Hi all,
I am wondering what the general attitude of the student body is towards athletes at Stanford. I’ve heard that at some elite schools athletes are not well liked because students think that athletes didn’t earn their spot at the university and had an easier time getting in (untrue!!). I would love any information on this from current/former/future students or others with knowledge on this subject in relation to Stanford or other top universities (Ivy schools etc.)
Thanks!
I am not an athlete (unless you count playing for Stanford’s ultimate frisbee club team). I didn’t see any animosity toward Stanford athletes. One of my best friends was on the tennis team. I recall reading an article where Stanford athletes’ average GPA was higher than the general student population although I can’t find the article at the moment. If this is true, it would be hard to make the point athletes aren’t academically competitive at Stanford.
Because there are so many accomplished students at Stanford with varied interests, athletes don’t seem to stand out on campus the way they do at some other schools. In one of my freshman classes there was this very tall female student. No one knew her as anything other than a student in the class. Later I found out she was arguably the most highly recruited prep player in the history of college volleyball.
athletes on the Stanford campus are low key… half the time you don’t even know they’re an athlete…
until you watch the olympics and figure out that guy you had lunch with just won a gold medal.
if you’re an athlete… students know you’re of world class caliber… there is no back door to Stanford admissions via the athletic department because the caliber of athlete is so much higher.
Stanford is an FBS school and competes in the most competitive athletic conference in the US. other peer schools you’re referencing are non FBS and athletics are a hook at these schools so that accounts for the difference in attitude.