<p>All athletes getting scholarships are not the same. Stanford wins the Sears cup mainly due to its broad-based success in many sports. For example, while a football or basketball recruit may be allowed lesser stats, the fencer is not. For the non-revenue generating sports, the student’s D-1 athletic talents are merely a hook and not a walk. Athletes at Stanford, overall, are highly intelligent and deserve admission. I do not know where you get that “alumni kids with less than stellar stats are often given the nod.” That is untrue. While legacy admissions during SCEA run approximately double the stated acceptance percentage, I challenge you to show me “less than stellar” stats among the group for a student that has no other hook.</p>