<p>I just always think: if I were to push my child to go to a particular school and he/she ended up being unhappy, how could I live with myself for pushing my child into a place where they were unhappy? Obviously, you give them lots of information if you have it, try to provide opportunities for them to visit, talk to other athletes and students at the school etc. </p>
<p>Again, an athlete of the caliber Cheers describes is headed (barring injury or burnout, I guess) for professional ranks or the Olympics or what have you. In that case, honestly, the caliber of the sport, the coach, the length of his/her contract, the other athletes at the school, take on enormous importance I think. </p>
<p>I will tell you, though, that as an employer in the Bay Area, I would make no distinction between a candidate with a degree from Stanford or Berkeley. It would all depend on other factors, but not the school they came from given those two. Nationally maybe it's different.</p>