Lehigh University, a prominent US institution ranked among the top 50 national universities by US News and World Report, is reviewing its admissions processes after an Indian student, Aryan Anand, fabricated documents to secure admission and a full scholarship. The controversy has prompted the university to review the credentials of other international students on campus and explore third-party verification methods for academic transcripts, according to Dr. Sabrina Jedlicka, Deputy Provost for Graduate Education.
Anand, a 19-year-old computer science student, submitted forged academic transcripts, financial statements, and even a fake death certificate for his father to gain admission to the university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His elaborate scheme came to light through an anonymous Reddit post he made on February 23, later pieced together by another Reddit user, a BTech student from Faridabad.
Anand was arrested on April 30 and charged with forgery, tampering with records, theft by deception, and theft of services. He pleaded guilty in Northampton County and was deported to India on August 15.
Dr. Jedlicka described the university’s response as one of “deep emotional sadness and disappointment.” Speaking to a section of media during a visit to India aimed at strengthening outreach efforts, she said, “It was a very sombre day on campus among the admissions teams… We trust that people, when applying to higher education, should try to get in based on their merits, as opposed to crafting that merit fraudulently. As an institution, we were devastated.”
Jedlicka highlighted the pressure on students to gain scholarships in the US, acknowledging the temptation some may feel to resort to dishonest means. However, she emphasised that Lehigh evaluates applications holistically, valuing leadership, diversity of experience, and personal growth over mere academic scores.
In response to the scandal, Lehigh is exploring partnerships with third-party verification agencies like WES (World Education Services) to ensure the authenticity of academic credentials. However, Jedlicka expressed concerns about the cost of such services for applicants. “We are trying to work with these organisations to offer lower-cost solutions so that this does not become a barrier for students,” she said.
The university has begun reviewing documents submitted by a select number of international students to ensure the fraud was an isolated case. “We don’t want to call any students into question, but we are doing our due diligence to ensure this was an anomalous case,” Jedlicka stated.
Despite the controversy, Jedlicka reaffirmed the university’s trust in Indian applicants. “We don’t want to distrust people putting in applications to the institution. That’s not who we are,” she said.
India remains the largest source of international students in the US, with 3.31 lakh Indian students in 2023-24, accounting for 29.4% of the international student population, according to the Open Doors 2024 report. This is significantly higher than the 2.77 lakh Chinese students, who make up 24.6% of the total.
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