Many people were shocked in March earlier this year with the news that parents are bribing people for their child to be accepted into the college of their choice. This has brought many arrests, notably of of Lori Loughlin. Much more parents have been caught, but another huge arrest that was made was the arrest of Felicity Huffman. With the case still ongoing, additional information has recently come to light.

 The scandal started back in 2011 with William “Rick” Singer. He had a college counseling business known as “The Key” and through it, he helped his rich clients get their children admitted to well-known universities. The Key had two ways to do so: by making up fake test scores and fabricating athletic profiles. The college staff weren’t completely unaware of this, as William Singer paid money to former USC women’s soccer coach assistant, Laura Janke. Jankee and the former head coach, Ali Khosroshahin, would put the girls on the team in exchange for the money. There have been other schools, including UCLA, that did the same, making people even more upset to see that these students received scholarships to “play” sports they didn’t even play. 

At least 50 people have been caught, including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are both well known actresses and the main focus of the scandal. Felicity Huffman paid $15,000 for William Singer to arrange for someone to secretly correct her daughter’s answers on the test. Lori Loughlin spent $500,000 for her two daughters to be accepted under fake athletic scholarships. Both utilized different ways and paid different amounts, and they are now addressing the situation differently. Felicity Huffman admitted to the crime and acted serious and accepting of her sentence of 14 days in prison, a $30,000 fine, and complete 250 hours of community service. Lori Loughlin, on the other hand, still refuses to plead guilty and she still fights back. 

Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded not guilty during the trial. Their original sentence was 18 to 24 months of jail, however, with them pleading not guilty and not showing any remorse in their actions, their sentences may get worse and it will lead to an even more ugly ending if they don’t admit what they had done (nymag).

This case has shocked the whole nation, but it is still ongoing. Across the board, it’s upsetting to see how people are cheating their way into college, Maddie Young (12) said, “In my opinion, the college admission scandals are frustrating because these opportunities could have been given to students who have been working hard to excel and go to a good college.” Although it’s a relief to see that the people were caught, let’s hope that this will never happen again.