MHS students, staff disappointed by celebrity SAT scandal

Maya Kasprzak, Intern

With SATs and PSATs right around the corner, MHS students are preparing to take one of the most important tests of their high school careers. Graduation is only two months away, leaving many seniors in the process of choosing which college they are going to attend after working extremely hard in order to be accepted. However, for Lori Loughlin, Felicity Huffman, and many other wealthy celebrity parents and their  children, those steps were taken in a way that makes the process much easier.

According to CNN, many people who hold very high positions were involved in getting their child falsely admitted to exclusive colleges.

“Fifty people — including Hollywood stars, top CEOs, college coaches and standardized test administrators — allegedly took part in the scheme to cheat on tests and admit students to leading institutions as athletes, regardless of their abilities” (cnn.com).

Counselor Lisa Warnke explains how the fault could not only be on the parents, but the ones who administer the SATs as well.

“Whether you’re testing in Michigan or California, whether you’re in a private school or a public school, the admissions end of things need to be watched more carefully no matter what,” said Warnke.

Senior Eleni Wohl said she feels as if the scandal is doing more damage than good.

“It’s not fair to use your privilege to get you places because it’s just not helping bridge the gap between the classes; its furthering the divide,” said Wohl.

Sophomore Layla Marsee said that the money used to unfairly get the children into college could’ve been used earlier on in their lives to give them better access to education.

“If you have the money to get your kid into a school by paying off people to do it for you, then you have the money that you could’ve used to get them tutors or help them improve their SAT scores so that they could have gotten in by themselves,” said Marsee.

Overall, the ones who were involved in this recent college admissions scandal have been or will be taken to court, and most of the kids who got into colleges because of fake admissions have either dropped out or have been expelled. No matter whose fault it really is, the effects of this situation will live on for the rest of these people’s lives.