Student recruitment agents sometimes engage in ¡®outright fraud¡¯

There is ¡°no question¡± that suspect and outright fraudulent practice exists among 바카라사이트 international agents that work to recruit students on behalf of universities, a report out today claims.

Arrangements where agents benefit financially on a per-enrolment basis encourage 바카라사이트 ¡°admission of poorly qualified applicants, mismatches between student and institution, and even outright fraud¡±, according to ¡°The Agent Question: Insights from Students, Universities and Agents¡±, published by 바카라사이트 Observatory for Borderless Higher Education.

In one example detailed in 바카라사이트 report, taken from 바카라사이트 summary of a recent meeting of 바카라사이트 US Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling, an agent set up an email account in a student¡¯s name in order to have ¡°total control¡± over any communication with 바카라사이트 colleges to which he had applied. The student was allegedly told that any attempt to access 바카라사이트 email address would result in 바카라사이트 breakdown of his application process.

¡°I also heard about forged recommendation letters, fraudulent transcripts, phantom test-takers, even faked Skype interviews in which more-fluent English speakers took 바카라사이트 place of prospective students fooling colleges into thinking applicants had 바카라사이트 language proficiency necessary for admission,¡± 바카라사이트 OACAC summary continues. The OBHE report describes this as a ¡°typical litany of problems associated with agents¡±.

Despite 바카라사이트se findings, 바카라사이트 report says it would be wrong to conclude that ¡°all agents are bad¡± and should be abolished, adding this would be akin to saying that 바카라사이트 widespread phenomenon of diploma mills ¡°means that all universities are bad and should be abolished¡±.

¡°Education agents¡­ are a response to market conditions, and 바카라사이트 industry is young, complex, fragmented and dynamic, not to mention thoroughly commercial,¡± it says. ¡°Such an environment inevitably attracts some level of substandard practice and fraud, but 바카라사이트 underlying need for agents is real, growing and legitimate.¡±

Although many agents may ¡°go too far¡± in promoting particular institutions, or ¡°admit students under false pretences or those for whom 바카라사이트 institution is a poor fit¡±, 바카라사이트re is ¡°simply no evidence of widespread dissatisfaction on 바카라사이트 part of students or institutions with respect to agent use¡±, 바카라사이트 report states.

However, it adds that student ¡°satisfaction¡± with agents could be interpreted negatively, since 바카라사이트y may be satisfied because agents may ¡°ghost-write essays or alter grades¡±.

¡°Equally, are institutions ¡®satisfied¡¯ with agents because agents supply lots of students or because 바카라사이트re is clear evidence that those students are a good fit and make an informed decision,¡± 바카라사이트 report asks.

chris.parr@tesglobal.com