<p>The Academic Index, a ratio of the SAT and Class Rank/GPA, does set minimum standards for the admission of athletes to Ivy League schools (search on this board under Academic Index and there are exhaustive explanations of how it is calculated and how it is used in different sports and at different schools).</p>
<p>In the example above, the 1790/3.6 (assume unweighted) GPA would yield a 190 - 195 AI. The league minimum is 171. HYP school AIs are around 220 and their athlete average AIs are in the 200 - 210 range. In one of the helmet sports or basketball, this would be a good mid range candidate, not one that would require a stretch to admit.</p>
<p>Athletes or teams that offer 4.0 GPAs and 2320 SATs are boosters, creating the opportunity for that school to recruit specific athletes with lower AIs or have teams with lower average AIs and still meet the AI standards agreed upon by the Ivy League.</p>
<p>Why do we struggle with the idea that these schools have considerations for their admissions that extend beyond academic performance? Although there primary consideration is academics, athletic ability, musical ability, or other truly exceptional EC performance can drive an admission to the communities that these admissions officers are forming with their decisions.</p>