‘Full House’? More like ‘Full Fraud’ – A look at the USC scandal

As seniors await responses from colleges, the news of a bribery scandal at the University of Southern California has tainted many of their hopes of equal opportunity.

Former star of ABC’s “Full House,” Lori Loughlin, has been accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to USC to allow her two daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella, admittance into the school. The news has been sweeping the nation, as the parents of the girls arranged for it to appear as if they were participants on the school’s crew team in order to cover up the bribe.

So now the questions are, how did the school allow this to happen and what efforts are they making to improve the situation? And how does this make kids navigating the road to college feel?

Bellarmine counselor Cameron Irving, graduate from the University of Southern California, when asked if she was disappointed in the situation, said, “Yes, but I’m not surprised.”

She explains that it’s not unusual for universities to want people with bigger names to attend their school in order to boost their status, especially universities that have large alumni participation.

Juniors who are looking forward to the college process and lifestyle are concerned about college acceptances being fair.

Junior Colin Bui said he is “disgusted that there are families like that that will pay their way through education when there are hardworking families with kids that deserve to get accepted into schools and they’re not.”

Seniors who just went through the college application and acceptance (and rejection) process describe their frustration but also that they, along with Irving, are not surprised.

Now that people are outraged at this scandal, questions are going around about what the next step is and what the revealing of this news will do to the acceptance system. Irving thinks that “for a while it will slow down, but there is always going to be someone who will try to cheat the system.”

For now, it seems that all everyone can do is try to trust the system and be honest.