This Man Conned His Way Into Princeton, But Then A Classmate Revealed His True Identity

To the admission staff of Princeton University, Alexi Indris-Santana was a standout candidate. A self-taught dreamer with a thirst for learning, he was driven, motivated and a star on the running track. And when he arrived on campus, he impressed both his peers and tutors alike. But the man who claimed to have been a humble rural worker was hiding a dark secret – and eventually a chance encounter would unravel his lies.

Established back in the 18th century, Princeton’s among the most prestigious universities in America. And for the students lucky enough to pass through its halls, it represents a powerful springboard towards a successful career. In 1989 Indris-Santana found himself among the lucky few – but everything wasn’t as it seemed.

Over the course of 18 months, Indris-Santana built up a reputation as one of Princeton’s most promising students. A gifted athlete, he also excelled in his classes and even joined the prestigious Ivy Club. But one day early in 1991, everything came crashing down, with the long-distance runner being exposed as a liar and a fraud.

On paper, Indris-Santana had presented himself as a romantic loner who’d learned philosophy while working on a ranch. But that couldn’t have been further from the truth. In reality, the star student was somebody else entirely, and his time at Princeton was just the latest in a series of deceptions and scams.

Of course, Indris-Santana was far from the first person to bend the truth on a university application form. For Ivy League institutions such as Princeton, competition is particularly tough. According to the academic consultancy Shemassian, the admission rate across all eight of America’s top universities was less than seven percent in 2019.