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Athletics & Admissions: Or Sweating Your Way Into College

Look at yourself with the cold eye of an admission director. Sure, you're a nice kid with pretty good grades and board scores. But what extra quality do you have that might set you apart-that makes you stand out from the crowd? Are you a gifted oboist or a Broadway star? Are you a minority student or from a geographically underrepresented place? Are you a legacy or a Rockefeller? If not these, are you an athlete? Athletic ability is sometimes the slam dunk that wins the admissions game.

Maybe you have played high school varsity sports for several years. Maybe you made All-State or are ranked. Are you a two-sport threat? Do you excel in a sport for which a particular college or university is known, like lacrosse at Johns Hopkins in Maryland or riflery at DePaul in Illinois? Maybe you play a newly established sport like women's ice hockey-available, among other schools, at Providence College in Rhode Island and St. Lawrence University in New York-women's crew at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania and Gonzaga University in Washington, or equestrian at Drew University in New Jersey.

Admissions directors like John Reed at Linfield College in Oregon explain that athletic ability may add up to 25% of a student's rating. "the first quarter is a student's GPA. Next is the strength of the curriculum taken and the school attended. Another quarter is SATs or ACT. The other quarter is what a student will contribute to Linfield, and that could be athletics."

No dumb jocks allowed!

But forget the dumb jock image. Here's why successful high school student-athletes are attractive candidates:

• Practice makes perfect - High school student-athletes are pros at fitting practice, school, social obligations, and perhaps work into their schedules-a college basic. "They're able to set priorities and balance their time," says Daniel Walls, Emory University's Dean of Admissions. So it isn't surprising that at Emory, where there are 17 varsity teams, 40% of the athletes are on Dean's List, and the athletes' graduation rate is almost 100%.
• Teamwork = Team Work -  Student athletes are accustomed to doing their best for the group. Getting along with roommates, taking part in group study sessions, and working with lab partners are naturals for them. "The team work ethic is ingrained," notes Paul Bradshaw, Baylor University's Assistant Director of compliance. "they're used to doing things when they're just not into it and they know how to break through that barrier."
• Commitment - Continued participation in high school sports indicates a student's willingness to persist in a demanding regimen. John Bak, a member of the administration and faculty at Occidental College in California, notes that a student's commitment to something outside himself/herself shows maturity. Like most colleges, Occidental, which offers nine women's and nine men's varsity sports and coed golf, values such mature and directed students. Colleges, especially Division III schools, are also looking for students who weren't stars but who performed well and stuck with a sport. These are players who will play their hearts out and stay on a team.
• Good sports make good schools - High school student-athletes most likely will compete well on the college level and create winning teams. "Athletes build pride and tradition in your institution, and that benefits all students," says Linfield's Reed.
• You've got to have friends, right? - Many student-athletes arrive on campus early and are immediately immersed in a small group of people who share and interest. Recalling his cross-country and track orientation program at Hillsdale College in Michigan, Marty McGinn says, "We went camping for three days, made friends, and had fun before being hit over the head with everything else. Then we had three days on campus, so I felt more established and comfortable while the other freshmen were just moving in."
• Who are you? - "In high school, I pretty much had a well-established name, " says Kristin Carey, a former soccer and lacrosse player at Goucher College in Maryland. "the I got here and nobody knew me. I'm not the most outgoing person, and sports helped other people know who I am."
• No work, no play -  Athletic participation helps to focus academic efforts, most students agree. In fact, David Casassa, a former swimmer and water polo player at Occidental, says, "The only time I fell behind was the last two weeks when I didn't have sports and my time was unstructured."

Some schools require study halls for athletes, and some offer special academic programs including mentoring, tutoring, and strict monitoring of athletes' classroom performance and attendance. That kind of structure helps lots of students adjust.

• Diversity university - On the playing fields, students of all kinds and colors meet as equals and often become friends. "You don't have to like each other," says Crystal Butcher, a pre-med student who played field hockey and lacrosse at Goucher, "but you do have to accept each other and spend a lot of time together. Doing that cuts away initial cultural barriers and preconceptions and leads to friendship."
• Homesick cure - Most first-year students miss family, old friend, and home comforts. But as Clay Nunley, who played basketball at Goucher, found, "It wasn't really too bad because I was so busy and my mind was kept occupied." So athletic ability not only may help a student win admission, but it also eases the transition from high school to college and enriches the college experience.
• Cut the fat - Sweating it out in sports helps prevent the dreaded frosh 15-pound weight gain.
• Stress less - Academic and social tensions run sometimes high at college, and vigorous physical activity is a great release

"It was a way to work out my frustrations," says Kristin Carey, adding, "The only time I felt depressed at college was when I missed pre-season lacrosse because of a knee injury."

• Money - Some Division I and II schools offer athletic scholarships ranging from full stipends covering tuition, room, board, and fees to partial awards.

For example, Baylor University devotes about $3.5-million to scholarships and Hillsdale College awards more than 75 athletic scholarships. But beware, these grants are renewable yearly, If a student is injured or doesn't make the team, the money is gone.

So what's the score?

Athletics can make a difference in admissions and after, but no reputable institution admits unqualified students, no matter how great their athletic prowess. If student-athletes end up on academic probation, they don't play. In addition, coaches can't spend their time worrying about players' academics. Unqualified student-athletes are no use to their teams and coaches, and worst of all, they hurt themselves by being in no-win scholastic, sports, and, sometimes, social situations.

Ultimately, your college choice can't be based completely on athletics. Only one athlete in 10,000 will go on to the pros, and the average pro career is three or four years. How student-athletes perform in the classroom is what counts. But if you have academic and athletic ability, you chances of getting into the college of you choice are enhanced-and your chances of enjoying the experience are, too.

So, what should you do? You should go for it!

By: Linda Puner