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[quote=Anonymous]A little bit more about the landscape of the Ivies when it comes to available money for athletes (and other students).

A few years ago, Harvard announced an initiative to try to make its education more affordable for middle class families; basically, it raised the income cut-off for true aid (grants, not just loans). I know that Princeton and Yale (other big endowments) matched the initiative -- not sure about the other Ivies.

In practice, this has played out very favorably for Ivies in recruiting athletes. Take ice hockey, which is a relatively blue collar sport in places like MA and Minnesota. An ice hockey player coming from a family making, say, $75,000 per year can get major financial aid from Harvard or Yale. So of course, can a flute player from a family making $75,000 -- the FA is equally available for the entire student body. In men's sports that are not "fully funded" in terms of scholarships (pretty much everything except football and basketball), this aid policy can make the Ivy competitive with other schools than are perhaps less expensive but can only offer minor scholarship money.

Now, let's take a basketball player (male or female). If the family has a relatively low Household Income, the Harvard need-based financial aid package may be functionally the same as a full scholarship to a conference that gives athletic scholarships; yet the Ivy basketball player is receiving need-based aid that, unlike athletic scholarships, is guaranteed and not contingent upon playing the sport. This phenomenon means Harvard can now compete for many top players in men's basketball, and the team's success in recent years shows this. Similarly, Princeton Women's basketball has been outstanding in recent years and recruits VERY well -- this is part of the landscape.

This is all more nuanced than most people are interested in, but the point is, this can be a relatively nuanced and complex area. The poster who seems to think that rich patrons like Montgomery Burns of the Simpsons can just give money to Ivy athletes does not have it right. But the major increase in available FA (at least at the wealthiest Ivies) has also put the Ivies more in the grasp of great athletes who might have been priced out before. [b](Note: this also works against another -- or the same? -- poster's assertions that rich children of average athletic talent can get roster spots for the asking. Ivy sports have never had more athletes from which to choose.)
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There is a reason rich children of rich parents of borderline average athletic talent get shuttled to boutique sports like lacrosse, water polo, rowing and squash at young ages?  This is not quantum mechanics.[/quote]

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