Incoming students, alumni and parents visiting the University on Friday afternoon said that if the Chicago Tribune’s report of a corrupt admissions process is true, it is unfair.
Some on the University’s Quad weren’t aware of the situation yet, but they also said they were not surprised by the allegations.
“It’s not right, but it’s not shocking at all,” said Neil Schultz, an incoming transfer student to the University.
Brett Zimmerman, senior in AHS, said he thinks this will make the University look very bad if the administration is not loyal to its students.
“(The administrators of the University) should be punished,” Zimmerman added. “There is no good reason for letting less qualified candidates into the school when other people work their butts off and are denied.”
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Mark Pingul, junior in LAS, also said that he thinks the administrators at the University should be punished but not so far as to them being fired.
Jake Slawn, an alumnus from the University, said that he thinks the school should have been investigated after the removal of Gov. Blagojevich.
“I think that some sort of punishment should be installed,” Slawn said. “Based on the fact that our previous governor was extinguished as a result of corruption, and the University kind of falls into that by allowing people in who are related to politicians.”
Alex Forrest, a junior transferring from Parkland College, said that she is personally affected if other students received privileges during admissions that she did not.
“When I first applied to (the College of) Business as a freshman,” Forrest said. “I didn’t get in. So I think it’s unfair that they were let in, and people doing it the right way couldn’t be let in.”
Parents of students at the University also said they did not think it would be fair if other children received admission priority because of outside relationships.
“If the allegations are true,” Kim Parks, a parent whose daughter is transferring into the school, said. “It would upset me. I know a lot of kids who tried to get in here but couldn’t. And if they were kicked out because of that, it would upset me.”
Students said the reputation of the University would be on the line if some prospective students received preferential treatment over others.
“People who want to go into higher education should be the ones who are doing it, instead of the ones who are dumb and just have everything handed to them,” Schultz said.
