On Tuesday, March 12, over fifty families were convicted of cheating fraud in a case known as “Operation Varsity Blues,” committing offense ranging from falsifying standardized test scores, bribing university athletic coaches, and gaming the college admissions process in order for their children to attend a prestigious university. Some universities involved in this scandal include University of Southern California, Georgetown University, Stanford University, Yale University, and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). With the scheme has been under the scrutiny of the college admissions officers, some decisions have be delayed due to thorough investigation of faulty applicants.

Here are the actions the universities are currently taking in response to the scandal:

• Admissions officers are currently reviewing allegations as it relates to admissions decisions

• A thorough investigation and review is currently being made with current applicants.

• All students involved in the scheme will have their admissions revoked and will face disciplinary actions

While this scandal has proven how easily the college application and standardized testing processes can be “cheated,” many students around the country are raising concerns on how this issue may affect future admissions results.

Since admissions decisions are currently rolling and many colleges have already released or are preparing to release their admissions results, this scandal will likely not largely affect applicants’ standings. As only students who have committed fraud are currently under stringent review from admissions officers, and as of today, all fraudulent students have had their applications revoked. For most students, this scene will not have an effect on this year’s admissions cycle. As for the coming years, admissions officers may be more strict on applicants’ legitimacy, so there may be an increase in requests for additional information for application materials that may spark skepticism or concern. In other words, refrain from adding any fraudulent information as your all applications are always under careful review.

Now that admissions officers are more stringent, we expect that admissions processes will likely be more fair in the next few years. In essence, it may be easier to stand out from other applicants, and we advise applicants to focus more on strengthening their own personal profile to increase their chances of admissions into their target colleges.