<p>Hey guys I've been on CC for a little while now and I greatly appreciate all the info I've acquired. I am a rising senior and I am a soccer recruit. I've been talking to several NESCAC coaches and a few are very interested and want me to apply ED. I'm very interested in an Ivy and recently attended a camp at one and I performed well. I've been communicating with the coach since and I recently asked him where I stood on his recruiting lists. He replied with the following about a week ago: </p>
<p>"Hi - Thanks for your e-mail. To give you an idea, we are still in the process of evaluating players from around the country, and we want to see all players who eventually become our recruited athletes. We are hoping to finish our recruiting for the 2013 class by the end of the summer. If you have other options that need immediate answers, please make the best decision for yourself as we are currently not in a position to offer you an admissions spot."</p>
<p>I was slightly confused by this message because I am not sure whether this is a polite way of saying no, yes, or not yet because I know their recruiting is coming to an end. Thanks, any feedback is appreciated.</p>
<p>That was actually a very clear message - the recruiting process would be a whole lot easier if everyone was that straightforward. He won’t be able to tell you anything until the end of the summer and if another school is pushing you for an early commitment, don’t turn it down because you’re counting on the nod from the Ivy school.</p>
<p>Stay in contact with the Ivy coach (and the NESCAC coaches) and hopefully you won’t be pressed for a commitment before the end of summer.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot varska… some of the NESCAC coaches know that the Ivy is my first choice and still seem to be supportive of me I guess in case that doesn’t fall through, so that’s a plus I guess</p>
<p>PCHope yeah that’s kind of how I felt when I first read the message because if he truly wanted to recruit me he would push for me to apply early, or let me know how a pre-read went like other coaches have done, or something else to give me a positive vibe</p>
<p>I agree with varska, and your assessment. This is one of the clearest and concise emails I’ve seen from a coach. If you were high on their list, they would have started the pre-read process, scheduled an OV, or tried to keep you a little closer to the program.</p>
<p>I’d stay in contact with this Ivy coach and possibly consider pursuing other Ivys/NESCACs as you know you are “fishing in the right pond”. My thought is that if they are going to consider looking at other soccer players, you should consider other Ivys/NESCACs as well. Now is the time to do it.</p>
<p>Reading between the lines, I think they probably have some large national showcases or tournaments coming up. They want to see some players there, and then make some recruiting decisions. Hopefully the coach suggested you contact him at the end of the summer to continue the dialogue. What his definition of the end of the summer is, I’m not sure (see below). </p>
<p>FWIW…I’m not sure if you are male of female. I know the womens soccer team at my son’s Ivy is about to start captains practices in early/mid August. My son’s girlfriend is the team manager. The official practices with coaches will most likely start the first week of classes in September at his school. Once official practices start it is very difficult to get on the road to recruit. So depending on which Ivy school it is and their specific semester schedule, the end of the summer could be mid-August or it could be mid-September. </p>
<p>I don’t want to be a downer but I interpret that message as the coach is not particularly interested and is being polite about it. It gives me the impression that the coach is luke warm toward you at best. I definitely think it is in your best interest to look elsewhere. There is a lot of benefit to you to be a “wanted” player by other schools. I also think you would be much happier where you are really wanted then where you are taken on late or because the coach did not get who they really wanted. Best of luck to you…</p>
<p>My daughter had precisely that reponnse from a NESCAC and coach at Swarthmore - they also added when she met with them that while they liked her play, she contacted them a bit late and they have a number of girls ahead of her they’ve been working with for a while. That coach may want you IF the players at the “top recruit” on his list choose somewhere else, but is ethical enough to let you know you shouldn’t pass up a bird in the hand for his program.</p>