Buying your way to ivy league

[bae]

Looking at some of the news stories on this:

Some of the parents dropped $500k on their scams/bribes. Just to get admission.

Imagine the good that could have been accomplished with that money! They could have got the kid a house, or helped start a business, or ....

When my daughter was contemplating An Expensive Place, which was going to cost us full-freight cash to pay for, since I didn't game the financial aid situation, I offered her instead the deal of "you could just have the cash (~$250k) up-front" if you want to start a business, or get a home here and do your agricultural/marine sciences work, or ..." She pondered seriously the pluses and minuses.

And so, soon, our planet will have another professor of Anglo Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Studies available for hire...

[iris lilies]

Good God. Sort of makes Chelsea Clinton’s career look like something out of Horatio Alger.

The good news is they can probably afford a lot of therapy.

You are so nice to not snarkily say “ career.”

[gimmethesimplelife]

This whole cheap and tawdry affair? I find A. Cheap and tawdry, and B. Lacking in good taste/good judgement. Though competition does tend to bring out the worst in people. Rob

[Alan]

This has me thinking about some of the more popular political promises being made to folks in return for votes. If a college education is virtually guaranteed to everyone by being "free", are we creating a civil right that private schools may not violate, or would it simply be acceptable then for private schools to reserve their limited slots to the highest bidders?

[flowerseverywhere]

Looking at some of the news stories on this:

Some of the parents dropped $500k on their scams/bribes. Just to get admission.

Imagine the good that could have been accomplished with that money! They could have got the kid a house, or helped start a business, or ....

When my daughter was contemplating An Expensive Place, which was going to cost us full-freight cash to pay for, since I didn't game the financial aid situation, I offered her instead the deal of "you could just have the cash (~$250k) up-front" if you want to start a business, or get a home here and do your agricultural/marine sciences work, or ..." She pondered seriously the pluses and minuses.

And so, soon, our planet will have another professor of Anglo Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Studies available for hire...

does she have any thoughts of returning to the island? My kids never looked back when they left home and pursued their own way. Both seem to be happy but live their lives their way.

[Teacher Terry]

For many years New York had free tuition.

[LDAHL]

You are so nice to not snarkily say “ career.”

She can’t be held responsible for her upbringing.

[jp1]

This has me thinking about some of the more popular political promises being made to folks in return for votes. If a college education is virtually guaranteed to everyone by being "free", are we creating a civil right that private schools may not violate, or would it simply be acceptable then for private schools to reserve their limited slots to the highest bidders?

Let the schools do what they want. Imagine a world where a harvard degree elicits people to say ‘oh, their parents must’ve dropped a boatload of money to get them that degree.’

[LDAHL]

Let the schools do what they want. Imagine a world where a harvard degree elicits people to say ‘oh, their parents must’ve dropped a boatload of money to get them that degree.’

I think that is already the case in many quarters that the people most impressed by Ivy degrees are people with Ivy degrees.

[bae]

Let the schools do what they want. Imagine a world where a harvard degree elicits people to say ‘oh, their parents must’ve dropped a boatload of money to get them that degree.’

Which is sort of sad and odd, because some of the Ivy League schools have tremendously good financial aid programs, that for your middle-class kid essentially require no loans, and don't require your parents to dip into retirement assets or home equity. It can be the cheapest college solution available, if you get in.