This is the man at the center of what the Justice Department says is one of the biggest college admissions scandals in history. Prosecutors say William Singer, also known as Rick, took money from parents to get around the admissions process at elite schools. It shined a light on the extensive and sometimes illegal methods some wealthy parents use to get their kids into colleges. Singer reportedly ran the scam under the guise of his education consulting firm called “The Key.” The website boasts about helping over 90,000 adults with life coaching and beating the odds to get into college. Two days after the scandal was made public, most of The Key’s website seemed to be offline. Singer marketed his guide to getting into elite universities with an extensive focus on boosting individual credentials, selling parents and students a world where anything is possible. A look at a series of videos on his YouTube page reveals some of the advice he dished out to students. “My key method unlocks the full potential of your son or daughter and sets them on a course to excel in life.” The videos included re-enactments of how his company’s counselors work with kids. “So I talked to my high school counselor and he said I only need three years of sciences.” “Well Amanda, that would be true for some kids but not for you. The schools you’re applying, the rigor, the competitiveness of the schools you’re applying, we’re going to need at least four. In fact, four of all the major subject areas.” Singer also pushed the idea of creating a personal brand to stand out among applicants. In this video, he detailed how he coached a former student to take on the environment as her calling card. “She got totally engaged in her brand, in her story, in her passion by creating a youth movement around global warming. Now that she’s in college, that brand is continued.” This idea is also the focus of Singer’s 2014 book, “Getting In,” where he touts making a brand as a centerpiece of getting into the school of your choice. Another piece of advice from Singer: Find the smartest kids and buddy up. “Go make a group from the smartest kids in class and join that group and create a study group. Everybody’s doing it, everybody’s getting extra help, and everybody’s creating groups so that they can have success. Don’t be afraid to find other people to help you.” Singer also told students and parents that there’s no shame in getting additional assistance. “You need to listen to what your teacher has to say and take notes off of the PowerPoints that are given, off the board. You need to be really, really focused while you’re in class. But part of that may be that you’ll need to get some help from the outside.” Singer’s tips on hard work as the key to success now seem ironic, as the F.B.I.’s investigation revealed his central role in rigging the system to help people get ahead. It’s unclear if all his clients were clued into these activities or if some were kept in the dark.