Guilty Admissions

The Bribes, Favors, and Phonies behind the College Cheating Scandal

By: Nicole LaPorte

Narrated by: Betsy Foldes Meiman

This entertaining exposé on how the other half gets in tells the shockingly true story of the Varsity Blues scandal, and all of the crazy parents, privilege, and con men involved.

Guilty Admissions weaves together the story of an unscrupulous college counselor named Rick Singer, and how he preyed on the desperation of some of the country's wealthiest families living in a world defined by fierce competition, who function under constant pressure to get into the "right" schools, starting with pre-school; non-stop fundraising and donation demands in the form of multi-million-dollar galas and private parties; and a community of deeply insecure parents who will do anything to get their kids into name-brand colleges in order to maintain their own A-list status.

Investigative reporter Nicole LaPorte lays bare the source of this insecurity—that in 2019, no special "hook" in the form of legacy status, athletic talent, or financial giving can guarantee a child's entrance into an elite school. The result is paranoia, deception, and true crimes at the peak of the American social pyramid.

With a glittering cast of Hollywood actors—including Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin—hedge fund CEOs, sales executives, and media titans, Guilty Admissions is a soap-opera-slash-sneak-peek-behind-the-curtains at America's richest social circles; an examination of the cutthroat world of college admissions; and a parable of American society in 2019, when the country is run by a crass tycoon and all totems of status and achievement have become transactional and removed from traditions of ethical restraint.

A world where the rich get whatever they want, however they want it.

Critic reviews

"[A] riveting rundown of Operation Varsity Blues...Readers will be captivated by this entertaining look behind the headlines."—Publishers Weekly

Guilty

Boy this was such a good story to be told to everyone. Everyone should read. Lots of good investigating.

Excellent

great journalistic storytelling. great pace and excellent narration. I don't look for anything more and this delivered!

Well Researched and Fascinating!

I was obsessed with this story when it was in the news, it was so disturbing that people are getting away with this type of bad behavior. I found Nicole LaPorte's book to be well researched and very interesting. I did not want to stop listening. She gave great insight into how Rick operated and how parents got sucked into his scheme. I also found her research on colleges and admissions on a general level fascinating. I highly recommend this book!

Fun and informative book

This book was fun to listen to, and informative. It follows Rick Singer and the big college admissions scam. I especially enjoyed learning about Singer's earlier life before the Varsity Blues scandal. This book is an interesting account of the scandal with just the right amount of background information. This "true crime" expose was pretty entertaining. I like that the author did not totally vilify the miscreants. She tried to capture them fairly in my opinion. Good narration, too,

Very captivating

This was a fascinating story and incredibly well-researched. Highly recommend to anyone remotely interested in the college admissions scandal!