Some parents will stop at nothing to get their kids into highly selective colleges and universities. In this episode of The Idea File, Atlantic staff writer Adam Harris investigates the American fixation on the Ivy League that led to the 2019 college-admissions scandal.

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Watch more of the Idea File series:
Episode 1: Has work replaced religion as the source of meaning in life?:    • Work Is the New God  

Episode 4: Why gym class is terrible and how to fix it:    • The Real Reason Gym Class Is Terrible