He bought the fencing coach’s house. Then his son got into Harvard

Boston Globe ^ | April 4, 2019 | Joshua Miller

[nascarnation]

That seems quite plausible.
The real challenge is to get into the elite schools.
Once you have the diploma, I doubt any employer even thinks about asking about GPA.
In this modern era, those degrees truly are a golden ticket to prosperity.

[Defiant]

My reading of the intent is it seems more like the Dad loves to be the big shot that funds the team, gives money to the coaches, gives them upgrades on flights and contributes to their charities, so that their son is always a key member of the team. Maybe not to get the kid in, but to make dad the big man once he did get in. I’ve seen those dads a lot in high school sports, not so much in college sports.

It’s possible he did it to ensure entry, but it looks like he had a very good shot at getting in even though he is Asian. Sports is a way to avoid the bias against Asians, as a lot of Asians have figured out, which is why they find an obscure sport they can excel at and focus on it. (aka, fencing).

[WASCWatch]

Very rich Asian guy has two kids who are very high academic and athletic performers, takes a liking to the fencing coach, and helps out the coach and the fencing program.

Rich Asian guy fly’s up to Boston several times for interviews and doesn’t hide anything. Coach obviously did something wrong, but I don’t think it was criminal because the kids would have gotten in on both their academic or athletic accomplishments.

[Dogbert41]

How many politicians children or wives work for Communist governments one way or another and have gotten filthy rich?

[higgmeister]

After reading most of this my only question is, "is he bowlegged?"

I vote not guilty.

[Aurorales]

Fencing is an unbelievably difficult sport to excel in. Very competitive. Most people have a wrong misconception about competitive fencing. Nerdy, uncoordinated, wimpy kids don’t get far at all.
The reason many Asian kids do well in the sport is it takes a high IQ as well as athleticism to succeed. Plus it is extremely expensive to compete.
My son was/is a great fencer. Now a coach.

[an amused spectator]

But he said it was not meant to help his younger son get into college. Rather, in a series of interviews with the Globe, he called it an investment and favor for Brand, the coach whom he said had become his close friend.

This gif is really getting a workout these days...

[luv2ski]

Why are you picking on Duke basketball? Why not Alabama football? or one of the many other elite programs in colleges? Coach K has never had a scandal in the 27 years he has coached at Duke. You don’t have to love Duke but you can’t argue with his pristine record.

[Defiant]

I didn’t say it was an easy sport, I said it was an obscure sport Asians could excel at.

[dfwgator]

"Uh, right... Phil. In Mr. Melon's defense, it was a really big check."

[KittyKares]

Seems everyone has a way into these schools except white middle class kids who can’t pay bribes or fit the affirmative action scheme.
__________________

White middle class kids have to be twice as good as everyone else to be even noticed. Might be best to go to trade school and charge the Harvard graduates up the ying yang to repair or renovate their homes.

[ealgeone]

Coach K...a pristine record??? LOL!

Next you'll try to tell me about the "Carolina" Way!

[Does so]

same kind of deal as when NBC hired Chelsea Clinton as a “special correspondent” for hundreds of thousands of dollars and put her on the air for only a couple of times

Hillary a mentor—again?