<p>My west coast daughter is having allergies right now at her east coast school - the snow is melting, grasses are starting to show, and she’s all stuffed up. But she would probably be in the same state if she were home right now; it’s not any worse. I keep telling her that Claritin is her friend.</p>
<p>One has to keep in mind that most of Stanford’s “athletic scholarships” are not full tuition scholarships unless the student is a superstar athlete. However, it can be supplemented by financial aid grants if there is a need. The school allots most of their scholarship quota in high revenue sports such as football and basketball.</p>
<p>I never had any allergies in CA, but I knew a few people who had trouble with the desert grasses.</p>
<p>Interesting thread - I’ve just finished reading it through (instead of doing yard work). One other aspect/question: whether the prevalence of athletic scholarships at S has any impact on team unity or morale/the team experience. </p>
<p>D plans to attend P next year (received likely letter, though is still looking forward - hopefully - to an official acceptance letter in a few weeks). A few summers ago, she attended a summer sports camp at S and loved it. With P, however, she’s glad for the opportunity for a great education and great sports program, without the potential pressures an athletic scholarship could bring (both on her, and on team/other teammates). Though she is passionate about sports, academics will be her first priority in college.</p>
<p>peonies: Nowadays the financial aid for low and middle income families is so good at Stanford, that I think the negative impact of athletic scholarships on team unity is probably pretty low. Any student’s family whose income is below $100K (with typical assets) does not have to pay tuition. I wonder if the great FA might have a negative impact on keeping students on the athletic teams, especially those who don’t intend to become professional athletes or who face more challenges combining the demands of the sport with the academics.</p>
<p>One of the very best college distance runners in the country is a freshman at Stanford(All-American in XC and indoor track this year), and I recall reading somewhere that he received a half tuition scholarship. He obviously enjoys his sport and is doing it all 3 seasons this year. I bet he continues to run no matter what.</p>
<p>One of the best female distance high school runners from last year (5th at Footlocker), is a freshman at Stanford, but chose not to run XC or track in order to concentrate on her studies. I can’t help but wonder if FA had something to do with that.</p>
<p>My Stanford freshman S knows both of these kids, and I’ll be interested to see how this plays out.</p>
<p>gladmom: Thank you for sharing those stories. We also follow distance running, and have seen Stanford recruit some great runners over the past few years (and before that). Interesting question about how need-based financial aid may be impacting sports recruitment/retention. My D chose not to explore athletic scholarship opportunities (though she might well have qualified). There are always trade-offs, and now with college savings accounts taking a hit, the balance of pros vs. cons may be shifting.</p>
<p>Definitely Princeton!</p>
<p>Princeton of course</p>
<p>violamom — Where did your DS decide to go?</p>