The Iowa cheating rings are the latest evidence of how a vibrant East Asian industry is corrupting the U.S. higher education system by gaming entrance exams, concocting college applications and completing college coursework on behalf of students. These nimble operators not only help students cheat their way into universities. They also help them cheat their way through. The companies are prospering by exploiting two intersecting interests: the growing demand by Chinese nationals to study overseas, and the desire by U.S. colleges to profit from foreign students willing to pay full tuition.

As Reuters reported in March, some companies are leveraging weaknesses in the SAT, a standardized college entrance exam, to help clients gain an unfair advantage on the test by feeding them questions in advance. In addition, Reuters has identified companies in China that help students contrive their entire college application – embellishing or ghostwriting application essays, doctoring letters of recommendation from high school teachers, and even advising kids to obtain fake high school transcripts. Other providers continue the illicit assistance after admission, such as those that performed coursework for hire in Iowa City.

Originally posted by Adonis Fraternities and Sororities help their members also cheat. They keep old tests around for people to look at and study even when the teacher expressly forbids it.

Originally posted by musicislife11 We did that in high school. All you have to do as a teacher is change the questions around. Not that hard.

Originally posted by TheLuckyOnes I never knew US colleges were so difficult that you need cheating rings. I go to class on mdma most of the time and I'm doing above average

Ultimately in life, this is how you succeed. You make connections and use them to your advantage to get further than you would ever alone (unless you become an entrepreneur and own your business). As long as they're not cheating when taking the exams, test banks are legitimate and to prevent it don't use the same questions over and over again on exams.

However cheating by having someone take the exam for you/writing your essay is not okay in this case.

Originally posted by TheLuckyOnes I never knew US colleges were so difficult that you need cheating rings.

Originally posted by Siggy It's in Australia too, you often hear stories about Chinese people paying a service to their assignments, sometimes you hear stories about them ripping **** straight from wikipedia

Originally posted by Adonis I worked 3 jobs and went to college full time. I still managed a 3.4 GPA. I was already working with far less resources than others in school. Now I'm working against cheaters with far greater resources than me. gee whizz no wonder college is such a joke.

Originally posted by Retro It's really not, that's the thing. People have started cheating well before they actually try to pass.