How could kids not know they were getting fake scores

[osewalrus]

This article pull out the relevant pieces of the charging docs. While some parents told their kids about the scams and cooperated, others were kept totally in the dark. That was part of the "service" singer offered. If parents wanted their kids to "feel good about themselves" and "think they were super smart" after all, that could be easily arranged.
https://www.vox.com/2019/3/14/18263876/college-admissions-fraud-investigation-fbi-quotes

Basically, it involved shifting things to the back end to hide from the student. The parents told these kids that "maybe they have a learning disability" and they should get tested. The test doctor was bribed to confirm a learning disability that required 100% extension of time. This also explained to the child why s/he was now apparently doing much better than previously. Now that the "learning disability" was "diagnosed," child could get special accommodations for standardized testing. Singer had a network of bribed administrators and exam proctors on the back end who would alter scores, including doctor transcripts. As Singer explained, what was important was to show that the child was "improving." The combination of the supposed "learning disability" and "transformation" of the child into a superior student as a result of the diagnosis made the admission plausible -- when combined with the other "side door" services Singer provided.

If this sounds elaborate, keep in mind these are parents who were willing to pay potentially $100s of thousands if they got the right results.

Comments

[osewalrus]

Not sure how it works. I don't know that this sort of case has ever come up before -- where the kids were unaware of the fraud.

One question unanswered is how are these kids actually doing in the colleges once there. Nothing indicates that Singer's services extended to doctoring grades once admitted (although Lord knows they may have)).