College Admissions Bribe Scandal: Alleged Kingpin Pitched Reality Show on ‘Helping’ Applicants

Accused college admissions scam mastermind William “Rick” Singer once pitched his fraudulent business as the basis for a television reality show, according to TMZ.

According to a report from TMZ, William “Rick” Singer once pitched his scam college admissions business to television networks for the purpose of turning it into a reality show. In a demo tape acquired by TMZ, Singer tells the camera about helping rich Americans get their children into college. Of course, Singer did not disclose that his admissions “guidance” allegedly consisted of various types of fraud that ranged from standardized test cheating to fabricating athletic résumés.

In an unsettling portion of the demo tape, Singer says that parents can no longer pay to have their children admitted to universities. “At some schools, giving $10 million isn’t enough…they want $30, $40, $50 million,” Singer says.

“This process brings out all the good and a lot of the bad that goes on in families’ homes,” Singer says in the video.

In the tape, Singer explains that he works very closely with the families that retain him for his services. “We work in the home of all these families. So we know them intimately. I know what their bedrooms look like, I know what the laundry room looks like, I know how they get along,” Singer says in the tape. “So I know where the right fit is.”

“After all this chaos, the payoff for me is knowing that these kids found the right place to go to school and they feel great about themselves, that they feel empowered to be successful,” Singer says at the conclusion of the video.