Fact check: Are the documents from Wharton about Trumps test scores real

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, no authentic documents from Wharton about Trump's test scores or academic records have been verified as real. The evidence consistently shows that Trump's academic performance at Wharton remains largely secret and protected.

Key findings include:

• Trump has never allowed his academic performance to be made public and Penn has never had him deliver a commencement speech or conferred an honorary degree on him ^[1]
• Federal student privacy laws protect Trump's grades and SAT scores from public disclosure ^[2]
• When documents have surfaced claiming to show Trump's academic records, they have been debunked as forgeries - specifically, a Fordham University spokesperson confirmed that an image purporting to show Trump's report card was fake ^[2]
• Trump's name did not appear on the dean's list at Wharton, contradicting claims of academic excellence ^[3]
• Trump's name was not among the top students honored at commencement ceremonies ^[3]

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several important contextual elements:

• The admission process context: James Nolan, the admissions officer who interviewed Trump, stated that "it was not very difficult to get into Wharton at the time" and that he was not struck by any sense of genius when interviewing Trump ^[4]
• Family connections played a role: Trump's acceptance to Wharton was aided by a family friend who was an admissions official ^[5]
• Faculty perspectives: At least one professor reportedly called Trump "the dumbest goddamn student I ever had" ^[5]
• Ongoing academic disputes: Wharton professors have demanded a probe into claims that Trump cheated on the SAT, believing that if true, his undergraduate business degree should be revoked, though the university rejected this demand citing that the situation occurred too far in the past ^[6]

Political figures and institutions who benefit from maintaining secrecy around Trump's academic records include Trump himself and his political allies, while those pushing for transparency include academic critics and political opponents.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that documents from Wharton about Trump's test scores exist and are circulating publicly. This framing is potentially misleading because:

• No verified authentic documents have been confirmed to exist in the public domain
• The question suggests there are specific "documents from Wharton" when the evidence shows that Trump's academic records remain protected and secret ^[1]
• Known circulating documents have been proven to be forgeries ^[2]
• The question may inadvertently legitimize fake documents by asking about their authenticity rather than first establishing whether any authentic documents exist at all

The framing could benefit those seeking to spread misinformation by creating the impression that legitimate documents are available for verification when the evidence suggests otherwise.