SAT Scores Get Scholarships Far More Than Sports

Through our 3 children’s activities, my wife has watched a lot of sports in Old Saybrook and other Shoreline CT towns though the years. She actually was a college athlete so knows a fair amount about talent.  She’s way too nice to ever say something negative about anyone. But sometimes she’ll report as a data point to her educational consultant husband: “Mr. and Mrs. K. believe their daughter will get a college scholarship for soccer…”  In further discussion, I’ll learn that this is how Mr. and Mrs. K’s plan to pay for college for their multiple children.

I have written about sports parents elsewhere. But it is worth repeating for small town Connecticut types who think that star athletes in our affluent Shoreline town fare get many Division I scholarships.

For example, in relation to football, California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania and other big states with football crazed populations have so many top players that even many on Connecticut’s all state first team would have a hard time making honorable mention in those states.  Last year, I was working with one of the best football players in Southeastern, CT.  He was too busy training in the spring to take our spring SAT class.  He hoped to impress coaches during summer football camps.  He came back disheartened realizing that his size alone – above average for a Shoreline, CT linebacker – made him small on a national level.  His speed and strength – very high for Shoreline, CT – were average.  Even crazier, he relayed: “I thought I worked hard at football but those guys down South viewed it as a way of life.”  He dug in for fall SAT prep which made him quite anxious. 

As for basketball, the lack of diversity alone makes our basketball talent pool shallow along the idyllic Connecticut coasts.  As for baseball, Connecticut’s long Winter gives us a distinct disadvantage against warm weather states that have their baseball players play year round.  (no inside baseball!)  Indeed, outside of lacrosse, I have not seen consistent athletic scholarship success in my 15 plus years working with Connecticut families.

I have, however, seen enormous scholarship success for Connecticut students with top SAT and ACT test scores, particularly in the last 5 years.  Colleges – particularly private ones – are desperate to maintain their student populations. They also need to look “not desperate”.

To do so, they need to attract a student body that looks impressive.  The most blunt force way to do so: give scholarships to those with top test scores.  And the easiest way to improve scores: take our SAT class.  Spring SAT Class.