That's right: a couple in Hong-Kong is suing a Boston based educational consultant to get back the alleged $2 million they spent to get their sons into elite prep schools, and eventually their decided target-- Harvard University.
"They decided in 2006 that their sons, First Son and Second Son, would benefit most by being educated in the top schools in the United States," says the lawsuit, first filed in 2010 with a U.S. district court in Massachusetts.
First Son and Second Son. I've heard some outlandish names before (see: Dick Trickle, former NASCAR champion), but I've never actually witnessed human beings be so willfully commoditized by their parents. The lawsuit continues to allege that Mark Zimny, principal at Boston based IvyAdmit Consulting Associates, approached the Chows after a junior boarding school graduation with promises that as a former Harvard professor, he knew the keys to getting First and Second Son admitted. Of course, central to his admission guarantee was that the Chows make donations to the university.
Starting at $4,000 per month excluding board and rent on each son, the Chows eventually paid a $1 million retainer on each son. And guess what? First and Second never made it into Harvard. They made it into the Ivy, but not to Harvard Click here to read the rest of the article, which details how the family alleges Zimny fraudulently solicited money and donations from the Chows.
I was damn near shocked after getting to the end of the article. Not even because they paid more than 99% of houses in the US cost to simply put their children on retainder; but because, according to several close to the lawsuit, this is hardly unusual. Especially for wealthy families abroad, getting their kids into top US schools has become "an arms race" of sorts, with parents using every dollar and connection at their disposal.
The article begs more than a few questions to me:
- What price would you pay to get into your target?
- Is the educational consulting field ethical in their "guarantees" of Ivy admissions, or do you think this case was an outlier?
- At what point does money and privilege outweigh merit in the quest for target admission?
- How does tipping the scale using money and favors affect the workforce and society as a whole? Leveraging connections is nothing new, of course, but how does it affect the level of talent if being the best and brightest isn't the only criteria for target admissions?
What do you think monkeys? Also, if any of you are personally familiar with First and Second Son (they went to other unnamed Ivies), I would love to hear more on these prodigal humans.
I guess Brady's parents finally decided to take action
Damn, I told my parents not to sue! Gonna go tell first son right now!
Hey I'd sue too after $2MM and an affirmative action student taking my kid's place.
I'm pretty sure that 2M would have been better as a direct contribution right from their pockets..
Why would anyone pay $2 million dollars for their sons to go to Harvard? It is not like their sons will make >> 2M with a Harvard degree than say UPenn, etc. Particularly if you take that money and invest it. I guess being rich does not make you financially savvy.
Being rich means you don't have to worry about spending more money on education than you'll get in return. See the thread on prestige for more information.
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i get a kick out of these 'pay-to-play' parents. so, so desperate.
How did these kids get into Deerfield in the first place
Good for the colleges. If they place some of these idiots and the comsultant donates a fair share of its income to the university, thats a lot of funding for actually talented people with drive. First time brand name actually produced something of value.
Good for the colleges. If they place some of these idiots and the comsultant donates a fair share of its income to the university, thats a lot of funding for actually talented people with drive. First time brand name actually produced something of value.
I'm assuming that the "first son and second son" are aliases assigned to protect their identities.
Not so sure about that STorIB. They allegedly also have a sister, Accidental Daughter, who frequents the internet under the alias "bankerella"
lol
College admissions are a very shading business these days... It seems like everything from racial profiling to bribery is somehow involved in the process.
Oh my god so retarded. Agreed the parents probably realize it's not an intelligent monetary investment and are doing it for the ego....but c'mon, really. Getting rejected is probably the best thing that could happen for the kids....make sure they grow up knowing that you can't buy your way into everything
I'm glad these kids didn't get into Harvard, because they clearly did not deserve it. This is one of the most ridiculous stories I have ever read. How much would I be willing to pay to get my student into a target? Nothing in addition to whatever finances I spend on them through the normal course of life. Maybe if these parents actually spent some of their time, I don't know, RAISING and TEACHING their children life lessons and values, like hardwork, they wouldn't have to bribe colleges to accept their children.
I would love to be the judge of this case, I would just laugh in the face of these foreign people. Sure, this guy may have just scammed you, but how retarded are you to hand over two million dollars to get your lazy ass "son1" and "son2" into a school they clearly have no business being in. This is typical modern day society (in general terms of course), short cuts. Everything today is about short cuts.
If i had a dollar for every time i read on this website "If i do banking straight out of under grad then I can be at a hedge fund in two years instead of 3" I would already have enough money to buy my own island somewhere. News flash, shortcuts don't work. It sounds old fashion but if you don't bust your ass, you will be exposed. Its not a matter of if its a matter of when. Just hope its not like these two idiot kids, who let their parents embarrass them beyond belief to a greater portion of the civilized world.
Wow, it's pretty ridiculous to blame these kids for what their parents did. You must be Zeus or something if you somehow "know" that these kids didn't deserve to get in.
Not sure who to side with here... parents so stupid, but the "consultant" lad is clearly a scam artist. I feel for the kids though, they didn't get into harvard AND their parents are nutters. Tough break.
*my child, not student. Sorry I was a little amped up.
But guys! I thought the ppl who got into the top UGs at 16 years old were the most talented and prestigous!? I thought it had nothing to do with narcotic parents, cultural influences, who you know, and the use of admissions consultants!?
Is that some kind of new drug?
parents on drugs
The consultant is pretty hilarious.
"yeah yeah yeah, I have all the tricks, I can get your kids into Harvard. My first secret tip... GIVE 2 MILLION DOLLARS" lol
Damn. thats pretty funny.
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Next to the Tanning Mom, I nominate the Chows to be worst parent of 2012.
Parents like this confirm the worst stereotypes of overbearing asian parents. I genuinely feel bad for the kids who were under insane amounts of pressure to perform and live up to their expectations.
The consultant is obviously a fraud. Sadly, admissions consulting in general is a pseudo-scam industry.
they got into ivy leagues in the end.. whats the big deal
Because I don't think there's anyone in the world who'd pay $2 million for Cornell.
How can you be stupid enough to pay a consultant $2M, and still make enough money to have $2M to toss at this issue in the first place?
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