[Grim Tuesday]

I don't think linking Deans List and college admissions is really a good idea. It's the spirit of the award and all - It just doesn't feel right for it to be a 'bargaining chip' on the same level as SAT scores. It almost degrades the accomplishment.

For what it's worth, we have had no deans list winners but still have kids who go on to Cornell, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, U Chicago, etc... No Yale of MIT though, not that it really matters. For reference, we are a public school in upstate New York.

If the FIRST team is doing it's job and building people to be as best as they can, and students manage to convey that in their application, colleges should get the idea and the hidden benefits of being on a team will help their chances of acceptance.