How Lying to “Win” in College Admissions Risks Defeat for All of Us
I used to think that faking college applications to gain admission into elite universities was a practice limited mostly to in Asia. Then the world found out about Operation Varsity Blues, arguably the highest profile college admissions scandal that took place in America, and I realized wherever there are massive amounts of wealth and status potentially affected by which school one’s offspring attends, there are people scheming of ways to cheat the application process at almost any cost. And that any cost ends up being an amount charged to parents who care more about the admission result than anything else, whether it’s integrity, honest communication, or real, authenticity, legitimate growth in their kids.
I wonder about these individuals who orchestrate the faking of the profile. This may be staged athletics they photograph to provide “proof” of sports performance. Or it may be parents purchasing positions and titles on activities led by students who aren’t there own kids and who actually built up impressive accomplishments on their own — whether it be scientific inventions or community service projects. Then those same students end up selling credit for their hard work, courage, creativity, diligence, generosity, and industriousness to wealthier students who want it without having to lift any finger that isn’t to make the payment, not even to write their own college application.
I wonder if those individuals who orchestrate the faking of the profile are proud of their work? If they see it as an art form, and that each Ivy League admission result they gain with exorbitant amounts of financial aid that cover more than half the cost of attend yet they don’t need because they paid for their financial aid application to be faked as well elevates the admission result into a level of masterpiece?
If they do consider it an art form, I just know that it’s not the art I or many other professionals and educators seek to endeavor in.
An Alternative Option: Real Work. Real Growth. Real Change.
The art I seek to master is real student growth. Helping students learn how to earn their admission result authentically and through merit. Some choose to do so through gaining admission into selective, rigorous summer programs. Others who are unable to afford it may learn to be resourceful and persuasive in convincing researchers at universities to hire them as an assistant or intern where they collaborate on research in search of real empirical evidence to advance their chosen scientific fields.
For the students who are willing to take real emotional risks in courage versus fear, agreement versus rejection, investing their capital whether it be time, finances, or the emotional labor of hope to pursue projects that might not work, those students are worth the time and care. We need more of these types of students leading our future, students who care about making a real impact rather than dealing in lies and manipulation.
What Students Can Learn Through the College Application Process
Because these students learn more than just “I don’t have to do anything to earn admission into a selective college.”
They learn that their work — their actual work — is not good enough, so they should be dishonest about who they are and what they did and this is what it takes to succeed in the world.
They learn that from their parents, who not only enable and financed this malpractice, but are the ones who searched for it and push their kids to pursue it. Despite some students feeling uncomfortable with lying their way to get in (because they want to feel truly worthy and able and self-sufficient), parents respond whether verbally or through their actions: “let’s not gamble our status on your childish wish to be honest and believe that that will somehow reward you with confidence in yourself at the very least.” These students learn that they are the most important people above all else and they should only make decision and take actions to serve themselves. But the perceptive ones realize that that is actually who their parents are who value their own pride and self-image as parents over their child’s own values.
They learn that they may be inadequate and insufficient, and so they don’t believe in themselves and their ideas no matter how generous, thoughtful, brave, or helpful they may be.
Students don’t have to learn or believe any of that though.
Instead, they can learn to be honest. They can learn how to truly collaborate. They can learn how to actually get things done to create impacts that really help others, and that such endeavoring is always worth overcoming your fears, sacrificing your own comfort, and persevering through that discomfort day after day until you genuinely succeed.
I already know my own answer to this question, but in case you don’t know yet, here’s the question so you can decide for yourself:
Of the students described and what they learned to do and believe, which student would you like to be working at your organization and leading your own future kids?
