involved are big roster woman’s sports like rowing and according to todays NYT article these sports are often used by colleges to achieve “equivalancy” for TIX purposes. That explains why rowing teams often have a 125+ Roster for only 20 allowed scholarships. It might also explain why Texas A&M’s equestrian team has a 60 roster for only 15 scholarships. Anyway, Singer saw this as an opening that he could exploit and exploit it he did.

Well, it looks like a fellow Aggie will be there to help cleanup the mess at USC - Carol Lynn Folt, Ph.D.