[isoskeles]

> it is harder than getting in with an athletic scholarship than without one.

I agree with most of your comment, but I think you're using "harder" and "rarer" interchangeably here.

One would guess that receiving a scholarship for elite athleticism or superior intellect are both quite difficult, and I have zero basis of comparison for which one is harder. I would not assume that athletic scholarships being rarer reflects on their difficulty. Rather, it's most likely a reflection on what the main function of a university is, as a place of learning. They admit more students to study than to play sports.