Many of us have had to endure the mental anguish of a standardize college entrance exam. You, and a long line of other students, anxiously wait to enter the exam hall. You make sure there’s enough space between you and other test takers, then patiently wait for a proctor (usually a retiree with a bunch of free time) to place a neatly packaged and bounded exam on the table.
Time is called.
You take the test.
You do your best.
Then you wait on pins and needles for the results.
Once they come…if you pass, you’re relieved! If you don’t…then you just regroup, settle on the fact that this time other test takers were more prepared than you, and then if the opportunity presents itself, you try again.
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. That’s just how the cookie crumbles. But the single most basic assumption we adopted about this process, was its “fairness.”
Well…We thought wrong.
Background
On March 12, 2019, the FBI announced that actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were part of a network of wealthy individuals paying millions to place their children into elite universities (see original story here).
When news broke, people were incensed, probably because those of us who have gone through the college prep process, know how rigorous, costly, and tedious it can be. Furthermore, we also know how so much of it is left to chance.
That day social media was on fire with people outraged, disappointed, or genuinely in a state of shock by the news. I, however, was none of those things.
I was only surprised by the fact it made the news!
Let’s Get Real…
If anyone is under the illusion that this begins and ends with Felicity Huffman, Lori Loughlin and their cronies, you’re definitely not paying attention…to LIFE!
First off, the “air of entitlement” is fostered very young in the United States – which plays a huge role in this.
My dad who came to this country at 19, told me he never understood award ceremonies in the United States. It seemed like every single student received some award – even those undeserving.
He came from a school system where students were publicly ranked, called on in class to provide answers, and they were expected to know the right ones. If students were unprepared, they fail. No exceptions. The only “awards” were passing grades and narrowly escaping the wrath of your parents.
Now, I don’t necessarily agree with how hard they went to prepare students back then, but one thing was clear: All of them were prepared for life. All of my father’s classmates (even the ones who weren’t high ranking), can do complicated math calculations in their heads, are very well read, hardworking, and overall studious individuals. Many of them went on to become professors, successful entrepreneurs, or company executives. This isn’t to say that none of them experienced failure – I’m certain they did at many points. The difference is that they learned how to cope with failure, and in so doing, figured out how to win next time.
Cheating is a Disservice to Your Kids. Period.
The college cheating scandal highlights how students no longer know how to deal with failure or figure out how to get it right next time. Since so many of them “expect” to get an award or “expect” to get a good grade, many never know what it feels like to fail at something, and as a result, will never know how to regroup, re-strategize, and win. Sadly, these parents have actually done their children a huge disservice that being wealthy won’t solve.
They helped their children escape character building life lessons. The life lessons we all need to become well-rounded, problem solving, humble, and solid individuals.
Now…who will they become?
Stay tuned for Part II: Collective Solutions to the College Cheating Scandal. It’s not what you might think…
