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'Hard work' is what one Chinese woman says got her to Stanford. But her parents also paid $6.5m to a consultant. It's a story about money and greed. But also the lengths that some Chinese parents will go. w/ @katetaylornyt @ChuBailiang @jennymedina nyti.ms/2GYqjmO
"Some people think, ‘Didn’t you get into Stanford because your family is rich?’” It wasn’t like that, she says. The admissions officers “have no idea who you are.” But there are dozens of companies selling access & claiming to have an "in" with admissions at top US universities
Some of these shops pitch their "magic" at the exclusive clubhouse where Zhao grew up in the leafy suburbs of Beijing. Here's the banner for one company. Others promise access in exchange for $$$ but they are playing a numbers game, says one insider. "It's a bettor's game." 
There were a lot of omg moments reporting this story like finding picture of her father with Trump and Xi. But the best part was finding her childhood home where a red Ferrari, Bentley, Tesla and Land Rover were all parked outside. (Land Rover not picture)
The gated community where Zhao grew up is the weirdest place, filled with terra cotta roofed McMansions. As @luzdingyu and I were walking around, we met an old granny out for a stroll. Her family had recently moved to the compound. "This place is strange," she told us.
