Rich NYC teens are getting fake ADHD diagnoses to win extra time on the SATs leading to huge surge in points: 'Everyone is doing it'

Teens in the tri-state area are getting fake ADHD diagnoses in order to win extra time on the SATs and ACTs. 

High school juniors enrolled at expensive prep schools have been taken to doctors and phycologists by their parents in order to obtain documentation that says their child has ADHD, depression or anxiety.

Ivy League colleges have decided to reintroduce entrance exams, which were previously made optional during the Covid pandemic. 

An expert told the New York Post that students who have obtained official diagnoses have gotten as much as 50 percent more time on the tests, which can translate into a 200-point increase on their overall score. 

Dr. Camilo Ortiz, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Long Island University, told DailyMail.com that the growing trend 'is simply an issue of incentives.' 

Juniors enrolled at expensive prep schools have been taken to doctors and phycologists by their parents in order to obtain documentation that says their child has ADHD, depression or anxiety to get extended testing time on the SATs and ACTs

A school in Manhattan, Grace Church School, which costs 65,000 a year to attend, was reported to have students who took part in this new college admissions trend

'If your goal as a parent is to get your child every advantage you can, a diagnosis of ADHD or a learning disorder often comes with accommodations like extra time,' Ortiz, who has been approached by parents to diagnosis their children said. 

Dr. Camilo Ortiz, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Long Island University told DailyMail.com that the growing trend 'is simply an issue of incentives' 

He added that parents can also get their child tested for a diagnosis at no costs through schools, and if the funds are available, a private psychologist can also get it done. 

'This can cost $10,000 or more,' Ortiz said. 

Well-known Ivy League schools like Dartmouth, Yale University, MIT and Georgetown have decided to bring testing back and have students submit their scores. 

A school in Manhattan, Grace Church School, which costs 65,000 a year to attend, was reported to have students who took part in this new college admissions trend. 

A former high school math teacher, Paul Rossi, who worked at the school for nine  years, told the New York Post that the trend has become 'quite a racket.' 

Rossi estimated that a third of his students did in fact get extra time on their tests and claimed that some of their disability claims were 'bogus.' 

'Educational psychologists rake in a pretty penny for diagnosis,' he said. 

DailyMail.com contacted the school for comment. 

Although Ortiz said that he has gotten ADHD testing accommodations 'all the time,' he has disagreed with some parents and determined that their child does not have the condition. 

'I haven’t had anyone storm out, but they sometimes are confused and angry, and I’ve had people tell me that they will be going for more testing,' Ortiz told DailyMail.com. 

'I’ve taken that to mean that they will try again to get the diagnosis that will lead to the accommodations they want.'

A recent graduate of The Lawrenceville School, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, has predicted that a quarter of her classmates received extra testing time

Well-known Ivy League schools like Dartmouth, Yale University (right), MIT and Georgetown (left) have decided to bring testing back and have students submit their scores.

A recent graduate of The Lawrenceville School, located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, has predicted that a quarter of her classmates received extra testing time. 

'The system was exploited for sure. More and more people got diagnosed as time went on, because I think they realized it was just something they could do because everyone else was doing it,' the unnamed student told the Post. 

She added that more time for her on her tests would have been a 'massive' help, but she is pleased in knowing that she didn't have to fake a diagnosis. 

'You don't get that in real life. All of a sudden you graduate, and then what? No boss is giving you more time in a work day,' she said. 

DailyMail.com contacted the boarding school that charges around $80,000 a year to attend for comment. 

Another growing testing scam has emerged as high school students and their families have been warned to use caution when looking for SAT and ACT prep courses and materials. 

KY3 reported that scammers have been calling students and parents and claim that they are from the College Board, the educational organization responsible for administering the tests. 

The callers are known to trick people into paying an obscene amount of money for testing prep materials and make it clear that they know the student's personal information, including their name, school address and phone number. 

'It's unfortunate that scammers would take advantage of students who are trying to prepare for a bright future in higher education,' Michelle L. Corey, Better Business Bureau St. Louis President and CEO said. 

KY3 reported that scammers have been calling students and parents and claim that they are from the College Board, and trick people into paying an obscene amount of money for testing prep materials

A well-known college admissions scam known as Varsity Blues took place in 2019, as actor Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin were paid for paying off someone to get their children into elite colleges 

A well-known college admissions scam known as Varsity Blues took place in 2019, as actor Felicity Huffman spent 11 days in jail for paying someone to fudge Sophia's SAT score. 

She was also fined $30,000 for the crime, after she paid Rick Singer $15,000 to fake her daughter's SAT score in order to land her a place at college and was among a group of wealthy, famous parents swept up in the scandal.  

Actress Lori Loughlin was also jailed for paying for both her daughters to be accepted into USC.

The 'Fuller House' star and her husband Mossimo Giuliani had their daughters masquerade as sports stars, propping them up on rowing machines to fudge applications that presented them as athletes. 

In response to the scandal that was investigated by the FBI, the Learning Disabilities Association of America was left outraged after it was found that these parents also looked for extended time on tests for their kids by faking disabilities. 

'These actions hurt all individuals with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities, by perpetuating the misperceptions that many students who obtain accommodations on college admissions do not have disabilities and that this abuse is widespread,' the association said in a statement.