<p>A girl from my school was just admitted to Middlebury on Saturday. Let me tell you, this girl--- not the brightest crayon in the box. She got a 1700 on her SATs and she takes all regular-level (as in not honors) classes besides one AP (government and politics, which everyone knows is the easiest). She takes intermediate Algebra for crying out loud---I took a higher math class in 6th grade! </p>
<p>Her draw? She is a nationally ranked softball pitcher. Go figure. I understand that sports bring a certain element to campus, but is it really necessary to go THAT far and admit a complete idiot over thousands of other qualified applicants, just because she can throw a ball? Shameful, thats what that is.</p>
<p>OP, I completely agree with you. There have been several students at my school who didn't even apply to their schools, they only committed for sports. We're talking really good schools like UNC, Cornell, Holy Cross...A kid I know at a different school is a crappy student but he's going to Harvard for rowing.</p>
<p>Middlebury loves to talk about how they only take students who really challenge themselves in high school and not take the easy courses for easy A's. It annoys me that they make exceptions to that just because someone knows how to throw a ball around. And I think the same applies to artists too. If you don't challenge yourself academically (which is the point of going to college), then you shouldn't get in.</p>
<p>DSC, it isnt alebra II, its intermediate Algebra I---intermediate meaning not even as difficult as a regular Algebra I. you have to be borderline retarded to be taking that as a senior</p>
<p>Each student brings something different to the College. If she really is an "idiot" I can't see her lasting long in/enjoying the Middlebury culture. Being an "idiot" won't get her far in Life After Middlebury either; the more-qualified student that didn't get into Midd but worked hard at another college will be equally happy and will get their reward in the end.</p>
<p>"the more-qualified student that didn't get into Midd but worked hard at another college will be equally happy and will get their reward in the end."</p>
<p>Hah, that's what previous generations want us to think. Unfortunately, there are many reasons that one pays $50,000 to go to a top tier school like Middlebury, and many of those just aren't present at public colleges, no matter how good. Yes, a hard worker can be great anywhere he or she goes, but he or she will not necessarily be as happy or get his or her "reward" in the end. Assuming that he or she will is an unfounded prejudice of thought that is practically useless.</p>
<p>RU kidding me athletics contribute soooo much to a schools reputation...it also increases a schools morale (togetherness), makes the alums proud, who in turn contribute more (endowment) which enhances academics for smart kids like you. (look at the bigger picture) Schools like Umich, Notre Dame, UNC, USC, Cal, UCLA, Duke have all rose to prominence on the backs of their reputable sports programs...which in turn has increased their endowment and allow them to enhance academic depts....dont underestimate the importance of athletes and the programs they contribute to.</p>
<p>Kid had a 3.4 weighted GPA and 1700 SAT score (he cheated on his verbal off of my friend, got a 720, would have probably gotten about a 550). He is a big, dumb linebacker and he got accepted for football. He is the only Harvard admission in the past 5 years at a very competitive private school. </p>
<p>I'm not so much jealous as simply incredulous and despondent that college admissions will stretch themselves out for the behest of a coach and yet for truly qualified candidates, they are so arbitrary. </p>
<p>I know a kid who goes to a huge public school in my region. 2400 sats, 5.0 GPA (every AP that one could possibly take), 5s on all of the ones hes taken, perfect SAT 2s, Russian, one of the best swimmers in our state, leads half of the clubs at his school, and has worked on finding a cure for leukemia in a laboratory. He got deferred from Stanford. </p>
<p>Very very annoying, but a necessary evil I guess (college admissions). Not much we can do about it.</p>
<p>True. I think it makes them more difficult than Harvard in some aspects, but that a kid THAT well qualified getting rejected sheds light on how arbitrary it is. </p>
<p>A good sports program is good, but I really think academics shouldn't be thrown out the window. An athlete should not be accepted if they just completely blew off school because to me, that shows laziness and all the negative aspects that go against many of these elite school's values towards academic curiosity and such.</p>
<p>A 1700 makes her an "idiot"? Doesn't that mean more than half of SAT takers (average is about 1500 I believe) are "idiots". The term "idiot" used to refer to the most "challenged" one percent of the population.</p>
<p>My D applied to Williams ED and was deferred then wait listed. I won't go into her scores, but she is a stellar student with great recs. The boy from her school that got into Williams was a less than stellar student but he did play football and baseball. (Similarly and less than stellar student got into Harvard for football). Now my daughter goes to Middlebury and is doing research with a chemistry professor, is pre-med and couldn't be happier. Sports are a fact of life. There are many good schools out there, and it is Williams loss and Middlebury's gain to have my daughter.</p>
<p>One student who chose to go to Cambridge complained to me that American school admissions are like jigsaw puzzles. No matter how smart or hard-working you are, you won't get accepted if you don't happen to be the right "piece" for that year's picture. </p>
<p>And now I'm starting to understand what he had said.</p>
<p>I certainly wouldn't want to see the opposite extreme, like entirely ignoring student diversity, but I do think that college is a place for academics, and all other matters are supplementary.</p>