Conning Harvard: Adam Wheeler, the Con Artist Who Faked His Way into the Ivy League (Additional reporting)

The inside story of the serial scammer who forged his way into the nation's most prestigious university. "In a Massachusetts court last year, a 24-year-old man pled guilty to falsifying his application to Harvard, thereby bilking the world's most prestigious university out of more than $45,000 in prizes and scholarships and cheating an honest applicant out of an Ivy League diploma. Using forged SAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation, Wheeler outsmarted Harvard's admissions office. Once accepted to Harvard, he kept lying, cheating, and succeeding, winning thousands of dollars in prizes and grants. But then he shot too far. During his senior year at Harvard, Wheeler applied for nomination to the illustrious Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, a gamble that finally exposed his extensive tangle of lies. Alerted that he was under suspicion, Wheeler fled Harvard but did not stop scamming universities. He successfully filed more fraudulent applications at top-tier schools across the country, until some vigilant admissions officers, Massachusetts police, and even his own parents forced him off his computer and into court. As reporters for The Harvard Crimson, Julie Zauzmer and Xi Yu covered the case from the moment the news of Wheeler's indictment broke. In the course of their reporting, they interviewed dozens of friends, roommates, teachers, and advisors who knew Wheeler at the many phases of his suspect academic career. Their fascinating account reveals how one serial scammer took on the fast-paced and competitive world of the Ivy League--and almost won."-- "Conning Harvard tells the story of Adam Wheeler's lie-filled path into Harvard, his compulsive conning of grant and scholarship boards after enrolling, and the eventual discovery of his fraudulent past"-- "In a Massachusetts court last year, a 24-year-old man pled guilty to falsifying his application to Harvard, thereby bilking the world's most prestigious university out of more than $45,000 in prizes and scholarships and cheating an honest applicant out of an Ivy League diploma. Using forged SAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation, Wheeler outsmarted Harvard's admissions office. Once accepted to Harvard, he kept lying, cheating, and succeeding, winning thousands of dollars in prizes and grants. But then he shot too far. During his senior year at Harvard, Wheeler applied for nomination to the illustrious Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, a gamble that finally exposed his extensive tangle of lies. Alerted that he was under suspicion, Wheeler fled Harvard but did not stop scamming universities. He successfully filed more fraudulent applications at top-tier schools across the country, until some vigilant admissions officers, Massachusetts police, and even his own parents forced him off his computer and into court. As reporters for The Harvard Crimson, Julie Zauzmer and Xi Yu covered the case from the moment the news of Wheeler's indictment broke. In the course of their reporting, they interviewed dozens of friends, roommates, teachers, and advisors who knew Wheeler at the many phases of his suspect academic career. Their fascinating account reveals how one serial scammer took on the fast-paced and competitive world of the Ivy League--and almost won."-- Provided by publisher In 2011 a 24-year-old man pled guilty to falsifying his application to Harvard University, bilking the world’s most prestigious university out of more than $45,000 in prizes and scholarships. Using forged SAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation, Adam Wheeler outsmarted Harvard's admissions office and then went even further. Once accepted into the Ivy League he kept lying, cheating, and succeeding, winning thousands of dollars in prizes and grants. But then he shot too far. During his senior year, Wheeler applied for Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, a gamble that finally exposed his extensive tangle of lies. Alerted that he was under suspicion, Wheeler fled Harvard but did not stop. He successfully filed more fraudulent applications at top-tier schools across the country, until some vigilant admissions officers, Massachusetts police, and even his own parents forced him off his computer and into court. As reporters for The Harvard Crimson, Julie Zauzmer and Xi Yu covered the case from the moment the news of Wheeler’s indictment broke. In the course of their reporting, they interviewed dozens of friends, roommates, teachers, and advisors who knew Wheeler at the many phases of his suspect academic career. Their fascinating account reveals how one serial scammer took on the competitive world of the Ivy League—and almost won. Overview: Adam Wheeler's plan was as audacious as it was illegal: He gained admission to Harvard through fraud. While countless students dreaming of an Ivy League education compete honestly, Wheeler resorted to faking SAT scores, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. And after he enrolled at Harvard, Wheeler plagiarized his classwork and bilked the university out of thousands of dollars in prizes and grants. But then he shot too far. He applied for nomination to the illustrious Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, and that gamble finally exposed his academic fraud. Alerted that he was under suspicion, Wheeler fled Harvard but did not stop trying to scam universities. He filed more phony applications to top-tier schools until vigilant college administrators and eventually the police forced him off his computer and into court, thereby bringing to light his astonishing tangle of lies. “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” –Philippians 4:8 Did you know you can totally change your life by changing your thoughts? Well, you can, and WHATEVER can get you started. With examples based on girls just like you, each of these 90 devotionals will show you how to fill your head and your heart with virtues taken straight from Philippians 4:8 WHATEVER, helping you grow closer to God and the totally abundant life he intended for you. Take the “Whatever” challenge. When a friend says this word, reply by saying “Philippians 4:8.” And you’ll discover how you can live the 4:8, 24/7! "Conning Harvard tells the story of Adam Wheeler's lie-filled path into Harvard, his compulsive conning of grant and scholarship boards after enrolling, and the eventual discovery of his fraudulent past"-- Provided by publisher You and your friends say 'Whatever!' every single day, but this devotional brings new meaning to the word---less attitude and more gratitude!