Mid 50% SAT and ACT ranges. Cristiana Quinn.

This is a statistic published in most college guide books and online. While the numbers are real, they are misleading for the nation’s top colleges. You need to keep in mind that last year at Princeton, 37% of the entering freshmen seats went to minority students, 17% to athletes, 13% to legacy applicants and 11% to international students. Not published are the number of spots that were given to the children of faculty or staff, VIP development candidates (non-legacy, high wealth individuals) and performing/visual arts students. Those groups all tend to have lower SAT ranges, and If you don’t fall into one of those categories, then your SATs better be in the top 25% range at Princeton and elite colleges.

www.collegeadvisoronline.com

If what Ms. Quinn reports is accurate, then at Princeton for those of you who are not minorities, athletes, legacy applicants or international then 22% of spots are yours to fight for.

As with other aspects of the college search, find the athletic recruiting and institutional practices that give your student a relative advantage. Ask admissions and coaches to explain how applications of athletes are processed. Check out the article below and you will see Dartmouth’s take on the Ivy League. Note private scholarships with specific criteria are available for athletes at these schools.

Quoting from the first installment of an article in the Dartmouth college paper:

Ivy League institutions offer only need-based financial aid and do not grant any athletic scholarships, making it unique among athletic conferences. Ivy League athletes must also meet certain academic standards in order to be considered for admission.

http://thedartmouth.com/2012/03/05/news/athletics