Just when I thought I had exhausted Netflix's backlist of true crime documentaries, they decided to cover Operation Versity Blues, the FBI case against Rick Singer and the wealthy parents who bribed their children into college. 

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This scandal broke during my senior year of high school, right as my peers and I were applying to our dream schools and waiting on acceptance letters. Needless to say, when some rejections were received and we learned that others had bought a ticket, it was hard. Now, however, I'm ready to put the mourning behind me and turn all of that ennui into entertainment. And boy, did Operation Varsity Blues deliver. 

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If you're reading this article, it's likely because you've already seen the documentary and are interested in learning more about the scandals and systems of higher education. And if you haven't seen Operation Varsity Blues... then perhaps you had a hard time reading the title and could read the following books anyway... for practice.

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The Merit Myth by Anthony P. Carnevale, Peter Schmidt, and Jeff Strohl

I received an early copy of this book from the publisher and boy was I excited for it to release so that I would have more people to discuss with. This nonfiction piece explores the college admissions process and highlights the fact that the existence of any "equal-opportunity" or "merit-based" system is virtually impossible. Operation Varsity Blues highlights the fact that standardized testing scores are better predictors of parents' income than academic performance. That research is laid out and expanded upon within the pages of The Merit Myth. 

(Disclaimer: It can definitely get a bit... academic at times. But I guess that's what I get for reading about colleges in my free time.) 

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Paying for the Party: How College Maintains Inequality by Elizabeth A. Armstrong and Laura Hamilton

I first read this book for a sociology course and then had to write a ten-page paper on it. The fact that I'm still wanting to talk about it definitely speaks to the quality and insanity of this research. The two authors lived on a floor of a freshman dorm for an academic year, interviewing the residents and collecting data on their socioeconomic status. Through their work, they highlight fascinating relationships between the college experience of modern-day students and wealth. Colleges' dependance on donors mean that they have to cater their coursework, clubs, and campuses to the tastes of the affluent. This tailored experience has noticeable impacts on students' success... even long after they graduate. 

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Happy reading! And remember, don't bribe your sailing coach.