Well, I can't resist putting in my 2 on this Ivy league thing.
First off, Harvard most definitely does have different admission
standards for athletes (the so called "athletic tip"). The stated
policy is that this is only a deciding factor when all other things
are equal, but I don't think any one honestly believes it works that
way. I don't have any statistics, but it wouldn't surprise me if
the gap between the academic qualifications of athletes and
non-athletes at Harvard approaches that at other schools. What
Harvard can say, is that there is no "gut" academic track for athletes
to take once they get here. I doubt anyone comes to Harvard without
intending to get an education.
In fact I don't really object to the athletic tip. I think the
dedication it takes to be a successful athlete is likely to be
as good an indicator of future success beyond college as are
grades or SAT scores. Plus it's much more racially blind
than either. I think the admissions tip Harvard gives to the
offspring of alumni/ae is more troubling (presumably both have
the practical benefit of helping fund raising, which sometimes
seems like Harvard's real purpose).
As far as academic reputations, people may feel that they're phantom,
but reputations are what attract good students and grant money,
and at the graduate level that's what matters. Thus I think being
perceived as an "elite tier research university" (to my mind, the Ivies,
MIT, Chicago, Berkeley, Stanford, and Michigan) is self perpetuating
even if in individual departments your milage may vary.
It is of course unfair that in the popular conception research
reputations get confused with quality of undergraduate education.
I think there is some correlation, stemming from the increased
money and decreased teaching loads at the research universities,
but for my money you get better value at your state's public
university. (There may be some truth to the cliche about researchers
not caring about teaching, but in my experience this hasn't stopped
them from doing a good job).
Tom Hancock
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