<p>Going back to the OP’s original post, I don’t think you can compare the sports recruitment practices in the US with the admissions practices of Oxford and Cambridge. As a student at Oxford, I can say, absolutely unequivocally, that they are NOT trying to create a well-rounded class of students with diverse interests. That is simply not a goal in their admissions policies. </p>
<p>At Oxford the goal is to gather together a community of people who are enthusiastic and dedicated about their degree subjects. That’s all. The fact that many people have outside interests is totally irrelevant - the admissions tutors will most likely not even know about them, because the application does not ask for details about ECs. </p>
<p>Universities in the UK have a different mission to universities in the US, and admissions practices are therefore different. It’s comparing apples and oranges.</p>