Good points Northern Cal Dad, BUT there are some points you need to consider. One of the biggest recruiting "tools" of the better academic schools is the "we'll get you in" promise in lieu of any significant money. The ivy league schools are notorious for this. Talk to an ivy league coach and you feel like just writing a check for the privilege of your son to attend. Penn is the best at this game - note how many Penn athletes are admitted into Wharton. While admission into a selective school is certainly a worthwhile intangible - it's easy for a coach at these schools to offer "book money" to a slew of incoming freshman and consequently cutting a kid with only book money is a debt most programs can carry. Bottom line - by making enough "we'll get you in" promises to enough kids - some will stick.