“Operation Varsity Blues”, the investigation that snared a
number of the rich and famous who were involved in bribery and fraud schemes to
get their children enrolled in Ivy League universities or other big-name
colleges, has rightfully got the less privileged classes up in arms over the
inequality of a system that would allow this to go on. If the system is stacked against him, what
chance does the average kid—even a very smart one—have to get into the college
of his choice? Aren’t spots in the
freshman class of these elite schools supposed to be granted to the best and
smartest, not the richest and most devious?
As much as it might say about inequality of opportunity in
college admissions, I think Varsity Blues has even broader lessons to teach us.
Consider the price some of the parents were willing to pay
to get their kid in “the side door” of the elite colleges. It was sometimes more than the price of four
years of tuition at the school. Were
they paying for a good education or just bragging rights? They were playing the part of “snowplow
parents”, clearing all obstacles for their little darlings so they could get
into a famous school. This is a
destructive form of parenting and makes the children incapable of navigating
life on their own. (This is not a
phenomenon, however, unique to the wealthy nowadays.) How will the offspring ever learn to handle
the difficulties of life if the parents continually pave the way for them? And even if the children themselves were not
involved in the dishonesty, what lesson did they take from their parents’
willingness to lie, cheat, and crawl over the backs of other hardworking kids
to get what they wanted? Already some of
the kids are berating their indicted parents for “ruining my life”. Well, yeah, no one is going to think you
deserve anything now, always suspicious that you got where you are only by
cheating. Your achievements will always
be tainted by that suspicion.
But look beyond the lessons about opportunity and
parenting. If you are considering college
for yourself or your children or even for another family member, what
instruction can you take from this scandal?
Obviously, don’t cheat.
You ultimately cheat yourself and the one you are supposedly trying to
help. Ask Lori Loughlin’s daughter.
I think Varsity Blues also says something about the
integrity of the higher education system.
The alleged cheating involved lower-level college officials—like
coaches—and proctors for college entrance exams. But it’s enough to cause one to wonder about
how much of this cheating is going on, and at what levels. The Feds concentrated on the most egregious
cases and biggest names. How many others
are flying under the radar and improperly getting an advantage over a more
deserving student?
I think it also devalues the education received at the
big-name colleges. Even if an Ivy League
school does provide a top-notch education (and reading about what goes on at
these schools, I have my doubts), they are apparently a magnet for the
wealthy—and for cheaters who want the university’s name on their resume. An employer would be justified now in giving
less weight to the sheepskin from one of those schools.
So that said, would you still want to apply to such a
college? What if the price tag is
several times what your cheaper but lesser known options are? Is the extra cost—and the ensuing debt load
for years to come—worth it? While an Ivy
League diploma seems almost a requirement for, say, being a Supreme Court
justice, a choice of major actually serves as a better predictor of lifetime
earnings. Moreover, NPR reports that
only 14 of the CEO’s of the largest 100 companies in the U.S.
There are good and effective and hardworking teachers to be
found at all levels and in all schools, just as there are bad and ineffective
and lazy ones. The student should take
some responsibility for his own education and seek the best teachers, the
hardest courses, and not settle for an easy “A”. And finding those quality professors at
whatever college you attend will itself be a learning experience, an
opportunity to hone your skills to investigate and find the best. Add to that the fact that one is more likely
to interact with a variety of people from many walks of life in a less elite
college and the cheaper option might more closely resemble real life and bestow
the real advantage in post-graduate life.
State schools, even community colleges, can be excellent
centers of learning for those willing to study.
The economic advantage they grant by being less expensive and
potentially lowering or eliminating the student debt at graduation can give the
graduate a head start in life. And this
blog has addressed before the many pitfalls of carrying too much debt.
Until next time,
Roger
“For the Lord gives
wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, He
is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the
just and protects the way of His faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good
path.” Proverbs 2:6-9 NIV®*
*Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New
International Version® NIV®
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