<p>That is why I like D3 sports. Kids play because they want to play not because they have to play. There is intense recruiting at many of the top D3schools. Mine attends a school that is top rated for both academics and athletics. By the end of junior year in HS the coaches have identified the kids they want. They don't bother to recruit kids that do fully not meet the schools academic profile - feel it is a waste of their time if the kid is not academicaly qualified. For example, in freshman year there were 4 HS vals on the team. That being said, a recruited athlete does have an advantage when it comes to both admissions and scholarships.</p>