Teens in the tri-state area are falsely diagnosed with ADHD to gain extra time on the SAT and ACT tests.
Parents have taken high school juniors enrolled in expensive prep schools to doctors and psychologists to obtain documentation that their child has ADHD, depression or anxiety.
Ivy League universities have decided to reintroduce entrance exams, which were previously optional during the Covid pandemic.
An expert told New York Post that students who have obtained official diagnoses have obtained up to 50 percent more time on the tests, which can translate into a 200-point increase in their overall score.
Dr. Camilo Ortiz, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Long Island University, told DailyMail.com that the growing trend “is simply a matter of incentives.”
Parents have taken young people enrolled in expensive high schools to doctors and psychologists to obtain documentation that their child has ADHD, depression or anxiety to get more time for the SAT and ACT tests.
One school in Manhattan, Grace Church School, which costs 65,000 a year to attend, was reported to have students who participated in this new college admissions trend.
“If your goal as a parent is to give your child every advantage possible, a diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disorder often comes with accommodations like extra time,” said Ortiz, who has been approached by parents to diagnose their children.
Dr. Camilo Ortiz, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Long Island University, told DailyMail.com that the growing trend “is simply a matter of incentives.”
He added that parents can also have their children tested for a diagnosis at no cost through schools and, if funds are available, a private psychologist can do so as well.
“This can cost $10,000 or more,” Ortiz said.
Well-known Ivy League schools like Dartmouth, Yale University, MIT and Georgetown have decided to bring back the tests and have students submit their scores.
One school in Manhattan, Grace Church School, which costs 65,000 a year to attend, was reported to have students who participated in this new college admissions trend.
A former high school math teacher, Paul Rossi, who worked at the school for nine years, told the New York Post that the trend has become “quite a scandal.”
Rossi estimated that a third of his students actually got extra time on their exams and claimed that some of their disability claims were “false.”
“Educational psychologists make a lot of money for diagnosis,” he said.
DailyMail.com has contacted the school for comment.
Although Ortiz said he has received ADHD testing accommodations “all the time,” he has disagreed with some parents and determined that their children do not have the condition.
“I haven’t had anyone angry, but sometimes they are confused and angry, and some people have told me that they will get more tests,” Ortiz told DailyMail.com.
“I have interpreted that to mean that they will try again to get the diagnosis that will lead to the accommodations they want.”
A recent graduate of Lawrenceville School, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, predicted that a quarter of her classmates received extra time to take tests.
Well-known Ivy League schools like Dartmouth, Yale University (right), MIT, and Georgetown (left) have decided to bring back the tests and have students submit their scores.
A recent graduate of Lawrenceville School, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, predicted that a quarter of her classmates received extra time to take tests.
‘The system was surely exploited. “More and more people were diagnosed as time went on, because I think they realized it was something they could do because everyone else was doing it,” the anonymous student told the Post.
She added that more time for her on her tests would have been a big help, but she’s glad to know she didn’t have to fake a diagnosis.
“That is not understood in real life. Suddenly you graduate, and then what? No boss gives you more time in a workday,’ he stated.
DailyMail.com contacted the boarding school that charges around $80,000 a year to attend for comment.
Another growing test scam has emerged as high school students and their families have been warned to be careful when seeking out SAT and ACT prep courses and materials.
KY3 reported that scammers have been calling students and parents and claiming they are from the College Board, the educational organization responsible for administering the tests.
Callers have been known to trick people into paying an obscene amount of money for test prep materials and make it clear that they know a student’s personal information, including their name, school address, and phone number. .
“It is unfortunate that scammers take advantage of students who are trying to prepare for a bright future in higher education,” said Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau St. Louis.
KY3 reported that scammers have been calling students and parents and claiming to be from the College Board, tricking people into paying an obscene amount of money for test prep materials.
A notorious college admissions scam known as Varsity Blues took place in 2019, when actress Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were paid to pay someone to put their children into elite colleges.
A notorious college admissions scam known as Varsity Blues took place in 2019, when actress Felicity Huffman spent 11 days in jail for paying someone to manipulate Sophia’s SAT score.
He was also fined $30,000 for the crime, after he paid Rick Singer $15,000 to falsify his daughter’s SAT score to get her a place at college and was among a group of rich and famous parents swept up in the crime. scandal.
Actress Lori Loughlin was also jailed for paying for her two daughters to be accepted into USC.
The ‘Fuller House’ star and her husband Mossimo Giuliani had their daughters dressed up as sports stars, propped them up on rowing machines to fake apps that presented them as athletes.
In response to the scandal that was investigated by the FBI, the Learning Disabilities Association of America was outraged after it was discovered that these parents were also seeking extra test time for their children by faking disabilities.
“These actions harm all people with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities, by perpetuating the misconception that many students who receive accommodations for college admission do not have disabilities and that this abuse is widespread,” the agency said. association in a statement.
