Yale Students Aren’t Surprised About The College Admissions Scandal

When the FBI went public with Operation Varsity Blues and exposed a network of wealthy families cheating the college admissions system, Yale students were unsurprised to discover that their school was at the center of it all. A wealthy Yale dad had tipped off investigators. A Yale soccer coach had accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from families eager to secure a spot at the Ivy League school.

The prosecutors confirmed what almost everyone already suspected: our higher education system is no meritocracy. Vice News Tonight met with Yale undergraduate students from high and low income backgrounds as they processed the news during their spring break. "I think people with a lot of money leveraging that to get into Yale was not surprising at all," explained Lily, a Yale senior from California who identifies as lower income. "But the extent of it is shocking. I think at first I was very like 'Oh, I'm so unsurprised.' And then the next day I was like 'No, I'm actually really angry.' I think the anger took a while because it was so funny."

For students from more affluent backgrounds, the scandal made them reflect on whether or not there was a moral difference between the fraud seen in this case and the socially accepted practice of wealthy families donating money and buying campus buildings. Ethan, a freshman and legacy of Yale, argued that at least donations have some benefit. "I think there is a moral difference between perhaps donations versus bribery... the school benefits and for other kids tuition and it might pay for new programs or something that can benefit people. Bribery doesn't go to the school."

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[VICENews]

"I think there is a moral difference between perhaps donations versus bribery... the school benefits and for other kids tuition and it might pay for new programs or something that can benefit people. Bribery doesn't go to the school."

[nursinggirl-lvzx]

“your house costs more than my family has ever collectively had... ever” my broke ass felt this one 😂😂😂

[malkalevanna]

The whole legacy thing is insane
Just because your sibling/ relative was smart enough to get into Yale, does not mean that you are.

[King_Of_Games]

Straight up dude said he has advantages. Moral or not he has something others don’t. And that’s not always fair.

He gets it

[CineNOV]

I love how we're just referring to him as the Glasses Guy

[ABBAyaga]

you can tell the kid with the glasses has no time for the other rich kids. lololololol.

[marlenamontano]

“Both are unfair to people that don’t have those resources” YES 👏🏼 my 👏🏼 king

[blackenedblue]

interview: What does this all mean?
Glasses Kid: "It ain't meritocratic. I think it suggests we should be more cognizant about where we're pulling our talent pool from. Because just because it says Yale on your degree, how much does that mean? IDK, maybe less than you think?"

[olivertaylor]

lol girl with glasses had to go to Yale to realise how rich she was

[akira]

bro isn't that glassed kid like the king of debate. He's also dropping nothing but facts

[markcarel]

the guy in glasses just proved he deserve his spot at yale 😎.

[danielmitchell]

"It ain't meritocratic. I think [the college admissions scandal] should make us more cognizant of where we're drawing our talent pool from. Just because it says 'Yale' on your degree, how much does that mean? I don't know. Maybe less than you think." glasses dropping BOMBS.

[christinejohnson]

Glasses guy is probably the smartest of the group. Not only is he book smart, but he's aware of how society operates, his privilege, and how that not only benefits him but disadvantages others. Although he cannot relate, he is empathetic and humble. That's what earns you genuine respect. The others seemed resistant/hesitant to acknowledge not only their wealth/privilege but also the more disadvantaged communities. There's nothing wrong with having wealthy parents or being wealthy, but to be willfully ignorant about it is iffy.

[lerinnenatalia]

Slam dunk at the end. With all the people buying and donating their way in, actual merit is really not that important. So how valuable is a degree from a top tier school where merit isint valued? "Maybe Less then you think."

[nkwari]

5:41 - When gray t-shirt guy says Yale was the "most diverse" school he's been in, white-t-shirt guy's eyes were like "WTF?" LOL

[MakeJerold]

LMAO that one rich kid "I was never really exposed to other wealth classes before going to yale" buddy, you're going to one of the most prestigious ivy leagues in the country, you still have NO IDEA what it's like to be broke.

[donnab.]

Well, I hope the young black lady in Florida, who re-took the SAT; after she received tutoring, took online classes, & studied the princeton review prep book; but then was told by administrators that she cheated because her score was higher the second time; I hope she goes back & demands her second score be counted.

[_acakes]

If more of the rich kids were like Glasses kid I think the world would be a better place. I want to be his friend.

[sebastianellis]

I remember the first time I learned that people had tutors and classes for the SAT .... I was so surprised... it never occurred to me that I had a disadvantage because of my lower middle class status because I never felt like I lacked when I was growing up... I don't feel bad about it I had a lot of advantages ... but it definitely makes me think about how underutilized talents are because of lack of funds to develop.... fair would be nice but the world isn't fair

[LetsPartyOurFacesOff]

The “privilege” jumped out and only the kid with the glasses cough it.