21. The Realities of Athletic Scholarships

Coaches and college admissions share the important interest of needing to make their school attractive to high-caliber applicants. And because so many otherwise qualified applicants also are interested in athletics, admission officers make sure that information about the college’s sports teams is presented in the best possible light.

—Mitchell L. Stevens, author of Creating a Class: College Admissions and the Education of Elites

Do you secretly hope that your son or daughter will win an athletic scholarship?

Don’t be shy about admitting it. Lots of parents harbor that wish. The hope that children will kick, throw, or catch a ball good enough to underwrite a college education can start before boys or girls have even memorized their multiplication tables.