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College basketball teams that make this years cut for the Sweet 16 may boost the number of students applying to their schools by as much as 3 percent next year, while the winner of the NCAA basketball tournament, often called March Madness, may see a 7 percent to 8 percent jump in applications, according to a Virginia Tech researcher.
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According to the study, the 64 schools that make it into the NCAA basketball championship tournament have a 1 percent increase in student applications the next year, schools in the Sweet 16 have a 3 percent increase, the Final Four have a 4 percent to 5 percent increase, and the championship winner has a 7 percent to 8 percent increase.</p>
<p>In addition, colleges and universities with football teams in the top 20 have a 2.5 percent gain in the number of student applications the next year while teams in the top 10 have a 3 percent gain. Schools that win a football championship see a 7 percent to 8 percent jump in applications. For each school, the spike in the number of applications due to basketball or football success continues for several years before returning to normal.
<p>It's interesting to note how collegiate sports affect a school. Sports, intrinsically, are not academic; however, collegiate sports have the potential to effect a school's academics. I am generally a non-sports kind of guy, but I support high school students getting scholarships based on sports because they have the potential to raise the schools academics by bringing in more money. Same thing goes for merit scholarships based on scores, GPA, et cetera. I would imagine most of you would fine these statements a little odd if you knew that I come from a low-income background. (I wholeheartedly agree with need-based aid, as well). </p>
<p>If sports can bring in more applications, then it also has the potential to bring in more revenue. It's as simple as that. ;) </p>
<p>Bring on the basketball! (Even though it isn't my cup of tea).</p>
<p>Wow, it sure will suck for anyone applying to UCLA, Duke, North Carolina and Texas next year.</p>
<p>I don't mention other teams cause these teams got undergraduate programs to boot. But who cares about top 50 undergraduate programs if you got high school All-Americans taking sports management and communications as their majors?</p>
<p>Well many of the great basketball schools UCLA, Duke, UNC, Texas wont see as much of a jump because theyre good every year. However for some of the weaker basketball programs suddenly doing well, this should really boost their applications. Obviously the winner will do better than if they lost or didn't advance, but many of the top schools won't have as much fluctuation as others.</p>
<p>Really would like to know how GMU did after advancing to the final four.</p>
<p>Exactly, somead896. Strong sporting traditions enhace student life and attract many people. It's no wonder that they see boosts in the number of applicants. In fact, I don't know the actual statistics, but I heard that Florida witnessed a huge increase in number of applicants after winning both a football and bball title last year.</p>
<p>I'm with Stresst. GO JAYHAWKS!</p>
<p>On a side note, college sports bring thousands of dollars for schools each year, but to my knowledge, the athletes themselves are not paid, which seems unfair. Colleges benefit incredibly from athletic programs (increased number of applicants, more money, and consequently more funding and better programs, etc.) but the athletes, who have to balance school and sports, are not given any monetary support.</p>
<p>I don't think you could come up with a better example of the impact the NCAA tournament can have on a school than George Mason. Before they made the Final Four a few years ago, GMU was pretty much a large, regional safety school for northern Virginia students. There was little school spirit to speak of, and it was essentially a commuter school. </p>
<p>Although many students do still commute, since the tournament run, applications have increased, admissions standards have increased, more students from outside the region are attending. The university has even expanded at the most basic level: facilities; over the last few years, new dorms and buildings have been erected, with more to come. More students are also living on campus. Even though I never considered attending Mason myself (I will almost surely apply to their law school eventually, however), I have seen all of these dramatic changes just by living nearby. </p>
<p>Most importantly, this looks like sustainable development, especially as evidenced by the new dorms and planned faculty housing. The tournament seems to have changed Mason permanently.</p>
<p>Potential.....the students go to college for free, is that not enough?
Also from a fan's perspective I would hate to see these players get paid, some of the players would no longer be playing to win but instead, for the money.</p>
<p>I understand your argument about how money can wrongly become the motive to play college sports, but I personally don't believe that receiving full tuition is enough, especially considering the socioeconomic background of many of the athletes.</p>
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Wow, this is just about the worst way to decide which college you're going to.
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I don't think people will use the NCAA results as a way to decide where to go. But certainly the attention given to the tournament gets a school's name out in the open & will make plenty of people check the school out when they otherwise may not have given it a thought. It's simply awareness. If you research schools looking for a particular academic program and get a list of 20 schools, they will all blend together in a big blur. The name recognition of a sweet 16 participant will jump out at you, regardless of whether you follow the tournament or not. It's just ubiquitous media coverage seeping into your brain.</p>
<p>It's very easy to go through life unaware of many colleges, given that we have thousands of them in the US. A sweet 16 run will get more attention than the zillions of mailings cluttering everyone's mailboxes.</p>
<p>I had never heard of Williams until two years ago when a senior on D's team was applying. It came up in a group conversation and coincidentally two adults in the room were alums. It may seem odd that a woman nearing age 50 had never heard of this top LAC, but frankly I had not. Or if I had, the school just never aroused my full attention. I live near Seton Hall, my parents attended, and it is a popular commuter nursing school. But without basketball, how many west coasters would know the name? (Not this year, though.) The school ranks nowhere near Williams, but in a national survey it would be known by far more people. Villanova is a very popular school for kids coming out of our local Catholics. But it is basketball that makes the school nationally known.</p>
<p>The subject of "where did you attend undergrad" never really comes up in conversation. It is primarily because of sports that I even know where some neighbors & contacts attended. Duke, Notre Dame, Michigan, Lehigh, Rutgers, Northwestern, Penn State, Clemson -- these are just a few of the schools that I know had never been mentioned in any previous interactions, yet the big game day brought out the school pride.</p>