<p>Outofthebox:
If you are looking for a top Liberal Arts College that only considers academics for admission you will have to look far and wide. Perhaps they exist, but I am not familiar with any. As I mentioned in an earlier post, these schools are trying to create an intentional community which has many dimensions, and some of those dimensions do not correlate directly with the ability to get a good GPA or do well on standardized tests. </p>
<p>Although I was not a high school athlete my kids have pursued athletics in high school, and I now have a much greater respect for the time commitment required. When I was in high school I thought the things the coaches said about “building character,” etc. were mostly bunk. But at a minimum an ability to juggle 3 hours or more of athletic practice per day on top of 5 hours per night of homework and the regular school schedule shows superior time management skills. This is one factor that colleges might look for in applicants. In addition high levels of athletic achievement demonstrate a commitment and perservance towards achieving a goal. This is another quality that colleges might be looking for. Of course the same time management skills demonstrated by major athletic participation could be developed or exhibited by putting in 15-20 hours of work a week at a job. And many of these colleges also look very favorably on that type of time commitment.</p>
<p>While one might wish the world were different than it is, I think you are far better off in this case by dealing with the world of college admissions as it is, rather than wishing that colleges only looked at things you are good at and did not consider things you are not good at or don’t enjoy.</p>