Thoughts on the College Admissions Scandal

March 15, 2019

Dear Friends,

I write in brief to share a few reflections after news of the bombshell admissions cheating scandal around William “Rick” Singer first came to light on Tuesday. I’ve been approached by a number of news outlets this week for comment and my stance has been centered around the following:

I can’t speak for any other firm, but Lakhani Coaching has always stood for integrity. We do not do work for students nor do we engage in any conversation around ways to cheat the system. 

Our students earn their credentials and their admissions successes the right way. Don’t let the Singer scandal put a dark cloud over the painstaking work our students put in. As the news cycle inevitably turns to advantages bought by means, I’ve reminded folks: Do you think it is easy for a student to raise her SAT scores by several hundred points? Do you think it comes from just flipping a switch? I’ve made the analogy several times to reporters: if someone were to climb Everest after being coached, would you dismiss the feat because the climber had received guidance? 

As a firm, we are committed to doing our part in balancing access to opportunity. Lisa David is the first winner of a Lakhani Scholarship; we’re thrilled to share our expertise with such a deserving young lady whose family left Liberia four years ago to give their children better opportunity in the U.S. We work with students and families one at a time, at either end of the wealth spectrum, and I look forward to a fantastic pool of high-achieving low-income applicants for the next round of Lakhani Scholars. Applications are due in two weeks on 4/1/19. 

Finally, I end with a thought on what this scandal means going forward. On a micro-level, it creates more scrutiny over athletic recruitment, legacy giving and advancement office relationships. Everything must be above water, rightfully so. Given there were egregious situations of bribes paid around surrogate testing, expect a) tighter security, including careful ID checks, for official testing and 2) more scrutiny over extended time applications. As far as selectivity, the trend continues to move toward a tighter funnel. I do not foresee this scandal making admissions chances any easier or harder for students applying from the most competitive demographics, though it remains to be seen how the bad press, alongside class action lawsuits filed against the universities, will affect application numbers going forward. 

I’m available to speak by phone if any family has particular questions about how this week’s news impacts their situation. 

With warm regards,

Hafeez Lakhani