Should athletes be favored in college admissions? PRO: Athletes deserve benefits during admissions

By Krista Roberts
Staff Writer

The athletic recruiting process is complex and governed by a multitude of NCAA rules and restrictions. After a college has expressed interest in an athlete, there are many degrees of advantages students can receive in the admissions process. Support can vary from subtle encouragement to guaranteed admission, or in other cases may include varying degrees of athletic scholarships.

Athletes who are recruited deserve academic lenience in the college application process. For those on high school sports teams, practices, training and competitions can take up more than 20 hours a week. It is a testament to student-athletes that they can keep up with the expected schoolwork, while spending significant hours practicing each day.

Obviously, the hard work spent by other students should be recognized as well. Many at Mira Costa maintain 4.0 GPA’s, participate in clubs, and enroll in rigorous electives which require work outside of school hours.
However, there is a preconceived notion that athletes can gain drastic advantages in all circumstances. Some schools stretch their standards for athletes, but overall, there are still strict academic guidelines that are set in order to regulate student admittance.

May athletes have to face rejection in the recruiting process, just like other students face it in general admissions. Many schools, such as those in the Ivy League, are too academically challenging for some athletes, while other less academically competitive schools have sports teams so successful that it is difficult to be recruited.

Sports are also a vital contribution to the college experience. What would a Friday night on campus be without a football game? Alumni love rooting for successful colleges’ sports teams all year-round. A well-rounded college is academically rigorous and possesses excellent sports teams. College athletics add substance and depth to the student life of an institution. Without aid for student athletes in admissions, this entertaining side of college would be gone.

It is a challenge for both student athletes and college-bound students to be accepted to their dream school and athletes deserve the advantages they are given. Whether spending hours training or nights studying for Advanced Placement classes, the effort exerted for college all evens out in the end.