WOBURN (AP) - A Delaware man convicted of fraud for faking his way into Harvard was ordered held without bail Wednesday after admitting he violated his probation by citing the university on a job resume. Adam Wheeler, 25, was sentenced last year to 2½ years in jail and 10 years on probation for identity fraud and other charges. The sentence was mostly suspended; Wheeler served just one month in jail while awaiting trial. Prosecutors said he got into Harvard by falsely claiming that he had attended the exclusive Phillips Academy prep school in Andover and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wheeler, originally from Milton, Del., was kicked out of Harvard in 2009 after he tried to get the school's endorsement for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships. Authorities said his application for the scholarships contained a string of lies, including a list of books he said he had co-authored, courses he said he had taught and lectures he said he had given. Under the terms of his probation, Wheeler was barred from representing himself as a Harvard student or graduate. Wheeler's lawyer, Steven Sussman, acknowledged that Wheeler had violated that provision by saying on his resume and in a cover letter for a job application that he had attended Harvard.
I'm gonna be honest, I don't quite see what this kid did wrong here this time around? He did go to Harvard for a while, right? Take the classes, pass the exams, etc...? What do the courts want him to do, just outright pretend he didn't attend college, do you know how bad a 3-4 year hole looks on your resume these days? It's a death sentence as far as your career prospects go. Seems to be the definition of "cruel and unusual" if you ask me...when was the last time someone was forced to remove a legitimate credential from their resume. This is his life we're talking about, how can the judge be so obtuse?
Plus I'd argue that getting into Harvard by gaming the system is way harder than getting in through proper legal channels. Sure they may be super selective, but at the end of the day a little over 2,000 new students are admitted every year, you know how many of them got in by cheating the system and fooling some of the brightest administrative minds in the country? One. Adam Wheeler. That's pretty impressive.
