<p>Athletic skill is a TALENT. Just like Theater, Music, Writing, and yes Academics. Students with these talents are recruited all the time. These students like you, bring something unique to the table. How about the student who gets aid for community service? I see nothing wrong with this. They are evaluated next to their peers and they stacked up better. I can tell you from experience, that college athletics, music, theater, etc. absorb an incredible amount of time for students. In many cases, students without the EC’s have more time to study for exams that students that participate in EC’s. Yes, Middlebury is not USC or ND, but I still would be willing to bet the students are there for an education and not a spot in the NFL draft. Let’s recognize the talent, as just about anybody in their situation would use this as a “hook” to get into a better school. It is not just test scores and GPA’s in admission decisions.</p>