[Mick]

I am often accused of optimism about our recruiting, yet look at our on-field and recruiting success over the last five years.  Despite the most restrictive standards in football (stiffer than Harvard's, who has taken guys we have refused), our players are ranked just behind those for Florida State and Alabama now. 

Hulk, good comments, and I agree with virtually all of it.  One small nit: I would be careful about a broad-based assertion that Stanford's standards are across-the-board stiffer than the Ivies.

The Ivies have to adhere to an Academic Index for their players.  The floor used to be 171, last year it was raised to 176.  The rough calculation is 1/3 gpa (unweighted average x 40), 1/3 SAT I score, and 1/3 SAT II score.  It used to include class rank, but very few high schools include class rank any more, but the target was top 4% of the high school's class, and top 10% was considered the bare minimum.  The typical targeted average is an AI of about 210, meaning a 2100 SAT and a 3.5 gpa unweighted.

The mean AI of the athletes must fall within one standard deviation of all athletes on campus.  In practical terms, it means that one or two athletes will get in at the bare minimum level, but they will be the most-recruited athlete at that school's football program.  Those would be the 3.0 gpa/1650 SATs.  The bulk of the athletes will have much tougher academic standards.  So if the athlete is at a level which attracts Stanford's attention, he will almost assuredly be Harvard's top target rather than a typical recruit.

[Mick]

I am often accused of optimism about our recruiting, yet look at our on-field and recruiting success over the last five years.  Despite the most restrictive standards in football (stiffer than Harvard's, who has taken guys we have refused), our players are ranked just behind those for Florida State and Alabama now. 

Hulk, good comments, and I agree with virtually all of it.  One small nit: I would be careful about a broad-based assertion that Stanford's standards are across-the-board stiffer than the Ivies.

The Ivies have to adhere to an Academic Index for their players.  The floor used to be 171, last year it was raised to 176.  The rough calculation is 1/3 gpa (unweighted average x 40), 1/3 SAT I score, and 1/3 SAT II score.  It used to include class rank, but very few high schools include class rank any more, but the target was top 4% of the high school's class, and top 10% was considered the bare minimum.  The typical targeted average is an AI of about 210, meaning a 2100 SAT and a 3.5 gpa unweighted.

The mean AI of the athletes must fall within one standard deviation of all athletes on campus.  In practical terms, it means that one or two athletes will get in at the bare minimum level, but they will be the most-recruited athlete at that school's football program.  Those would be the 3.0 gpa/1650 SATs.  The bulk of the athletes will have much tougher academic standards.  So if the athlete is at a level which attracts Stanford's attention, he will almost assuredly be Harvard's top target rather than a typical recruit.