Varsity Blues | Future Stars | 1

0:10American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research.

0:30It's March 12, 2019, at the Edward R. Royal Federal Building and Courthouse in Los Angeles, California. An unmarked black sedan glides down a ramp into an underground parking garage. Headlights sweep across concrete pillars as it eases into a reserved bay. A federal agent steps from the passenger seat, opens the rear door, and helps a 50-year-old woman out of the car. The self-help author and businesswoman Jane Buckingham is used to arriving in style, wearing designer outfits accessorized with expensive jewelry. But today she's in yoga pants, a t-shirt, and sneakers. The workout clothes she was wearing when federal investigators hammered on her door this morning.

1:12The agent's grip tightens around Buckingham's arm as he escorts her into the courthouse. They take the elevator up one floor, and the agent flips a switch to buzz them through a security gate. Gloved hands pat her down. Someone slips a belly chain around her waist and cuffs her hands to it. Then she's taken to the holding cells. Buckingham has never been arrested before. Still, the other people inside the cell aren't what she expected. There are no hardened criminals glaring at her from the corners. just a cluster of frightened, middle-aged women in casual clothes just like her. One sits alone, head bowed, elbows on her knees.

1:47She looks up as the cell door bangs shut. Her hair is tied back in a messy ponytail, her face scrubbed clean of makeup, but there's still no mistaking her. It's actress Felicity Huffman, star of the hit show Desperate Housewives. Buckingham knows Huffman not just from television, but from years of dinner parties, fundraisers, and social events around Los Angeles. She's the last one she expected here.

2:13Felicity? Huffman looks exhausted. Her eyes are red-rimmed. Jane. Buggy Ann lowers herself onto the bench beside her friend. What are you doing here? I was hoping you could tell me. What if they said? That I'm under arrest for conspiracy. Something about mail fraud. And racketeering? That's what they told me, too. They said they had my emails and my phone records and they took my laptop. Yeah, they took my phone. What do you think it is? I have no idea. But they keep asking me about my daughters. How old were they? High school, one's a senior, the other a junior, heading off to college soon. Buckingham's mind races, grasping for anything to explain their situation.

2:55Did you, did you use Rick Singer? You know Rick? Oh my God, yes. He helped my son with the ACT. Well, we did the SAT through him. He said it wasn't illegal, just strategic, making full use of the system. That's what he told me, too. Across the room, another woman begins crying softly into her hands. Huffman looks around, as though seeing the others in the cell for the first time. You think there are more of us? Buckingham looks toward the cell door. I think we're about to find out. Over the course of a single morning, the privileged lives of Jane Buckingham and Felicity Huffman have been turned upside down.

3:33Both are accused of participating in a nationwide criminal conspiracy of breaking the rules to secure their children an advantage in America's hyper-competitive college admissions process. And now the authorities are about to expose them. But Buckingham and Huffman are not the architects of this operation. The mastermind is a charismatic college counselor named Rick Singer, A man who saw opportunity in a broken system and built a criminal empire to exploit it.

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5:00From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American Scandal.

5:24During the first two decades of this century, America's college admissions process became brutally competitive. High school students and their families invested enormous amounts of time, effort, and emotional energy chasing acceptance letters from elite universities. But the wealthy had an extra advantage. By offering large donations or leveraging alumni networks, the rich could open doors that the less well-connected and less well-off never even knew existed. This had been a feature of the admissions process for generations. But in the mid-2000s, one man began offering the rich and famous another route into the most competitive schools.

6:01Rick Singer began his career as a legitimate college counselor, helping ambitious students and anxious parents navigate a confusing, high-stakes system. Over time, though, his business evolved into something else. The scale of his operation was staggering, and by the time federal investigators uncovered his fraudulent activities, Singer's network included dozens of privileged families, from high-flying corporate executives to top Hollywood celebrities. When prosecutors unsealed indictments in March 2019, high-profile arrests turned a story about academic admissions into a full-blown media spectacle.

6:37Television cameras captured images of famous parents in handcuffs, prominent figures facing charges once reserved for the kingpins of organized crime. But beneath the headlines was something more unsettling. This was not just about a few celebrities breaking the law. It exposed a system where privilege didn't just open doors. It allowed people to ignore the rules. The inequalities in American college admissions had long been an open secret. But it took one man and his willingness to push every boundary to turn it into a national scandal. This is Episode 1, Future Stars.

7:13It's a Saturday afternoon in the fall of 1994 in Carmichael, an affluent suburb of Sacramento, California. Sunlight pours through the wide windows of Bill Templeton's study. Templeton is the CEO of Money Store, one of the country's fastest-growing mortgage lenders, and he's reviewing the figures for last quarter. He often has to bring work home on weekends, but he tries to power through it quickly. Family time matters to him, and he hates letting business bleed into it more than necessary. So when the doorbell rings, he's already annoyed by the interruption. Laying his papers to one side, he heads downstairs.

7:51Standing on the porch is a lean, athletic-looking man in jeans, running shoes, and a polo shirt. He looks more like a tennis instructor than a salesman, but he flashes the easy smile of someone used to knocking on doors. I'm sorry to interrupt your Saturday, sir. Am I talking to Bill Templeton? Templeton keeps one hand firmly on the door. Yes? The man extends a hand. Rick Singer, I was hoping to steal just five minutes of your time. Templeton ignores the handshake and begins pushing the door closed. I'm not buying anything today. No, please, Mr. Templeton. No, no. I help kids get into college.

8:25That's what I do. Singer stops the door from shutting. You have two daughters in high school, right? You're a, what, a college counselor? I'm an independent college counselor, sir. Big difference. I didn't know there was such a thing. Well, most people don't, but that's their loss and your gain. Singer says it with such certainty that Templeton almost smiles at his bravado. He opens the door another inch. How old are you, Mr. Singer? I'm 34. I know, I've got a baby face, but I've got experience too. I've worked in high schools, and I've spent the last few years coaching basketball at Sacramento State.

8:57Working with those kids has taught me a lot. Templeton studies him more carefully now. And what exactly are you offering here? Well, it's a game plan, sir. Applying for college isn't all that different from basketball. On the court, it's not just about who's the fastest or the tallest. It's about learning to play to your strengths. A kid can have all the talent in the world and never reach their potential without the right coach guiding them. And you think you're the right coach. I know I am. That's a bold statement. I'm a pretty bold guy, sir. Templeton thinks for a moment. My oldest is starting to look at schools right now.

9:32Good GPA? Very good. Is she athletic? Decent enough. Leadership stuff? Clubs? Student government? Some. Singer tilts his head like a doctor evaluating symptoms. And she's probably thinking UC schools. That's right. Just like everyone else. Well, it's competitive. But my job is knowing what admissions officers want to see and making sure they find it in your daughter's application. All right. And how much does this kind of coaching cost? Well, that depends on how far you want to go. Templeton looks at him for a few seconds, and then he steps aside from the doorway. All right, coach. All right. You talk good game.

10:07Come on in. Let's see what you've got. Rick Singer isn't intimidated by wealthy neighborhoods like the Sacramento suburb where Bill Templeton lives. He grew up in Lincolnwood, a similarly affluent area north of Chicago. And even as a child, he was intensely driven. In middle school, Singer struggled with his weight. But before starting high school, he decided to reinvent himself, and over a single summer, he transformed his appearance through sheer willpower. He ran obsessively every day and survived largely on Diet Coke, raisins, and peanuts. By the time classes began in the fall, the overweight middle schooler had become a lean, athletic teenager.

10:46This transformation changed more than just his appearance, though. It gave Singer new confidence. High school peers remembered his easy smile, boundless energy, and fierce ambition. He wanted to become a millionaire and wasn't shy about it. But Singer's path to riches did not follow the traditional route. Unlike many of his classmates who headed off to prestigious universities, Singer bounced between colleges before eventually earning a degree from Trinity University in Texas. After graduating, he moved into basketball coaching, first at the high school level, then as assistant coach at Sacramento State University.

11:19Coaching suited his personality. He was energetic, enthusiastic, and comfortable mentoring teenagers. but it also exposed him to a hard reality. Coaching was an unstable profession. His career depended on the results on the court, and in 1992, after Sacramento State's basketball team limped through a disastrous four-win season, the university fired the entire coaching staff. This setback forced Singer to rethink his future. He still wanted to coach, but in a different arena. Instead of basketball, he turned his attention to college admissions. He thought he understood teenagers and knew how high schools operated, and he had experience navigating the college environment.

11:57Most importantly, his livelihood wouldn't depend on young players' points on a scoreboard, but on his own hard work. Singer called his new counseling business Future Stars and began hustling for clients the same way a salesman hunts for leads. He drove through affluent suburbs, pitching parents on his ability to help their children. Some just shut the door on him. Others listened politely and then said no. But a few signed up, and in the fall of 1994, Four, CEO Bill Templeton joins them. Within days of knocking on Templeton's door, Singer begins meeting with his oldest daughter, a high school senior.

12:31At first, she hates this arrangement. Her schedule already feels overloaded with homework, sports practice, music lessons, and whatever social life she can squeeze into the gaps between. For her, the last thing she wants is another adult hovering over her shoulder. But Singer gradually wins her over. Unlike most teachers or guidance counselors, he treats college admissions less like an academic process and more like a competitive sport. One week, they break down her application. The next, they practice interview questions or review brochures from colleges. Singer rarely wastes time on small talk.

13:04The sessions are quick and focused, but after the work is done, the atmosphere changes. They wander outside with a basketball and spend 20 minutes shooting hoops in the driveway, chatting casually. During one afternoon session the following spring, Templeton's daughter shows Singer a draft of her college application essay. She leans back in her chair, trying not to look nervous as Singer begins to read it. The room is quiet, except for the occasional bird song drifting through an open window. And then, without warning, Singer uncaps a red pen and starts crossing out the entire opening paragraph.

13:37The young girl blinks in surprise, but Singer keeps reading. Another section disappears under red ink. Sentences vanish one after another. By the time he's finished, barely half the essay survives. As the girl stares at the pages in disbelief, Singer calmly explains his reasoning. Her extracurricular activities are impressive, but that's not enough. These days, every applicant to elite school seems to play sports and volunteer in the community. What colleges want is a clear identity, a brand if she wants to call it that. One defining quality that will separate her from the crowd. The girl is taken aback, but recognizes the logic.

14:16What Singer is saying makes sense, but contradicts everything her school preaches about the importance of well-rounded applicants. For decades, high school guidance counselors have served as gatekeepers of college admissions. They help students identify suitable schools, narrow down degree programs, organize recommendation letters, and navigate the complicated application process. They also coordinate standardized testing, making sure students register for the SAT and the ACT on time. But that system is under strain. More American teenagers are applying to college than ever before. In 1980, fewer than half of high school graduates enrolled in higher education.

14:53But little more than a decade later, that number has climbed above 60%. It means high school counselors are often responsible for hundreds of students every year. And it's not just the sheer numbers that's making their jobs more difficult. As college attendance increases, so does competition for spots at the best schools. And as competition grows, parents become more demanding. expecting a level of attention for their children that is simply impossible for overstretched counselors to provide. This has created an opening for a new industry, independent college counseling. Rick Singer is one of the early pioneers.

15:28Unlike school counselors, Singer has the time to visit clients in their homes, often spending hours with a single student. Through this highly personalized advice, he helps teenagers polish essays, prepare for interviews, and study for standardized tests. But despite the value parents see in his service, Singer quickly discovers a problem. There's not enough money in it. Singer charges Bill Templeton$1 ,200 a year to work with his daughter. And for that fee, Singer visits the Templeton home every week or two, sometimes spending entire evenings helping her with applications and test preparation.

16:02But if he's going to earn a decent living, Singer needs dozens and dozens of families to sign up for his service. But there's only so many hours in the day. His evenings are already an endless cycle of SAT prep classes and essay reviews. Weekends are filled with back-to-back college coaching sessions. His car acts like a mobile office. He barely sees his own home, and it's exhausting. Singer had imagined things differently. He believed starting his own business would put him on the path to prosperity. Instead, he feels trapped, working longer hours than ever before while barely staying afloat.

16:35Singer wants status, recognition, and financial freedom. but future stars isn't delivering any of those things. So Singer decides to change course. One morning in early 1998, he wraps up another coaching session at the home of Bill Templeton. By now, Templeton's oldest daughter has successfully made it into college, and it's his younger daughter's turn to go through the same carefully managed process. College brochures, SAT prep books, and essay drafts are spread across the dining room table. Singer gathers his paper, stuffing the daughter's folder into a worn leather briefcase. Normally, he'd wrap up a session with a few minutes of basketball in the driveway, but this time, he tells Templeton's daughter that he needs a quick word with her dad first.

17:17Bill Templeton stands in the kitchen, sorting through the mail, and Singer walks in with unusual hesitation. He clears his throat, then he asks whether Templeton can help him get a job at Money Store. This request catches Templeton off guard. Over the last few years, he's come to regard Singer as a natural entrepreneur, A hustler with endless energy and absolute belief in himself. Asking for a corporate job feels out of character. But Singer explains that the college counseling business isn't taking him where he hoped it would. He's approaching 40 years old now. Yet he still spends every day searching for new clients.

17:52And no matter how hard he works, financial security always seems just out of reach. Singer says he wants something different. Templeton listens carefully. He's been impressed with Singer's work with both of his daughters. He's shown himself to be disciplined, ambitious, and exceptionally driven. Templeton respects that, so he promises he'll see what he can do. A few days later, Singer gets a call. Templeton has good news. Money Store has an opening as a call center manager, and if Singer wants it, the job is his. Singer accepts. For the first time in years, he has a salary, benefits, and a clear corporate ladder in front of him.

18:28The rusty car, the endless tutoring sessions, the constant door knocking. All of it seems like a chapter he's leaving behind, and it appears Rick Singer's career as a college counsellor is over.

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19:32For 21 months, he said he was not guilty. Then, in a Manhattan federal courtroom, he stood up and confessed, I shot Mr. Thompson, and he died. I'm Candace DeLong, former FBI profiler and host of the podcast Killer Psyche. Now, I sit down with legal analyst Josh Ritter to unpack the stunning turn in this case. Follow Killer Psyche wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Killer Psyche one week early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

20:23Rick Singer throws himself into his new corporate career with the same intensity he once brought to basketball coaching and college counseling. At Money Store, he quickly establishes himself as an energetic and effective manager. His work is focused on recruiting and training call center employees, and the job plays to his strengths. Singer is charismatic, persuasive, and a natural motivator. He thrives in the fast-paced environment of the call center, where confidence and salesmanship matter as much as technical expertise. So for the first time in years, his life appears stable. No more driving from house to house searching for new clients.

20:57No more evenings marking up college essays at kitchen tables. Singer finally seems to have found the professional success he's been chasing. But this sense of security does not last long. Within only months of Singer joining Money Store, the company is acquired by banking giant First Union. This merger throws employees' futures into turmoil. New bosses consolidate departments and eliminate positions. And despite making a good first impression, Singer is still a recent hire and becomes one of the early casualties of the merger. He soon lands a similar management role at West Corporation, a call center provider headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

21:35But then, another opportunity arises halfway around the world. In the late 90s, more and more American companies are outsourcing customer service operations to locations overseas, where staffing costs are far lower. First Ring is a startup operating out of India that aims to take advantage of this trend. It's just had a round of investment from venture capitalists, and the firm wants to hire an American executive to supercharge its growth. But convincing someone suitable to relocate to South Asia has been difficult. Singer, though, sees it as a fast track to a higher position. He secures the job, and it's a major promotion.

22:12For the first time, Singer is no longer a middle manager, but part of the senior leadership team, with all the status that brings. Even so, the salary and perks do nothing to ease Singer's culture shock when he first arrives in India. He lives out of a suitcase in a Bangalore hotel. He refuses to try the local cuisine, convinced that it will make him sick, and he survives on little more than pizza and Diet Coke. But Singer is on more familiar ground in First Ring's enormous call center, and he quickly sets about improving its performance. Under Singer's predecessor at the company, call center agents were evaluated on a range of metrics, including average call length.

22:48But Singer rips up the old rulebook and focuses on just one thing. All he needs to know is the end outcome. For cold calls, that means sales. For service inquiries, it's customer satisfaction. But once again, despite performing well, Singer's new position proves temporary. In 2003, First Ring is acquired by an Indian bank, and Singer is laid off. This time, at least, he receives a generous severance package, and he heads back to the United States with money in his pocket. A few weeks later, he buys a four-bedroom property in Sacramento for almost$600 ,000. It's larger and more luxurious than anything he's owned before.

23:28And it proves that on paper, at least, Singer has done well for himself. For the first time in his life, he has genuine wealth. Still, the payout from the first ring acquisition isn't large enough to guarantee lifelong financial security. Now that Singer has tasted the executive lifestyle, he has no interest in giving it up. So one afternoon, as the smell of new paint still lingers and unopened moving boxes remain stacked in the corner, Singer begins making calls from his new home office. Leaning back in his chair with a cordless phone pressed to his ear, he reconnects with an old business associate on the East Coast.