November 21, 2014

The Ivy League Advantage

I thought for a long time that the Ivy League Schools, especially Harvard and Yale, could compete with all the big name sports schools if they wanted to because they have the money. That seems to be coming to pass:

At Harvard, the wealthiest of the Ivies, children from families with incomes under $65,000 pay nothing for tuition, room and board, while those from families with incomes of $65,000-$150,000 can be asked to contribute 0-10% of their family’s income. That figure can drop further if a student has siblings in college or other extenuating circumstances. The university doesn’t factor in a family’s home equity or retirement assets in assessing need, an unusual practice. Roughly 70% of students at Harvard receive aid, and 20% attend free. The school does not break out the figures for its athletic teams.

The generosity has allowed Harvard to turn what had historically been a disadvantage into an advantage when it comes to recruiting the small pool of terrific athletes who can also meet the academic standards of the Ivy League. Bob Scalise, Harvard’s athletic director, argues that Harvard’s aid packages are now more valuable than any Division I athletic scholarship, even though Harvard doesn’t yet have the record of producing pro athletes at the rate of some of its non-Ivy League peers.

Here’s where the value comes from: Athletes gain admission to a world-renowned university, and if they get injured or decide during their third day, their third week or their third year that they don’t feel like playing football or field hockey or tennis anymore, they don’t lose the financial commitment the university has made to them.

“The chances of becoming a professional are so small,” Scalise said. “If it works out for you, then great, but if you’re not able to make the pros then you are going to be able to say, I have a degree from the greatest academic institution in the world.”

Harvard decided to be the New York Yankees of college sports. An intelligent and talented athlete is better off going to an Ivy League school, because if it becomes clear his education is more important than a sports career, he or she still gets the education. Tommy Amaker used that to build a good basketball program, and it’s working for football as well.

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