You’re wrong across the board.
They are not “donaating” in this instance.
They are BUYING their kids a place in the college.
Read the story in full before arguing.
What if I think someone should be able to buy your job for their kid?
Actually, a good case could be made that it’s you who is wrong across the board. And while I did read the article, I don’t value some journalist’s view about a topic he clearly knows little about over my own knowledge.
Parents are not, as you say, “buying their kids a place in the college’ by using their foundation to donate to the college. It is never done in that crass a manner at legitimate institutions. The students are already accepted when that type of arrangement is made.
Years ago the ability to pay tuition was an important component in the admissions process at some schools. At the prestigious schools it means little to nothing. Any parent proposing such an arrangement to an admissions officer would severely handicap their kid’s chance of ever being accepted.
At the prestigious schools, the admissions officers are looking at the characteristics of the student - race, test scores, accomplishments, first generation college, family circumstances. The people with money who were just indicted paid to have their kids’ applications look as if they included something(s) that the schools value.
There is a lot of mis-information on this thread. The college application process is a delicate dance and money isn’t part of the equation at the desirable schools - not at the 100K level anyway. Now the family may have money but it’s the fame/reputation/power of the family that will improve the kids’ chances, not the money per se.