Originally Posted by Anonymous
The issue becomes Timmy Reclassified gets a spot at Virginia - Tommy CorrectGrade goes to St John's (no - I am not putting St John's down there are few schools that are Virginia - just using it as a D1 Lax program)...who has the head start on a job interview? They gamed the system and it worked out - do they have to live with it - well I guess this is not the first game or system they manipulated so yeah, they will live with it, and after a UVA education and alumni connections, i would guess pretty well - so yes people are going to get upset
The alumni network conversation is a good one; this is a topic that we often discuss with families who are wondering what the value of a $50,000/year private institution might be over a $20,000/year state school or anything that ranges in the middle.

There are other points to consider in your example which only an individual family can adequately answer:
  • Timmy at Virginia struggles academically and graduates with a 2.8 GPA. Tommy at St. John's handles the lacrosse and academic balance with a 3.7 GPA. Who gets the nod if both are applying for the same job?
  • Timmy loved his time at UVA, but wants to return to the Northeast and settle in the New [lacrosse] tri-state area. What is the value of the UVA alumni network beyond Washington DC?
  • Tommy decides to quit lacrosse after two years to concentrate on a dual major. Academics can qualify for an additional discount at St. John's. Did he need lacrosse at all in his portfolio?
  • Due to lacrosse, Timmy needed an extra semester to complete his studies with the year-'round training load. If you look over four years, did the lacrosse scholarship really save anything?
This list of counter and counter-counter examples is longer than the Point-Counterpoint Segment on 60 Minutes. Our points are that when considering an institution, alumni network strength, long-term location, and financial considerations for athletics and academics are all part of the eventual equation.