College admissions scandal: 33 parents are accused. How will their children be affected?



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They wonder about the fate of the students and the fact that they were aware of the alleged acts of their parents. And, at a time of year when colleges reduce their demands and send acceptance letters, they must look for potential students who might be involved in the scandal.

Thirty-three parents face charges under the "Operation Varsity Blues" investigation, according to Andrew Lelling, an American Massachusetts lawyer.

William Rick Singer, the brain accused of conspiracy, reportedly told prospective clients that he had created a "side door" to allow wealthy families to bring their children to the best American universities.

The parents paid Singer about $ 25 million to help their children go to school, said the American lawyer. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to launder money, fraud plotting in the United States and obstruction of justice, prosecutors said.

Although the names of the students involved have not been revealed, the universities are trying to contain the repercussions of a scandal that affects several states and raise the question of whether qualified students have seen themselves refuse entry to welcome the children of the rich and famous.

The prosecutor also raised the possibility of students being charged, and at least one university said she would refuse the admission of candidates related to the alleged scam.

Here's what some of the universities involved say:

University of Southern California

The University of Southern California is at the epicenter of the scandal, and some of the biggest names are linked to it, including actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli.

The school plans to use all monies collected under this purported project to fund scholarships for underprivileged students, said Interim President Wanda M. Austin.

The university spokesman, Gary Polakovic, said that admission would be denied to all candidates related to the fraud scam.

A review will be conducted for enrolled students and USC will make informed and appropriate decisions once the work is completed, he said, adding that some of the students involved may be underage at the time of application.

On Friday morning, the university issued a statement that she had identified six students in the current intake cycle who would be denied admission to the USC.

UCLA

UCLA has dismissed its head coach Jorge Salcedo, who faces charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering.

Although the university stated that it did not know any suspected student-athletes, it also considered allegations of admissions decisions.

"We take very seriously the integrity of our admissions process and the authenticity of the application data we consider," said the university. "All students applying to a UC campus must sign a declaration certifying the validity and accuracy of all information pertaining to their application."

If a potential student, admitted or enrolled erroneously presents an aspect of his / her application, the university declares that it will take disciplinary measures, including the cancellation of its admission.

Stanford University

Stanford Students Bring Class Action Against University Admissions Scandal

Stanford University fired head coach John Vandemoer, who pleaded guilty to racket conspiracy. He would have accepted financial contributions to the sailing program by agreeing to recommend two prospective students to Stanford.

"None of the two students came to Stanford, a student was initially denied admission and intended to reapply but did not apply for it. has never done, and the second has never fulfilled his request, "said the university in a statement.

Stanford said he did not have proof that the allegations involved anyone else, but said he would conduct an internal review to confirm it.

Georgetown University

Former Georgetown University tennis coach, Gordon Ernst, is charged. The university said that he had not coached the tennis team since December 2017 after an internal investigation had concluded that he had broken the rules of the game. 39 admission to the university.

"The investigation revealed that Mr. Ernst had violated the University's admission rules. He separated from the University in 2018." University was aware of no alleged criminal activity or acceptance of bribes by Mr. Ernst until it was later contacted by the US Prosecutor's Office, "said the university in a statement.

What we know so far in the cheating scandal of college admissions

She said she cooperated with the investigators and described Ernst's alleged acts as "shocking, extremely contrary to our values ​​and contravening the many ethical policies and standards of the university".

University spokesman Matt Hill said there was no indication that another Georgetown employee would be involved.

He declined to comment on the students involved, citing the law on the rights to education and privacy for education.

"We are reviewing the details of the indictment and will take appropriate action," he said about the University of Washington.

CNN has contacted Ernst, who is currently a coach at the University of Rhode Island. The school put him on administrative leave and declared that he was not involved in recruiting current players or signing new players.

Yale University

The former head coach of the Yale University Women's Football Team conspired with Singer to accept bribes in exchange for nominating Yale candidates as recruits for the Team, according to a court record. Rudolph "Rudy" Meredith has been the head coach for over 20 years. In 2015, he agreed to work with Singer, depending on the file.

Dean of Admissions in Yale's Law: It's the victims of the cheating scandal who worried me

A spokeswoman for Yale said that the university was "victim of a crime committed by his former women's football coach".

President Peter Salovey said the school in New Haven, Connecticut, was planning to implement several changes.

The school will conduct an investigation to determine if "other people have participated in activities that have corrupted the process of recruiting and admitting athletes," Salovey said in a letter to the community. academic Friday.

Yale will be using outside counsel who will suggest changes that will help the college "detect and prevent fraud attempts in the admissions process," he added.

Mr Salovey said that officials are working to set up a code of conduct for the recruitment of athletes.

Wake Forest University

The University of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, announced that it had put off volleyball head coach Bill Ferguson on charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering.

"The indictment alleges that Ferguson has accepted financial payments to influence the admission of a student who had already been placed on a waiting list," wrote Wednesday. Wake Forest President Nathan Hatch in an e-mail to students, faculty and staff.

Hatch said the university was reviewing admission and athletic practices, but until now it seems that Ferguson acted independently and that he was the only one person involved in the alleged misconduct.

"No other university employee, including admissions officers or other athletics staff, was involved in the investigation," wrote Hatch. .

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin returned his men's tennis coach, Michael Center, a day after putting him on leave. The center is accused of conspiracy to commit postal fraud and mail fraud related to honest services.

President Gregory L. Fenves said that he had asked the Vice President of Legal Affairs to conduct a review of the alleged fraud of the center in 2015 and determine if the university had put in place the rules and necessary procedures to prevent future violations.

University of San Diego

The university said to cooperate with the investigation and she has no reason to believe that her admission team or her supervisory staff are involved.

"To make sure that we have taken all the appropriate measures to respond to it, we are conducting an internal review, and if this reveals violations of the dollar policies, we will take the measures that are required," he wrote. President James T. Harris III in a letter addressed to the elders.

"As you know, our admission and recruitment policies are based on a commitment to integrity and ethical conduct, principles enshrined in our mission." The government's investigation reflects a pattern of which is neither tolerated nor tolerated in USD. "

Madeline Holcombe, CNN's Eric Levenson, Mark Morales and Traci Tamura contributed to this report.

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