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Equality

Harvard Coach’s Praise Clinched Brothers’ Admission, Jury Told

  • Father, ex-fencing coach accused of $1.5 million bribe scheme
  • Defense lawyers say boys were stellar scholars and athletes
Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass.

Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass.

Photographer: Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg

A retired Harvard admissions officer told a federal jury Jack “Jie” Zhao’s sons might not have gotten in to the college without the fencing coach’s rave reviews in their application files.

“That made the difference,” said David L. Evans, who worked in Harvard admissions for 50 years.