<p>To those who feel slapped in the face when an athlete with no outstanding academic achievements gets admitted into a college like Middlebury, have you seriously and diligently played any sport? Have you felt so tired in a stupid practice that you just want to drop down and vomit, yet you must keep going because the rest of your teammates are not stopping? Have you ever been injured? It really is something when you “hear” something crack inside your leg. OK, enough sensationalism.</p>
<p>Being an excellent athlete is not easy. It is as time consuming as being an outstanding musician or artist. And fortunately for athletes, colleges require them. So is it fair that an athlete with a 1700 SAT and presumably no other “hook” than kicking a ball gets admitted instead of a good student, who would use the opportunity more wisely? Mind you, not everyone can kick a ball decently. </p>
<p>If Midd’s Addmission’s Office decides it is fair, then I think it is fair. Sports are a part of every college and great athletes are more rare (and more valuable for a college?) than good students, with typical EC’s and 2100 SAT scores. Diversity is necessary, and though it sounds unfair to “sacrifice” academic selectivity for a guy with a good arm or a talented foot, it also seems unfair to “sacrifice” sports for a not outstanding, just good student with good stats and good EC’s … really the common applicant to a college like Middlebury. Because the “qualified candidate” you are talking about is not that special after all. Really qualified candidates will get admitted, no matter what. But if the “qualified candidate” gets denied and his/her spot is taken by a mediocre student/outstanding athlete, I believe the candidate is not as qualified as you might think.</p>