“there was direct fraud involved as well”
Who committed a crime in the current situations? An applicant’s face is photoshopped onto a picture of an olympic athlete. The picture is made part of the application.
What here rises to the level of a crime? If I submit an knowingly inaccurate application to a school, is that a crime?
If I pay an individual in a school to get me into the school, has the individual committed a crime if they help me? Has the school committed a crime?
I can see a distinction here between an public and a private university.
What you just described is straight-out fraud. And if you send that application through the mail, it is a federal crime. Look at it this way -- you're lying to people to get a benefit from them, and whether it is money or a slot in a school doesn't make a legal difference. It's no different from some fraud through mail scam where you get people to send money to you by lying about being sick, etc..
If I submit an knowingly inaccurate application to a school, is that a crime?
Technically, yes. Although it is unlikely to be prosecuted in most cases.
If I pay an individual in a school to get me into the school, has the individual committed a crime if they help me? Has the school committed a crime?
Depends on whether or not fraud is committed at some point, and whether or not you know the person you paid is committing fraud.