<p>Son was just deferred at a school that would probably rate a 7 on a 10-scale in terms of academic rigor. He has been heavily recruited (as an athlete) by a couple of other schools that would rate 8-9 on the rigor scale.</p>
<p>Let's say my son is a student who'd fare well at a 6-7 institution. Is it fair to him to even apply to a more demanding/difficult program? Say he was accepted to the 8-9 school.......are we most likely looking at a nightmare situation? Would his life become a living h-e-double-hockey-sticks? Is it possible that he could be so far out of his league that it could be considered abusive to enroll?</p>
<p>I know 'the right fit' is crucial.......need some helpful advice/ opinion/ experience regarding this type of situation.</p>
<p>I think reaching far is a good thing. If he is accepted by the university they obviously think he is capable of doing the work there. I am also aware that recruited athletes are provided tutors, and this would most likely help him with his studies.</p>
<p>I think Division I and II athletes who are on athletic scholarship may get tutors, but I don't believe most, if any, Division III schools offer this as there are no 'athletic scholarships', per se, at D3. I've already thought about possibly getting him a tutor for his first semester..someone to be there to help out with the transition to college-level work, time management, etc...... </p>
<p>I know being an athlete makes the whole time management issue very tight, but being an athlete at a school that is a real stretch academically.....I guess this is my concern.....I think some can manage and others can't....and just not sure where my son might fall on the spectrum! It's probably going to be one of those 20-20 hindsight things....</p>
<p>I think it is a bad thing. He could struggle and eventually drop out of the college if he is not ready academically. There definitely is a limit to how far above one's intellectual comfort zone one should reach. I'd write more, but I think someone else can elaborate my point with some real-life examples.</p>
<p>There is not enough information to answer this question. The selectivity of a school does not necessarily correlate directly with how difficult it is to do the work there and achieve reasonable grades. It also depends on what major the student is likely to pursue. You need to talk to people who know about the academic environment at the specific schools involved, and in the specific subject areas the student is interested in. You may find that he will have no trouble at all at some very selective schools, while some schools that are less selective will have an approach that washes out weaker students from some majors.</p>
<p>If you let him decide to go to a more difficult school, just beware course selection. It can be hard getting one's choices as a freshman, but there will be profs with reputations as hard and easy. I know students from '07 who are at schools that should be below their intellect level but, because they weren't careful with course selection, are in over their heads and struggling.</p>