DD had an unoffical visit a few weeks ago with one of the colleges listed in that Business insiders article (post #5). Even though the ACT range for this school is 29-33, the coach indicated that she can help get student athletes admitted even if they fall below that range. Although if memory serves 24 or 25 was about as low as she could go.
The problem with having a bright kid is that there are seemingly no merit based scholarships available at the top schools. D3 and the Ivys have no athletic scholarships available, nor do they give out academic scholarships because all of the candidates are highly qualified. At least that's how it appears. My DD is a 2017 graduate so we have some time to figure this out. My parents never had this issue.
I agree about the Ivies. My numbers may be somewhat off, but just for ballparking it, a family income of less than $90,000 qualifies for full tuition as a GRANT (not loan) at many Ivies. Even families up to $200,000 can get some need based aid. Most schools have a calculator linked to their admissions website where you can put in financial information and get an idea of out of pocket costs. Don't get scared, the numbers will never be as good as you expect, but reality can be better.
