<p>Brown man:</p>
<p>I think all the elite colleges have enough academic superstars who will eventually do groundbreaking research that they can sacrifice a couple of 2400 nerds who won't significantly add to campus life.</p>
<p>Honestly, I doubt Princeton cares what he'll accomplish intellectually. I think it's pretty obvious that he isn't going to cure cancer or AIDS. However, if he makes a ton of money in business, don't you think it's worth Princeton's while to have him as an alum?</p>
<p>"bruno 123, I am having trouble understanding why a high SAT score is something that should be given precedence over everything else. Obviously McCray has done extremely well in his high school studies and clearly he has managed that while being highly ranked in football and high achieving in track and field. I think that he is just as worthy as someone who scores a 2400--SATs can be tutored and prepped for and I don't know think that they should be more of a determinant than high achievements in sports. I don't think that Princeton has lowered its standards or anything of the kind. This is a smart, achieving kid who might not have had the advantage of private tutoring or parents that encouraged him to take the test multiple times etc. He sounds like an interesting addition to the campus culture and I'm willing to bet that he winds up doing well in college and well in life."</p>
<p>Very accurate and succint response. This kid adds just as much diversity as anyone to the the student body. He's done well in everything, including the SATs. Showing that he can maintain an excellent average, and still be a top ranked football player is very very impressive. I dont understand why some dont comprehend that.</p>
<p>It's not a zero sum game because Princeton has to field a football team, and very few football players would be qualified for Princeton on the basis of academics alone. A certain number of slots for athletes are reserved before the admissions committee begins to deliberate, so an underqualified quarterback being admitted has no effect on the chances of non-hooked applicants. </p>
<p>midatlmom, I think your statement about private tutors is a gross mischaracterization of those students who achieve high test scores. Certainly, there are those who get these scores because of expensive tutors, but I doubt that these testers make up the majority.</p>
<p>Please don't harp on "2400 nerds." You have no idea what kind of life they lead, how they lead it, or what they seek, for you to disparage them as "2400 nerds" with implications of one dimensionality.</p>
<p>Why does being a "2400 nerd" mean that you will be successful in life? I'm not saying that it means that you WON'T be successful, but it's not a surefire indication that you will be. I know that a lot of people who don't play sports will never understand this, and it's so sappy that I regret saying it before I've even said it, but there's something to be said for being part of an athletic team that provides experiences that are unavailable in every other venue. Yeah, you learn things from being part of a band or a Physics Club or whatever, but athletics is different. Just because athletics "will be his main priority" doesn't mean that he can't contribute something valuable that a "2400 nerd" maybe could have. I really don't understand why people are upset about this. Above a 4.0? Come on. He's not dumb.</p>
<p>2400 nerd doesn't mean anything, just like athlete doesn't mean anything.</p>
<p>Don't disparage people because you don't know people. For your information I understand sports, since I've been a dual varsity athlete lettering every year. 2400 nerd and athlete can both contribute, but don't disparage people for being
"2400 nerds" and auto assume their one dimensionality. I'm not saying anything about the recruited athlete, I'm responding to nutmeg simply brushing off a whole group of students as "2400 nerds" like they lack their own private lives just as intense as a football player etc.</p>
<p>I believe it was the "2400 nerds" who made this thread an arugment by bashing McCray's academic ability and intelligence based on one test. The kid's going to become a D1 football player very soon while taking on an Ivy League education. I think he has more drive and initiative then someone who studys all day because he must balance the two and succeed simultaneously or else risk losing one or the other. I admire him and don't appreciate people who don't know him putting him down because they are elitist nerds who've decided their brains are larger than his.</p>
<p>here's a white QB headed to harvard with an 1875 SAT.</p>
<p>Kamikazewave, I wasn't trying to disparage anybody or say that anyone is entirely one-dimensional because they scored a 2400 SAT or because they play a varsity sport. I put "2400 nerd" in quotes every time because I don't agree with the label, but it had been used previously within the thread. Maybe you scored a 2400 on your SAT and play multiple varsity sports, but across the board, that's really rare. I'm NOT saying that all athletes are stupid and I'm NOT saying that people who score high on their SATs are unathletic. I'm just commenting that maybe a person who scored a 2400 but didn't have McCray's athletic abilities could contribute something to Princeton that McCray couldn't, but the reverse situation applies. McCray can contribute something that the 2400-er (who, although he may play a varsity sport or something is obviously not as good at football as McCray is) could not. I'm sorry if I offended you and didn't mean to categorize anyone. I hope this mildly clarifies things. My main point was that I really don't know why anyone is freaking out about this.</p>
<p>This story seems to follow the trend of my high school pretty well. We have 5 early decision ivy league acceptances so far and every single one of them has been a recruited athlete. We're 0/8 on academic applications to ivy leagues. However, I'm not bothered by this trend at all because all of the people accepted are pretty down to earth people who have contributed significantly to the community and are popular. The asians who applied to the ivies with their 2400s and 4.0s have all been pretty secluded nerds who keep to themselves and have no visible prescence on our campus, so it's no suprise none of them were accepted.</p>
<p>And trust me, the admissions commitee is pretty darn good at gauging which applicants will be succesful in life, they have the second largest university endowment in the world. Not to mention, the university with the world's largest endowment does admissions pretty much the same way.</p>
<p>Although Mccray is an excellent athlete--one of the best I have ever seen, mind you--Mccray is also one of the most focused, dedicated, and diligent scholars I have ever met. Night after night, Mccray studies in his room. And let me tell you, being an athlete at Princeton is very time consuming, and I should know I was a member of the crew team. He is studious, intellectual, polite, and really just everything a girl would love to bring home for mom and dad to meet. Cut him a break. When you think of the typical jock, you are not thinking of Meko. And his SAT score is impressive. I am sorry he didn't receive the perfect 2400 like some middle classed Asian girl who has no life but anime and Harry Potter. He runs track (which he is amazing at) and he also plays football (which he is even better at). He is an engineer at Princeton and a footballer/ track runner. In the future when he is running Merck or some other company, I will be sure to remind him of the haters he had before it all because you guys will make his future haters seem juvenile. Just remember next time you want to hate on Meko, make sure monacate's not near. I have mad respect for Meko, eventhough he might not think so, I think he is the best person I have ever met in my life.</p>
<p>There's no need for you to "hate on" other Princeton students in your defense of McCray.</p>
<p>I'm sure he's a fantastic guy, but there's really no need to refute a post that's over ten months old...</p>
<p>Yeah, really, there's no need to disparage others in the same way they were insulting your friend.</p>