The phrase "admirable exception" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a person or thing that stands out positively in a particular context, often in contrast to others that may not meet the same standard.
Example: "While many of the candidates were underwhelming, she was an admirable exception, showcasing exceptional skills and experience."
Alternatives: "notable exception" or "commendable exception".
With admirable exceptions (here's one interesting recent initiative) there is a big void here to fill.
(Two admirable exceptions: Mark Maxwell's delightful "Nixoncarver," a story of our 37th president as though written by the short-story master; and Philip Roth's parody "Our Gang").
Now that these professions are much more open to women, we have come to accept that pre-college teachers will, on the whole (and with admirable exceptions), be our less successful students.
We are obviously aware of the shortcomings of the Second Polish Republic (in the 20s and 30s) in the sphere of political freedoms, but it is worth noting, perhaps, that they were prevalent in many other European states at the time, with only a few admirable exceptions (Britain being one of them).
Genyk has done an admirable job (with the exception of a 1-11 season in 2006) but he needs to take the Eagles a step forward in 2008.
Though the cast, with one exception, was admirable and the overall performance was effective, the performance lacked the intensity and focus that made the restaged production so special two years ago.
While her accomplishments are admirable, she still represents the female exception and not the norm in the American workplace.
The purpose of the second home may be admirable, but colleges do not make exceptions in such circumstances, since the second home could just as easily be sold for the owner's benefit.
No exception should be made, however admirable the offender, said Phil Kent, a spokesman for Americans for Immigration Control, a national group opposed to illegal immigration.
The exception was R.E.M., viewed to have bridged the admirable values of both decades and slowly built broad-based success on the band's own special terms.
