The Atlantic

The Moral Center of Meritocracy Collapses

Family life itself has become part of the battleground of the classes.
Source: Beck Diefenbach / Reuters

Updated at 11:53 a.m. ET on March 14, 2019.

You are shocked—shocked—I know. According to the FBI, a network of 33 wealthy parents engaged in a massive fraud to buy places for their children at elite colleges. Didn’t they realize that there are many perfectly legal ways to do that?

You can hire a legitimate college counselor for $10,000 and up. You can get test prep for anything from $120 to $375 an hour. You can buy personal coaches, fencing equipment, and squash-club memberships, often for less than the price of a Sub-Zero refrigerator. You can arrange for unpaid internships that will allow Junior

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