The family of a Chinese student admitted to Stanford paid $6.5 million to the consultant at the heart of the college admissions scandal, whom they met through a Morgan Stanley financial advisor, people familiar with the matter said.
Yusi Zhao, who also goes by Molly, was admitted to Stanford in the spring of 2017, and her family, who live in Beijing, paid Newport Beach college consultant William “Rick” Singer the seven-figure sum to compensate for the work he did to get their daughter into the highly selective school, people familiar with the matter said.
Singer has pleaded guilty to committing an array of crimes while orchestrating a bribery and cheating scheme in which he rigged students’ entrance exams and bribed coaches to secure slots universities reserved for athletic recruits.
To ensure she was admitted to Stanford, Singer targeted the school’s sailing program, putting her forth as a competitive sailor despite there being no indication she competed in the sport, the people familiar with the matter said.
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