Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
User submission
23.8K
Writer Who Helped Rich People Cheat Their Way To The Top Explains The Whole System Is Rigged
The American Dream has slowly but surely turned into the American Nightmare; the notion that anybody, regardless of wealth, race or social class, can make it to the top has become thoroughly discredited.
Wealthy parents bribing and cheating to ensure their kids into elite schools is nothing new; the upper classes have long since rigged the system in their favor to ensure that the door remains closed to all but their own, often mediocre offspring. But while the concept of the 1% looking after themselves is well known, it’s not often that a concrete, infuriatingly obvious example of the process actually occurring is made public.
RELATED:
The college admissions scandal has finally shone a light onto this shadowy world of influence and coercion, and it might just open up a whole can of worms. This case involved “Fifty people, including Hollywood stars, top CEOs, college coaches and test administrators, who allegedly took part in the scheme to cheat on tests and admit students to leading institutions as athletes, regardless of their abilities.”
The scandal has rocked the academic world in the U.S, raising questions about whether “qualified students were denied entry to accommodate children of the rich and famous.” Actresses Lauri Loughlin and Felicity Huffman have been implicated in the scheme, although it’s unclear whether their children were aware of it at the time. One of Loughlin’s daughters, influential Vlogger and social media star Olivia Jade, will not be returning to one of the Universities heavily involved in the scam, the University Of Southern California.
If this kind of bribery and blatant cheating happens in schools it begs the question: where else is corruption occurring? Who knows what dirty secrets are hiding in the worlds of politics, high finance and the weapons industry, for example?
Writer Jaimie Leigh has done us all a service recently, by penning an eye-opening piece that further exposes the festering injustice that runs deep through American society. The post, which has already been shared over 30k times, details her experience working for wealthy clients, writing papers and doctoring resumes to ensure that lazy, entitled rich kids get the right ‘personal brand’ for Ivy league universities. Because once you have the right credentials, parentage and connections, your actual talents and work ethic cease to matter. You’ve made it and you can tell everybody that you are ‘self-made,’ while bright and hard-working people from less privileged backgrounds find the doors locked shut.
With 2020 elections on the horizon, these are exactly the kind of conversations that America needs to be having, rather than the endless distractions over the personalities of individual politicians. The problem goes far beyond any individual, it is systematic and needs to be rooted out if the American Dream is ever going to remotely achievable.
People had plenty to say about the informative post
Even some celebrities got in on the act
Image credits: vanderjames
Image credits: FullFrontalSamB
Image credits: briankoppelman
Image credits: lenadunham
336Kviews
Share on Facebook
What do you think ?
Xoxo 6 years ago
This is why a very select few companies I've worked for will do working interviews and really put the new hire to the test. Kinda sad how many kids can't do what they should be able to. When administering the tests myself I can't count the number of frustrated people yell that it's unfair to expect the bare minimum of them straight out of school. It kills them to learn that I went to a community college for my degree, and that I am the one who decides who gets hired. "It all comes out in the wash." Go ahead and cheat your way through life if you must, but don't think for one second that I care what school you attended. I only care that you can do the job I am paying you to do,and most people these days either can't or won't
Brivid 6 years ago (edited)
Just curious, what line of work is it? IT, Business, Medical?
Load More Replies...
Grumble O'Pug 6 years ago
And the honest truth is they expect constituents to buy into bootstrapping to wealth and meanwhile they vote for these do-nothings.
Load More Replies...
Carol Emory 6 years ago (edited)
Our politicians have made it perfectly obvious that they lack common sense and a basic education, and people were surprised that college representatives were helping the rich kids cheat to get into college? Puh-leez! What really makes me angry is the number of students that worked their asses off to earn a place at those colleges only to be denied because some rich kid had to cheat their way in.
Carol Emory 6 years ago
Oh..and people that think you can buy your way into this upper crust of rich people..don't kid yourself. To find out what I'm talking about..read up on a woman known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She was a poor woman who became a rich divorcee after her husband became successful in the mining industry. She was never fully accepted into the upper crust because she came from new money and was very outspoken on issues surrounding women and juveniles.
Load More Replies...
Christina Sersif 6 years ago
Legacy admissions should be scraped too. I heard George W Bush got into Yale for his dad being a legacy and he only had a 2.3 GPA.
Aria Whitaker 6 years ago
Yep, old Bushie Jr is one of the more famous average, C- students and a perfect example of the nepotism and advantage family name and lots of money can give. SMH...and to think there is some genius student from poverty or working class parents that worked their a*s off with a 4.8 GPA and 1580 SAT score that *didn't* get into Yale....
Load More Replies...
Reilly Beryll 6 years ago
And here I am rewearing clothing because I can’t afford to wash them at the laundromat. I doubt I’d be able to get into college. Yeah, scholarships exist, but there’s always someone with parents that can pay more. I think I’ll become a hermit and live with a few cats in a tree house, growing vegetables and hunting deer in the forests. Every so often, I’ll hunt down someone who did this with their kids and throw cats at them. Murder via cats.
fruit_panda 6 years ago
Reilly, I know I don't know you, but please, please try. Anyone who is determined and creative enough to execute murder via throwing cats belongs in college (if that's what you want.) I got in and made it through even though my parents didn't have the money. Apply. Apply to 5-6 different places. If you can't afford the application fee, ask your school counselor or pick up the phone and call the admissions office and explain that you can't afford the fee. Some places will help out with that. And if you want any advice from me, reply to this message. I can give you my email.
Load More Replies...
Doodlemancer 6 years ago
Well, that explains why so many of my former bosses from elite schools seem so incompetent. Why bother with effort and good work ethic when you can buy your way to success?
Melody Reid 6 years ago
Same with mine. They also promote people like themselves.
Load More Replies...
Ohio Hands 6 years ago
This happens with Chinese students gaining entrance to American colleges too. Over 40% of international students in the US are Chinese and its because their parents pay services to write entrance essays, task entrance exams and do phone interviews because they believe that getting into ANY US college automatically gives their kid an edge. As a graduate I taught lower-level classes and I can tell you that nearly every freshmen Chinese student spoke EXTREMELY poor English and their written was not much better. I even had a fellow grad student who understood zero English and couldn't even fulfill the basic requirements and responsibilities required of her in the program so she had to be "demoted" of sorts. There is absolutely no way she wrote her own entrance essay and participated in her phone interview, the head of the program would have caught on. Colleges turn a blind eye because these students pay full international tuition. Its an epidemic they are happy to ignore.
Rose the Cook 6 years ago
Some of these places actually have their own expensive private schools in China that for exorbitant fees guarantee even the worst students a place in the American or Canadian university they are owned by.
Load More Replies...
Id row 6 years ago
"He's still an idiot, but now he's an idiot earning high-five or low-six figures." dum dum Bush is famous for being an idiot at a prestigious school. Yes, this is how the system works and I'm surprised by anyone who thought otherwise. It's depressing if you think about it too much.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
And how about full sports scholarships? (Scholarship,my a*s!) They're mostly given to guys who couldn't pass high school, let alone deal with college classes. But they take up room better suited to someone who could make something out of college.
Load More Replies... Carney 6 years ago
The worst part of all of this? It is NOTHING NEW. It is not unusual nor is it something that a large segment of the population cares about. The wealthy have been buying their way through life since...well, probably since one cave person found a bigger and better stick than the other cave person. Take a glance at some of our (US here) politicians and decision makers. Many bought their degrees and many continue to buy their way through life. Wealth cares privileges the majority of us will never know.
Xoxo 6 years ago
This is why a very select few companies I've worked for will do working interviews and really put the new hire to the test. Kinda sad how many kids can't do what they should be able to. When administering the tests myself I can't count the number of frustrated people yell that it's unfair to expect the bare minimum of them straight out of school. It kills them to learn that I went to a community college for my degree, and that I am the one who decides who gets hired. "It all comes out in the wash." Go ahead and cheat your way through life if you must, but don't think for one second that I care what school you attended. I only care that you can do the job I am paying you to do,and most people these days either can't or won't
Brivid 6 years ago (edited)
Just curious, what line of work is it? IT, Business, Medical?
Load More Replies... Grumble O'Pug 6 years ago
And the honest truth is they expect constituents to buy into bootstrapping to wealth and meanwhile they vote for these do-nothings.
Load More Replies... Carol Emory 6 years ago (edited)
Our politicians have made it perfectly obvious that they lack common sense and a basic education, and people were surprised that college representatives were helping the rich kids cheat to get into college? Puh-leez! What really makes me angry is the number of students that worked their asses off to earn a place at those colleges only to be denied because some rich kid had to cheat their way in.
Carol Emory 6 years ago
Oh..and people that think you can buy your way into this upper crust of rich people..don't kid yourself. To find out what I'm talking about..read up on a woman known as "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." She was a poor woman who became a rich divorcee after her husband became successful in the mining industry. She was never fully accepted into the upper crust because she came from new money and was very outspoken on issues surrounding women and juveniles.
Load More Replies... Christina Sersif 6 years ago
Legacy admissions should be scraped too. I heard George W Bush got into Yale for his dad being a legacy and he only had a 2.3 GPA.
Aria Whitaker 6 years ago
Yep, old Bushie Jr is one of the more famous average, C- students and a perfect example of the nepotism and advantage family name and lots of money can give. SMH...and to think there is some genius student from poverty or working class parents that worked their a*s off with a 4.8 GPA and 1580 SAT score that *didn't* get into Yale....
Load More Replies... Reilly Beryll 6 years ago
And here I am rewearing clothing because I can’t afford to wash them at the laundromat. I doubt I’d be able to get into college. Yeah, scholarships exist, but there’s always someone with parents that can pay more. I think I’ll become a hermit and live with a few cats in a tree house, growing vegetables and hunting deer in the forests. Every so often, I’ll hunt down someone who did this with their kids and throw cats at them. Murder via cats.
fruit_panda 6 years ago
Reilly, I know I don't know you, but please, please try. Anyone who is determined and creative enough to execute murder via throwing cats belongs in college (if that's what you want.) I got in and made it through even though my parents didn't have the money. Apply. Apply to 5-6 different places. If you can't afford the application fee, ask your school counselor or pick up the phone and call the admissions office and explain that you can't afford the fee. Some places will help out with that. And if you want any advice from me, reply to this message. I can give you my email.
Load More Replies... Doodlemancer 6 years ago
Well, that explains why so many of my former bosses from elite schools seem so incompetent. Why bother with effort and good work ethic when you can buy your way to success?
Melody Reid 6 years ago
Same with mine. They also promote people like themselves.
Load More Replies... Ohio Hands 6 years ago
This happens with Chinese students gaining entrance to American colleges too. Over 40% of international students in the US are Chinese and its because their parents pay services to write entrance essays, task entrance exams and do phone interviews because they believe that getting into ANY US college automatically gives their kid an edge. As a graduate I taught lower-level classes and I can tell you that nearly every freshmen Chinese student spoke EXTREMELY poor English and their written was not much better. I even had a fellow grad student who understood zero English and couldn't even fulfill the basic requirements and responsibilities required of her in the program so she had to be "demoted" of sorts. There is absolutely no way she wrote her own entrance essay and participated in her phone interview, the head of the program would have caught on. Colleges turn a blind eye because these students pay full international tuition. Its an epidemic they are happy to ignore.
Rose the Cook 6 years ago
Some of these places actually have their own expensive private schools in China that for exorbitant fees guarantee even the worst students a place in the American or Canadian university they are owned by.
Load More Replies... Id row 6 years ago
"He's still an idiot, but now he's an idiot earning high-five or low-six figures." dum dum Bush is famous for being an idiot at a prestigious school. Yes, this is how the system works and I'm surprised by anyone who thought otherwise. It's depressing if you think about it too much.
Karen Klinck 6 years ago
And how about full sports scholarships? (Scholarship,my a*s!) They're mostly given to guys who couldn't pass high school, let alone deal with college classes. But they take up room better suited to someone who could make something out of college.
Load More Replies... Carney 6 years ago
The worst part of all of this? It is NOTHING NEW. It is not unusual nor is it something that a large segment of the population cares about. The wealthy have been buying their way through life since...well, probably since one cave person found a bigger and better stick than the other cave person. Take a glance at some of our (US here) politicians and decision makers. Many bought their degrees and many continue to buy their way through life. Wealth cares privileges the majority of us will never know.
Related on Bored Panda
198
111