College is supposed to be the great equalizer. It is also supposed to set us up for life, opening up professional opportunities that would not exist without that college degree.
However, there are two problems with college: the rapidly rising cost and the idea that for some parents, sending their children to a specific college is more about bragging rights than setting up their child for future success.
In the latest news regarding the college cheating scandal, actress Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty yesterday for her part in the scandal. She will be spending two weeks in jail, will have to pay a fine, complete community service and be under one year supervised release.
Honestly, I have no tears for this woman.
I am not a mother and I don’t agree with what she did, but I understand her motives. The job of a parent is to make their child’s life as easy as possible. However, there comes a point in which a parent must step back and let their child rise or fall on their own merit.
What bothers me about this case is that there are so many students who studied their behinds off to get into college and many parents who scrimped and saved for years to get their kids into these colleges. The fact that Ms. Huffman and others thought that they could buy their way into the college admissions process is a sad reminder that the money still gets one farther that hard work.
I hope that this case is a lesson to us all, especially those in the 1%. Money can only get you so far, but hard work will get you everywhere.
Writergurlny 
I totally agree with you. I wish she had gotten a longer sentence, but at least it sends a message. I’m a parent of 3, one still in college, and also an educational consultant who helps students navigate the college admissions process. College admissions is a zero sum gain–for every yes there is a no. There are only a certain number of slots. So Hoffman’s unqualified daughter took my star student’s spot at USC.
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I am sorry about your student. I hope they still got into a good college.
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Hi Writergurl. I also thought Felicity’s punishment was a mere slap on the wrist. What baffles me is why she could not allow her children to be rejected by a school? Part of growing up is learning to deal with rejection.
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