I think that is a severe punishment for a lack of judgment. I'm wondering if the kid that was caught can prove to the administration that cheating is prevalent in that school?
So what if he could prove that cheating was prevalent? That's a defense for his own blatantly cheating??
The OP mentions that the kid was a "4.something" student. Well no, he apparently wasn't. I hate to see a young man's future prospects diminished like this. But... I feel a lot worse for all those kids who bust their tails for their 3.85 GPA... Only to lose a spot at a selective academic program to another guy who cheated his way to a "4.0".
I agree that academic cheating is rampant... and it certainly isn't just in public schools. I think if anything, it may be even worse at high pressure private schools. It's apparently just as bad at the nation's top universities as well... eg the issues that have surfaced at Harvard and UNC among others.