Interdepartmental Communications 145
The twins have graduated and
are both successful teachers.
Other Benefits for
Student Athletes
As a former public school teacher
and retired School of Education col-
lege faculty member, there are few
stronger advocates for strong aca-
demic attitudes and performance by
student athletes. However, I’m real-
istic enough to recognize that some
prospects simply don’t have the
academic credentials to enter the
nation’s top ranked colleges. That
said, athletes often receive preferen-
tial treatment regarding admissions,
even at the snootiest of institutions.
If a college determines that a pros-
pect can help a team win, generate
substantial and positive public relations, increase the school’s
brand recognition, and help sell tickets, some admissions leg-
erdemain may well be applied for that athlete. (Remember,
institutional methodology.) Recently, it was determined that an
athlete had better than a 50 percent admissions advantage over
a student with the same SAT/ACT score, even better than the
highly publicized admission advantages enjoyed by minority
and legacy admissions.
You may not be quite as competitive academically as other
students applying for admission and still be admitted to many
Division II, III, or NAIA colleges. Your status as an athletic
3
The
Tr uT h Is
The NCAA hasn’t
yet perfected the
resources and it
appears to have
little desire to
monitor Divi-
sion III intensely
enough to discover
and punish the
institutions that
are intentionally
violating the rules.