Brian Farene wrote that the Ivy League schools are the only schools
that produces well educated, student-athlete citizens.
 
I have to say that I totally disagree with that generalized opinion.
There a many other schools with Div.I hockey teams that have an
excellent academic reputation.  Being a chemical engineer, I know that
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan State are non-Ivy league schools with
a better reputation in the field than Clarkson and all of the Ivies,
Cornell is close though.  Yes, the Ivies and other ECAC schools go by an
academic index for admissions, but that doesn't preclude any talented
hockey player-student from going to another school.  The impression of
the Ivy schools being so 'superior' in academics is just that.  The
impression of superiority and the academic index led to the ECAC split
into Hockey East and the current ECAC version.  Just because an academic
limit is set, it does not mean that your students are any better than
another schools.  Going to Clarkson, I've realized that some schools
have a different emphasis in certain academic areas, i.e., I would never
go to Clarkson for history, literature, art or any other social science.
There are other better schools out there for that, not including the
Ivies.  The student-athelete has a choice as to where he/she goes to
school.  The Ivies are not the end-all in all cases.  Maybe a Minnesotan
player grew up watching the Gophers and always dreamed of playing for
them.  Just because he is an A student doesn't mean he can't go there.
I hope I haven't wandered too far from my initial train of thought.
 
Mike Zak
Clarkson '87, '91 and '92