Originally Posted by Bostonian
The IRS audits some tax returns at random. If accepted students knew there were a chance of their applications being audited, that would reduce fraud.

The article mentions looking at whether standardized test scores and grades match. But Harvard and other selective schools have made SAT subject tests optional, reducing their ability to do this. Some schools do not require either the SAT or ACT or SAT subject tests.

High schools know who has played on their sports teams. They could make rosters easily available to admissions officers. They could also provide lists of who has had leadership positions in clubs.
My suggestions above, (1) auditing some applications, (2) requiring more tests than just the SAT or ACT, and (3) getting sports information from high schools, would have deterred some of the recently reported fraud. Economics professor Tyler Cowen has a good column about it at Bloomberg. Parents don't pay bribes to get their children into Caltech.

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The College Admissions Scandal Is About More Than Just Bribery

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First, these bribes only mattered because college itself has become too easy, with a few exceptions. If the bribes allowed for the admission of unqualified students, then those students would find it difficult to finish their degrees. Yet most top schools tolerate rampant grade inflation and gently shepherd their students toward graduation. That’s because they realize that today’s students (and their parents) are future donors (and potential complainers on social media). It is easier for professors and administrators not to rock the boat. What does that say about standards at these august institutions of higher learning?

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Related thread: xtra time on tests: alleged college admission scam