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Athletes depending on an
admissions head-start may be jumping the gun!
Debate Over the
Athletic
Admissions Edge Ensues
By Dawn Kessler
August 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick --
You're on
the last leg of your high school
athletics
race. As you approach the finish line, the
decision
to hang up your running shoes to
concentrate on
college academics is looming, especially since
you're not Division I recruitment material.
You can think of a
dozen
reasons why you should give up your sport
of choice,
but have you thought about the benefits of
staying
sporty?
Here's a big one for ya'
-- applying to top liberal arts colleges with
Division III sports as a student-athlete can up
your chances of admissions significantly, more
so than any other factor or activity, according
to a recent New York Times investigation.
Of course, this strategy only works for talented
athletes who have above-average academics, right?
Not always, cites stats reported in the Times.
Take the super-competitive Amherst College, for
instance -- out of 450 slots for freshman admissions
at this Amherst, MA school, 75 of them are designated
for athletes, some of which carry 'below Amherst
standards' SAT scores and class average.
Why the higher ed' handicap? Besides the need
for a diverse and well-rounded freshman class,
some admissions experts pinpoint athletics as
the main inspiration for alumni dollars.
As stats and theories such as these become public
in higher education circles, opponents like the
Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
are taking their turn at bat with a report called
"A Call to Action: Reconnecting College Sports
and Higher Education." Its main proposal
requires that athletes be held to the same admissions
requirements and academic standards as other applicants.
The NCAA says it agrees with most of the proposal,
so stay tuned, student-athletes! Changes in the
college admissions rulebook may be on the way.
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