02-03-2016, 04:43 AM
Just a couple of thoughts and questions on the close to this signing period.
Regarding Robertson and how to weigh his extracurriculars in the admission decision: I suspect that the fact this is tied to the football program, in particular, might actually work against counting the extracurriculars too heavily. Appearances matter, both inside and outside the university. The appearance that one of the top recruits in the country might get any kind of preferential treatment because of his ability on the football field might very well be something the university wants to avoid. In this case, it could even work as a disadvantage: were Robertson applying just for regular admissions, or if he starred in a less noteworthy sport, maybe he gets in. But in his case, he really needs to put it beyond doubt that he meets certain criteria. Kudos to him for going the extra mile. He's already earned my respect, and I'll root for the young man wherever he ends up, though I certainly hope to enjoy watching him play for Stanford!
Now the question: just how many scholarships can we give this year? I assume that the LDS players heading out on mission won't count towards the total number on the team, or maybe even for this year (wasn't there an NCAA limit of 24, which other teams have skirted by placing people in JCs or having them enroll early, or "gray shirt" by getting them started in school but not having them on scholarship for the first year?) But Stanford has not done such things in the past. We are already at 25, with the possibility of adding McCulloch and now Pryts, it seems. I'm curious if someone has dropped away from us, and if we will only find out later today, or exactly how Shaw and company will work this out. Any ideas?
Regarding Robertson and how to weigh his extracurriculars in the admission decision: I suspect that the fact this is tied to the football program, in particular, might actually work against counting the extracurriculars too heavily. Appearances matter, both inside and outside the university. The appearance that one of the top recruits in the country might get any kind of preferential treatment because of his ability on the football field might very well be something the university wants to avoid. In this case, it could even work as a disadvantage: were Robertson applying just for regular admissions, or if he starred in a less noteworthy sport, maybe he gets in. But in his case, he really needs to put it beyond doubt that he meets certain criteria. Kudos to him for going the extra mile. He's already earned my respect, and I'll root for the young man wherever he ends up, though I certainly hope to enjoy watching him play for Stanford!
Now the question: just how many scholarships can we give this year? I assume that the LDS players heading out on mission won't count towards the total number on the team, or maybe even for this year (wasn't there an NCAA limit of 24, which other teams have skirted by placing people in JCs or having them enroll early, or "gray shirt" by getting them started in school but not having them on scholarship for the first year?) But Stanford has not done such things in the past. We are already at 25, with the possibility of adding McCulloch and now Pryts, it seems. I'm curious if someone has dropped away from us, and if we will only find out later today, or exactly how Shaw and company will work this out. Any ideas?