[Roberton3]

What confuses me slightly is that he ended up going to Harvard, on an academic scholarship. What does that mean? On the face of it it could be that Stanford's academic requirements were tougher, but I guess what it really means is that, even though Harvard doesn't give out athletic scholarships, they do lower the academic requirements for athletes.
Is that right?

Lin didn't get an academic scholarship.  Harvard doesn't give academic scholarships.  It gives need-based financial aid, which some people mistakenly label as an "academic scholarship".  But it's based on financial need, not on academic ability (though given what tuition is like these days, even middle-class families get need-based financial aid).  I think it's pretty similar to financial aid for non-athletes at Stanford.

And yes, the bar is definitely lower for getting in to Harvard if you're an athlete, though that varies a lot from sport to sport.  In sports like football, basketball, and hockey, it's a pretty substantial edge.  But that's true pretty much everywhere, from the big sports powerhouse state universities to the Ivy League to academically elite liberal arts schools playing in Division III leagues.

[Roberton3]

What confuses me slightly is that he ended up going to Harvard, on an academic scholarship. What does that mean? On the face of it it could be that Stanford's academic requirements were tougher, but I guess what it really means is that, even though Harvard doesn't give out athletic scholarships, they do lower the academic requirements for athletes.
Is that right?

Lin didn't get an academic scholarship.  Harvard doesn't give academic scholarships.  It gives need-based financial aid, which some people mistakenly label as an "academic scholarship".  But it's based on financial need, not on academic ability (though given what tuition is like these days, even middle-class families get need-based financial aid).  I think it's pretty similar to financial aid for non-athletes at Stanford.

And yes, the bar is definitely lower for getting in to Harvard if you're an athlete, though that varies a lot from sport to sport.  In sports like football, basketball, and hockey, it's a pretty substantial edge.  But that's true pretty much everywhere, from the big sports powerhouse state universities to the Ivy League to academically elite liberal arts schools playing in Division III leagues.