What's the difference between someone getting in because their parents bought a building and someone getting in because their parents spent 50k/year on a highschool?
In one case, $200k is being given to a high school in exchange for an education that may be of significantly higher quality than the public schools in that area (it varies widely).
In the other case, $10M is being given to the university in order to fund a building.
The better question is, what are the similarities? Different amounts of money are being given to different parties for different purposes. Everything is different. The only thing that's the same is that they're all sort of vaguely related to education.
The kid from the $50K/year high school got an education for that price (albeit expensive) and got in through his/her own work & dedication (you could say that the expensive high school "paid off"). That kid is supposed to be competent, since he got in through merit.
The difference is are they getting in because of money and connections vs qualifications money helped acquire.
Natural aptitude and/or sheer obsessive determination can allow anyone to compete with the second - and crucially the money must be spent well to help - if it is just more posh in surroundings but doesn't actually prepare them better than say an average Brooklyn High School then money isn't actually propping them up.
Meanwhile in the first only those with money and connections can "compete".
Two different competitive pools of different sizes. The pool of kids with buildings might be small enough that they can be accepted at a 100% rate, whereas the pool of $50k/y high school kids can only be accepted at a lower rate, maybe 20% ballpark.
Realistically, the kids with buildings also went to $50k/y high schools. If I understand the article, the bribery service was for upping the odds from 20% to 100% without the house getting their cut.
In the other case, $10M is being given to the university in order to fund a building.
The better question is, what are the similarities? Different amounts of money are being given to different parties for different purposes. Everything is different. The only thing that's the same is that they're all sort of vaguely related to education.