About This Episode
What is this episode about?
The episode "Varsity Blues | The Admissions Game | 5" from American Scandal covers how the parents caught up in the Varsity Blues scandal went to extraordinary lengths to secure their children's admission to elite colleges — even though the admissions system was already structured in their favor. Journalist Paul Tough joins to explain how decades of rising competition, college rankings and enrollment management reshaped higher education into a marketplace where wealth can open doors, and discusses what it would take to change how America thinks about college itself.
The case behind the episode
The episode is tied to Operation Varsity Blues: Bestikkelsessagen om eliteuniversiteter, a nationwide American conspiracy in which parents paid as much as 25 million dollars in bribes to secure their children's admission to elite universities. The scheme was orchestrated by William 'Rick' Singer, with 33 parents charged, including Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Universities affected included Yale, Stanford, USC, Georgetown, UCLA and Wake Forest, and the case was prosecuted at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. The scandal unfolded roughly between 2011 and 2019, with the institutions themselves and the integrity of the American admissions system standing as the affected parties.
Hosts and release
Lindsay Graham hosts American Scandal, a Wondery production that dives into America's most notorious scandals, focusing on what drives people to break the rules and the consequences they face. The series explores themes of political corruption, financial crime and abuse of power across its 286 episodes and 60 seasons, available on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms. This episode runs 36 minutes and is the fifth installment in its arc.
