Rick Singer, the mastermind of the 2019 “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, has been cleared by a federal judge to restart his consulting business, ID Future Stars. Singer, 64, served 16 months of a 3½-year sentence for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that secured elite university spots for wealthy families’ unqualified children.
Judge Denise Casper’s ruling, issued July 14 in Boston, allows Singer to operate again but under strict conditions. He must fully disclose his felony convictions, prison time, supervised release, and asset forfeitures to any prospective clients before entering into agreements. The court emphasized that parents must have written notice of his criminal record to ensure transparency.
Singer’s new venture, ID Future Stars, markets itself as a “comprehensive life coaching and admissions guidance” program, boasting past acceptance rates of 80–96% for top-choice colleges. The same man who exploited loopholes in the system now claims to guide students ethically toward success. His previous consulting empire unraveled after federal investigators uncovered bribery, fake athletic profiles, and cheating on standardized tests.
Singer was released to a halfway house in Los Angeles in August 2024 and has since sought to rebuild his career. Critics argue that allowing him back into the same field jeopardizes public trust. Supporters of the ruling point to his right to earn a living after serving his sentence, provided strict transparency is enforced.
