The college admissions scam, where the rich pay bribes to get their kids into top colleges, is only the tip of what is said to be a really dirty iceberg.
The college admissions scam, where the rich pay bribes to get their kids into top colleges, is only the tip of what is said to be a really dirty iceberg.

The cheating parents of California

The massive college admissions scam, where rich and famous people in California are being charged with cheating and paying bribes to get their kids into top colleges, is only the tip of what is said to be a really dirty iceberg.

And so far, President Trump is not being blamed for it by CNN.

But the admissions scandal tells us a lot about what’s wrong with some of today’s “elite” parents and their spoiled kids.

Many wealthy moms, dads, and partners think that unless their kids are accepted to a top school like Yale, Stanford, or the University of Southern California, their kids will turn out to be losers or pieces of dirt.

They often pressure their kids, “You’ve got to go to college, and you have to go to this college.”

The rich parents and TV stars being charged so far in the admissions scam apparently went the extra mile to make sure their kids got into the best school: They cheated their fat wallets off.

Dozens of parents paid between $15,000 and $75,000 to hire a college admissions prep company run by a crook who arranged for someone to take the college boards for their dumb kids.

Other parents paid huge sums that were used to bribe coaches at nine top schools to accept their kids as recruits to their athletic teams despite their nonexistent credentials.

Here in La-La Land, the actress Lori Loughlin, who played Aunt Becky on “Full House,” and her husband allegedly agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 to have their two daughters designated as recruits to the University of Southern California crew team.

For good measure, they sent in photos of the girls sitting on rowing machines. Trouble was, the only boat the kids were actually qualified to be on was the family yacht.

What the cheating parents of California did was not just criminal. It was also stupid parenting.

Buying their kids spots at Yale or USC might make sense if the kids already are geniuses, super talented in a sport, or know exactly what they want to be in life, like a computer software engineer, a neurosurgeon, or a rocket scientist.

But in the vast number of cases, where 18-year-olds have no clue why they are going off to college, it wouldn’t matter what school their parents sent them to.

It’s not the “YALE” on junior’s jacket or the “USC” on missy’s sweatshirt that is going to determine how their lives turn out.

It’s about who the kid is inside. And what he or she is going to become in life depends on how well they were raised and if they do the right things in college.

If they study, if they learn, if they are serious, if they don’t blow their own or their parents’ money by taking Mickey Mouse courses, they can get whatever they’ll need for a successful start in life at a smaller private college like Creighton or a giant university like Arizona State.

You never know, some kid could study economics at some tiny private, nonprofit Christian liberal arts college in Illinois and become president someday.

Speaking of character, those substandard rich kids who benefited from the admissions scam are as guilty as their cheating parents. Not legally, obviously, but morally.

They received stolen goods, prestigious college educations that otherwise would have gone to others who were academically or athletically qualified.

To say they didn’t know what was going on is idiotic. They were silent partners in their parents’ crimes.

And getting tossed out of their schools ASAP, which they deserve, might actually teach them an important lesson about right and wrong that their cheating parents never could.

The viewpoints expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Independent.

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Michael Reagan
Michael is the son of former President Ronald Reagan and Academy Award-Winning actress, Jane Wyman. He authored many successful books, including his best-selling autobiography, “On the Outside Looking In,” and “The Common Sense of An Uncommon Man: The Wit, Wisdom and Eternal Optimism of Ronald Reagan.” His book “Twice Adopted” is based on his personal story while his latest book “The New Reagan Revolution” reveals new insights into the life, thoughts, and actions of the man who changed the world during the 1980s. Throughout his career, Michael has taken time to support numerous charitable organizations. In addition to his role as president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation, he serves on the board of The John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation and is a board member and the national spokesperson for My Stuff Bags Foundation, a unique program that addresses some of the immediate physical and emotional needs of children rescued from abuse and neglect. In 2005, he established the Michael Reagan Center for Advocacy and Research in partnership with Arrow Child and Family Ministries. The center operates from a Christian worldview and conducts research in order to effectively advocate for public policies that benefit the safety, stability, and well-being of children and families, particularly those served by public and private child welfare systems. Michael has raised millions of dollars for many other notable charities including the United States Olympic Team, Cystic Fibrosis, Juvenile Diabetes Foundations, the Statue of Liberty Restoration Fund, the Santa Barbara and San Diego Navy Leagues, and the San Diego Armed Services YMCA. Michael has been married for 35 years to Colleen and they have two children – daughter Ashley, a third-grade teacher, and son Cameron, who is a travel agent.

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