<p>I mean, you got like cornell and brown topping the standings in everything, and Harvard tops like one sport. whats up with that? i thought H has the ability to recruit the best of the best of the best</p>
<p>I have no clue, but I honestly don't care. As an alum, my feelings are it's nice if Harvard wins some sports championship, but their sports standing isn't that important to me. I think that people who put sports standing at the top of their lists when it comes to choosing a college probably will find that no Ivy League school will be the school that makes them happiest. After all, the Ivy League isn't known for its sports powerhouses: It's known for its academic standings.</p>
<p>Cornell...represent!</p>
<p>that is the most ridiculous statement i have seen, just because you have high academic standards doesn't mean your athletics must be top notch...</p>
<p>I agree. I'm applying to Harvard for its reputation of academic excellence. Athletic achivement, while nice, was not something I considered. If I wanted to have an athletic powerhouse-school, I'd attend my flagship school, the University of Texas. :)</p>
<p>Joethemole, by the same token, one could ask why is it that MIT and Caltech don't have top football teams. Heck, I'm fairly sure that most high schools in the country would beat MIT and Caltech at football.</p>
<p>Joethemole raises a valid point. A Harvard degree is very desirable, and is a strong recruiting tool. It certainly works well for attracting the top academic talent.</p>
<p>Athletes, however, have different standards. Sure, most want a good education, but equally important may be their opinion of the coach who is recruiting them, the athletic facilities, the school's support for its teams, how well the teams have done lately, whether they will get a scholarship, the difficulty of managing sports + academics at the school, along with a host of other reasons. Harvard is not necessarily the strongest in all these categories.</p>
<p>Also, I know the Ivy League hampers Harvard's recruiting efforts in at least one sport (Football). Harvard has fewer "lower band" spots available for recruits than other Ivy league schools.</p>