We’ve all been riveted by reports about the federal criminal case against the college admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer and several parents and college officials. As you might imagine, we’re getting lots of questions about the case, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you, the students and families who’ve placed their trust in Colledge.
1. This is fraud and corruption scandal—not a college admissions consulting scandal.
The allegations are sickening to me because they are antithetical to the integrity that is at the heart of the college admissions consulting we do at Colledge. There are hundreds of legitimate college admissions consulting firms across the country. This case is about one of them offering a criminal “side door” into college by bribing individuals and defrauding colleges. The conduct alleged here would be criminal in any profession—medicine, retail, banking, or entertainment. This one firm’s crimes do not reflect the reality of college admissions consulting any more than a surgeon’s malpractice accurately portrays the practice of medicine.
2. The college admissions consulting firm was a rogue outfit.
I’ve been running in college admissions circles for 25 years, and I’ve never heard of Rick Singer or his firm. I’ve been a member of reputable national organizations on college admissions, spoken at annual meetings, and organized panel discussions, and neither Singer nor his firm have appeared. There’s a reason for this. National organizations like the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Independent Educational Consulting Association (IECA) have rigorous standards and strict ethics rules that prohibit the very kinds of practices Singer was engaged in. His firm was a fringe organization, and he was well outside the mainstream of college admissions consulting.
3. There are ways to confirm a college admissions consultant is legit.
Ethical, responsible college admissions consultants don’t talk about ways to cheat the system. They don’t offer “side doors” or ask for large donations to charities. They don’t charge hundreds of thousands of dollars. They don’t suggest misleading anyone as part of any college applications. Legit college admissions consulting firms have on-the-ground experience in college admissions offices or high schools. They are members of national organizations like NACAC and IECA. Responsible college admissions consultants talk about who your child is. They give insights into how college admissions decisions are made. They talk about finding the right college for your son or daughter. They advise against applying to colleges with admissions standards that don’t match with the students grades and scores. Real college admissions consultants talk about doing hard work, rather than finding a workaround.
4. Wealth and inequality in college admissions is worth talking about.
An undercurrent in all the stories and commentary about this case is the role of money in college admissions and resentment of the advantages wealthy students have in the college admissions process. These are important issues, and my view is that every student deserves good guidance in the college admissions process. That’s why I’ve made so much information and advice available publicly through my website and radio show—I want to get as much wisdom out to as many people as possible. That said, wealth really isn’t the issue with this criminal case—it’s about misusing wealth to cheat the system. Parents who choose to spend money on private schools, tutors, or college admissions guidance are not the problem here—there’s nothing wrong with making great sacrifices and using your gifts to support your child.
5. College admissions consulting will be better for all this.
College admissions consulting is going to take some hits in the short term. The media feeding frenzy around this is going to foster a lot of exaggeration and misinformation about what real college admissions consulting entails. But it’s also going to lead to some soul-searching and fortifying the integrity of the practice of college admissions. And that’s only going to make us better at what we do. For me, this episode has only strengthened my commitment to helping students and families find their way through the college admissions gauntlet. There’s only one way to do this work, and that’s the right way.
