In luring athletes to attend, Harvard faces strong competition from schools that offer scholarships and other athletic incentives, Binkowski explains.

"We have to compete with schools that offer financial scholarship and have big social scenes," Binkowski says. "In light of that, I try to show recruits what Harvard offers: the educational experience, job prospects after graduation, Boston."

Despite its many disadvantages in athletic recruiting, Harvard continually attracts top-notch recruits. In addition, many current athletes cite their recruiting visits as influential in their decision to attend.

"My recruiting trips were a huge factor in my decisions on schools," Abeles says.

Be All You Can Be

In the end, though, there may be another reason that the admissions office relies so heavily on the efforts of students already enrolled in the College.

After the prestigious name, one of Harvard's biggest selling points is its diverse and talented student body. Keeping undergraduates intimately involved in the admissions process is the natural way to showcase the College's best asset.

"There is no question in my mind that undergraduates make the best and most credible ambassadors of the institution," Banks says.