Bob

Though I wonder if someone was a world class rower if they would bend the rules...but judging by what those guys are studying generally, they aren't your average drinking degree like most sporting students over here seem to study.

Desdemona

Basically, that it

Desdemona

They probably do Just a little bit .....

Giantaxe

Fwiw, not according to this. The claim is they can rely on prestige to attract top rowers:

"Neither university provides any sort of athletic scholarship, nor do they relax their rigorous academic standards to benefit rowers."

http://books.google.com/books?id=BEs...page&q&f=false

Rather different to the US, it seems:

"Highly competitive Division I programs actively recruit top junior rowers. Coaches can have a tangible impact on admissions as long as the applicant meets minimum academic standards."

http://www.usrowing.org/DomesticRowi...tingGuide.aspx

nettlebed

Our niece just went to UW after attending an upmarket private high school in Portland, Ore. She lives in WA, so gets to pay in-state fees (ca. $8K/year, IIRC).

Another member of her graduating class, who lives in Oregon, not WA, got a full-ride scholarship (not sure exactly what out-of-state tuition is at UW, but it's a top-5 public university in the US, and my guess is it's somewhere north of $20K/year) on the basis of her softball prowess.

I may be wrong, but I didn't think softball was a major sport.

Just checked: out-of-state fees for 2010 are $25.5K

Desdemona

That's very interesting! We have a son of family friends who chose to go to Gonzaga University, WA solely based on the fact that they have an excellent rowing team. His acceptance was probably based partly on his rowing prowess.
We did wonder why he chose to go so far away as his Dad is a professor at Notre Dame University in South Bend, IN. As for the son's acedemic abilities I think they are more than minimum. He is in fact rather a bright student.

anotherlimey

That really grinds on me. There's nothing worse than applying to a US Uni and seeing on the application a spot where you can list people you are related to, or know, who have either attended the university or given money to it.

Sally Redux

Yes I noticed that when my son was applying.

I suppose it's a continuation of things like the best parts in the school play going to the children of families who contribute the most to the theater booster.

anotherlimey

It's soooo un-American!

cindyabs

I guess that I was a time warp exception, 'cuz I was in school plays back in the day when nobody had to contribute nuttin'.

Oregon4now