If I was on a jury for a criminal case like this, I think I might refuse to convict on principle. I would never go to the lengths that these people did to get their kids into college, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what makes any of this a CRIME. Maybe I’d side with the colleges in a CIVIL lawsuit, but even then I don’t see how the colleges were even “victims” in any sense here.
What she did was wrong and it does matter but it’s the harm to society that concerns me more than the potential loss to the college’s brand. I’d convict if the proof was there, but I’d be a lot more interested in community service in this lady’s case because she already admitted guilt.