<p>Before anyone else suggests that I just pack up and leave the country I must confess that I am intentionally playing devils advocate a bit here and trying to wind some folks up to see the variety of arguments that are brought forth. If you read my original post you can see I was just trying to get a debate and discussion of ideas going so people can stop suggesting that I’m just some sort of idiot naive wacko who should just move abroad ;-). I often do get into heated debates with folks on both sides of this issue so I was trying to see what new arguments people would bring forward to support the American model of admissions. </p>
<p>My own personal view (the real one now) is that yes it is all about a well rounded picture and I like the ‘100 points’ example that was made. As mentioned the Oxbridge admission system is purely focused on academic and intellectual brilliance although I do still find it very interesting that sports still plays a huge role in these schools even without making it a specific part of the admissions process. My only main serious criticism of the US system is when the academic side of things is simply not taken seriously at all and the individual is there simply to play sports for a few years before trying to turn pro (this practice is essentially isolated to some D1 schools and mainly with football and basketball). In those limited cases I do have a big problem with it because colleges aren’t there purely to serve as farm teams for the pros with recruits that never graduate. However the vast majority of college athletes are far more rounded and recognize that they are there first and foremost to get a degree.</p>