<p>Hello, I’m currently a junior and I have been contacted by a few D3 schools that all have pretty high interest in me. My times would compete at around the D3 nationals level. I was wondering if talented athletes (I don’t mean to sound cocky, sorry if it’s giving the wrong vibe) as long as they have pretty good grades and scores are given some sort of advantage for admission at either Williams or Amherst. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>they can … search for NESCAC recruiting (both on CC and on the internet) … NESCAC (the conference in which Amherst and Williams compete) recruit a lot of athletes each year … at the D3 level much recruiting is initiated by athletes … I’d suggest contacting the coaches and see how things progress (most schools/teams have contact links on their web-pages).</p>
<p>I’m a senior in hs right now and am being recruited for cross country/track. While I haven’t gained admission, my impression is that athletes are given a significant advantage in admissions. Obviously it’s not the same as a D1 school. However, if you have the grades and test scores that are within range for Amherst acceptances, you could pretty much guarantee yourself admission. </p>
<p>This is slightly unrelated but I got a very interesting perspective from the Amherst cross country coach. He said that the difference between 50 points on the SAT has made the difference between an athlete getting into the school and being rejected. He talked about one girl who he recruited, received a 1990 on the SAT. She applied early decision and deferred her, telling the coach that if she got 2050 or higher that they would admit her. She retook the SAT and got 2100 something and got in.</p>
<p>I’m a junior and I’m planning on applying to Amherst ED next school year. So if I have a 2200+ SAT score, 4.0 unweighted/#1 rank, and times faster than all the girls currently on their 2011 roster for track, it could be a strong factor in admissions? I haven’t talked to the coach yet, but I’m waiting until a little longer into my track season so I can put out recent times. Do they put a lot of weight on stuff like volunteer hours even if you’re an athlete?</p>
<p>It sounds like you are in very good shape. As far as extracurriculars go, while I’m sure that will help you in the admissions office, my daughter never had one coach ask about her activities outside her sport.</p>
<p>Phew, thank you for your response! That’s a relief. I’ve heard stories of a few colleges asking about other extracurriculars and leadership roles and such… Although I do have other extracurriculars (very strong background in music; I even teach kids), I have very little volunteer hours. Track takes up a lot of time, especially since I compete in 3 seasons (indoor, high school, outdoor) and train year round…</p>
<p>My daughter is in the exact same situation. The only thing it may affect is scholarship consideration. We have observed that some schools that offer large merit scholarships seem to want you to have a major community service component–being a top scholar athlete isn’t enough.</p>
<p>Amherst only gives need-based aid, so volunteer hours (or lack thereof) won’t hurt your FA package there. Best of luck.</p>