Pittstop's take on the college admissions scandal.

Pittstop’s take on the college admissions scandal.

Like everyone else, Pittstop has its own views on the recent college admissions scandal. But Pittstop’s take has not been widely discussed. The recent college admissions crisis not only reveals how corrupt the college application process can be, but it degrades all the hard work student-athletes put themselves through to be eligible to attend college. On March 14th, 2019, the U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts charged 50 parents, coaches and admission consultants in federal court as part of a long-running scheme to illegally gain admission for high school students to top colleges through bribes and falsified athletic credentials and test scores. Paying as little as $15,000 and as much as $6.5 million, parents sought to have their children admitted to various colleges such as UCLA, USC, Wake Forest, Yale, and Stanford under false pretenses.  

The investigation was code-named “Operation Varsity Blues”. Television stars Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, as well as executives from law firms and investment firms are charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services fraud and for lying and buying their childrens’ admission to elite schools. But the most egregious actions taken were conspiring with athletic coaches to fake athletic credentials for non-athletic recruits to help them gain admission to college.

Spots at elite colleges that should have gone to students and athletes who work hard and strive to attend these schools, instead, went to kids whose parents paid for fraudulent tests or fake athletic profiles. Big time football and basketball teams help their colleges bring in millions from selling out huge stadiums, selling merchandise, and through media deals. These players who sacrifice their bodies for their sport are unpaid and are often low-income black athletes.

Wealthy and most times white families are allegedly scamming athletic opportunities that would not even exist without the labor of unpaid black athletes. This scandal is an example of corrupt, rich, mostly white parents who benefit off the work of poor black unpaid football and basketball players whose athletic talents actually legitimately qualifies them for admission and scholarships.The hard work of those who view athletics as a way towards a better life and those who actually love to play sports, is not taken seriously and is disrespected and disregarded by this outrageous admissions scandal.