The college-admissions scandal is leading to chaos on the USC campus

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I know this isn’t the point of any of this, but as I edit photos of Olivia Jade Giannulli day after day, I can’t help but think that if her parents had been more realistic and resourceful, they could have helped Olivia be a rich celebrity on her own limited merits. She’s a really pretty young woman and the camera loves her. She doesn’t have the height to be a model, but she could have totally made it as an actress/reality star/beauty mogul. If only Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli had just leaned into Olivia Jade’s strengths. But truly, Olivia Jade will be fine. It’s unfortunate that she’s the face of the college-admissions scandal because she really will be fine. But what of the other students who cheated their way into college?

The USC Judicial Council for the Undergraduate Student Government is knee-deep in investigating the cheating scandal at the school, and we’re told students are blowing the whistle on scores of their fellow students who allegedly cheated their way into the University. Sources directly connected to the Council tell TMZ, USC students have referred 60 of their classmates to the Council, claiming they used underhanded or illegal means to gain admission. One source tells TMZ, there is “hysteria” on the campus in the wake of the scandal, and the accusations are flying. We’re told of the 60, the Council determined 57 allegations were unfounded.

As for the remaining 3 … our sources say 2 of the students are freshman and used the services of the ringleader of the scandal, Rick Singer, who contacted the athletic department on behalf of both of them. Our sources say there is some connection to the men’s lacrosse team, however, they are quick to add they have not determined if there was any wrongdoing … at least, not yet. We’re told the 2 students appeared “very nervous” after the scandal broke.

As for the third student … our sources described her parents as “unindicted co-conspirators” who live on the East Coast. The case was referred to the Judicial Council by a faculty member. We’re told the student in question is a junior who used Rick Singer to help gain admission.

As for Lori Loughlin’s daughters, Olivia and Isabella … we’re told the Judicial Council was about to begin an investigation, but members were called to the Provost’s Office on March 14 and were asked to stand down — the University would handle the matter. TMZ has obtained the document in which the Council surrendered the case to university officials. The Judicial Council has the power to suspend students for one semester and to place students on unlimited academic probation.

[From TMZ]

My generation had several movies about bro codes and when and if to “tell” on your fellow classmates. The reality was quite different though – while bro codes definitely exist, let’s be real, students love to tattle and gossip and point fingers. I’m imagining a modern-day Salem witch hunt where the all-powerful Judicial Council passes judgment on students based on their association with Rick Singer. The thing about it is… how are those Judicial Council college students really supposed to investigate? Can they hire outside investigators? Probably not, right? It’s more likely that they can only interview students and use the school’s “honor code” to hopefully get students to tell the truth. And why isn’t the USC administration doing the investigating? Is it because most colleges knew there was a lot of bribery and shadiness going on but they looked the other way??

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25 Responses to “The college-admissions scandal is leading to chaos on the USC campus”

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  1. Earthbound Misfit says:

    “…she could have totally made it as an actress/reality star/beauty mogul…”

    Just what we need: another one of these. [eye roll]

    • me says:

      There are thousands of celebrity spawn who are on instagram. They are plenty of “pretty white girls” out there. I think her parents wanted her to have a back up plan because this “insta-famous” bullsh*t isn’t going to last much longer. Too bad the parents thought they had to cheat though.

    • Lara says:

      I know, like this is now something to strive for? Gah.

  2. ThatBlackGirl says:

    Sounds about white.

  3. LadyMTL says:

    I have half a million dollars worth of reasons why USC’s admin wasn’t doing their own investigation…why threaten the golden goose, right?

  4. minx says:

    Her parents are snobs who wanted their daughter to go to a college she clearly wasn’t suited for. They didn’t seem to care if she struggled there, they would probably buy her grades.

  5. Abby says:

    I’m curious how Olivia Jade feels about her parents totally f’ing HER “career” of brand collaborations and YouTube. It’s not what most of us aspire to do, but Sephora and Tresemme are not small companies to work with… And I’m sure she got lots of ad money with her YouTube following. Being as dumb and lacking self awareness as she is, she would mention her “agent” coming up with content for her to film, sending her footage to an editor – and that was just in the few videos I watched. She obviously was invested in continuing that path, and now her parents ruined not only an education but also her own aspirations. I’m just curious if she’s most worried about her parents, or if that entitlement she’s been raised with has leaked out into blaming her parents yet for making her the face of a big scandal with lots of personal loss.

    • Royalwatcher says:

      Errr…you act as if the daughter wasn’t involved at all. Wasn’t she aware and involved with the cheating? If so then she ruined her own career. Good god.

      Wait…were you being sarcastic? Now I can’t tell.

      • ChillyWilly says:

        She knew and she could have said no. But I think she agreed so that she could trap more college girls into buying the crap she shills if she were one of them. These people really screwed themselves. The are very successful and wealthy and fortunate. But it is never enough for rich people. They always want more. I watched a video of Olivia talking about Amazon decking out her dorm room for free. So many deserving kids out there but the rich people get all the freebies and comps. It is an effed up world we live in.

      • me says:

        @ ChillyWilly

        It’s so unfair that rich people or family of rich celebs get so much stuff for free. Her family could afford to “deck out” her dorm room yet she got it all for free, and then did a video about it and made even more money. How about Amazon find a deserving college student and do the same for them?

      • Mustang Sally says:

        Of course Olivia was aware. She didn’t fill out her own college application and she admitted on her YouTube channel that she was never in class in high school. She had to know she did not make it into a prestigious school like USC on her own merits. I think they are covering for her so that she still has a “career” as I am sure mom & dad have banked enough money for themselves.

  6. MaryContrary says:

    University of Spoiled Children back in my day. This scandal revives that old image.

  7. Nancy says:

    Aunt Becky screwed up. How do people think they’re not going to get caught. Being paranoid has kept me honest my whole life. I would absolutely get busted. Anyway, I thought Kylie got some more surgery when I first glanced at the header pic. This girl is pretty. Her face is splashed everywhere, so knowing this country and world we live in, she will somehow profit from her parent’s wrongdoing.

  8. lucy2 says:

    I don’t think other students would really know, unless they witnessed it or saw correspondence?

    But it would be pretty easy for USC to figure it out – anyone Singer contacted them about should be looked at. Anyone who got accepted for a sport like crew but never actually did any sports should be looked at. It’s not that hard…if the university is honest….

    • Veronica S. says:

      You’d be amazed how many kids lack the foresight not to brag about that sort of thing, particularly if they’re used to getting away with it consequence free. This sort of schadenfreude strikes me as irresistible for both lesser fortunate students who are legitimately angry AND smug rich kids whose parents managed to get in on their own/had more discreet parents.

      • Royalwatcher says:

        This. I bet the kids bragged about it.

      • Still_Sarah says:

        @ Veronica S. : Teenagers do not have an understanding of how something can come back to bite them in the ass after they brag about it in person or on the internet. I was a criminal lawyer and was waiting my turn in court one day when a matter involving a young teenage girl came up. She had uttered a DEATH THREAT via text. Well, thanks to our dim-witted girl, the prosecutor had plenty of evidence to use. And they also don’t seem to understand that not everyone they brag to is going to keep their “secret”.

      • Lucy2 says:

        I’m sure some of them did brag, however they said 57 of the 60 accusations turned out to be false? I have to think a few these were people just trying to rat out others they didn’t like!

    • me says:

      Well if you had to do a group project with Olivia it wouldn’t take long to question how the f*ck she got in to USC !

    • pottymouth pup says:

      other students may know if someone is paying someone else to write papers/do assignments/take tests for them

  9. Birdix says:

    I’m surprised this hasn’t raised the issue of athletic admissions and how that’s such a back door into these universities. It comes down to alums again, and wanting their alma mater to win, so its an offshoot of legacy status. I know of kids essentially admitted to Princeton as sophomores because of lacrosse, and a certain group is completely invested in fencing for the same reason.

  10. Arya says:

    If I were a USC student, I would be livid because now people around the country are doubting the validity of a USC degree. Like, I’m sure the USC degree will continue to be highly respected in California but USC isn’t as well known outside of California and I’m sure a bunch of non-Californians now think everyone just scams their way into USC.

    • Still_Sarah says:

      @ Arya : Yeah, I can see where USC students would be p*ssed. Their degree is being devalued by all of this.