<p>Have you looked at Stanford(or Duke)? They will be able to offer athletic scholarships in addition to top academics, and their football teams should give you better odds of making the NFL.</p>
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But if that’s the case you are probably the one of the best kids in the 3rd tier and shouldn’t have much of a problem getting in. Or am I missing something?</p>
<p>Chocklit Rain: Duke will be more flexible with the low math grades, etc. than Stanford would be - Stanford seems pretty stringent. Duke definitely offers academic support to its athletic recruits - I imagine Stanford would do the same, but don’t know as much about Stanford’s approach to that. Either way, you would get a great degree from either place!! </p>
<p>blinkdog: I know a couple of current students at Penn who are athletic recruits (NOT football) - one is a sophomore, and one a freshman. They are fine - studying just like everyone else there - and they also know 100% that they would not be there now if they had not been recruited - as in, their scores and academics would not have gotten them through admissions on their own. The freshman’s coach announced to the newly recruited class this past autumn that he wanted them to always remember that if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be there - told them to remember they couldn’t have gotten in on their own. The team did find the humor, and the truth, in it! I think he was just trying to remind them all of the loyalty they owed to that coach (knowing they could quit the team anytime, no obligation now that were “in”, etc. )</p>
<p>Truly, the hardest part is getting in - the college will do everything it can to help you succeed in the classroom. SO much depends on it - your education and your ability to play for the football team. Plus, it isn’t good for anyone when someone fails out - reflects badly on every single person involved.</p>
<p>Again, though, I really do recommend just worrying/focusing on one thing at at time…everything works itself out, and you cannot project the future (i.e. graduate school). Your talent, and your goals, are great - just get into the VERY BEST school you can - you will have that FOREVER!! If the NFL comes calling, that is awesome - either way, graduate school is a great goal too, and you will be offering any graduate school more than just your undergraduate GPA, so don’t focus on that alone - they (graduate schools) see the “big picture” too, and your life experience is part of that application process too… Just think about the best you can do for yourself in the next 4 years - then deal with what comes next, or what you want at that point of your life.</p>
<p>Also, you are very fortunate to be so eloquent, and yes, you should see about the coach getting you an interview, or at least a casual conversation with someone in admissions when you are on campus - certainly couldn’t hurt, and I imagine you would be a great interviewee.</p>
<p>Have I graduated? I’m sorry, perhaps your inquiry is serious, but I wouldn’t be inquiring about attending an Ivy League school if I had not graduated high school.</p>
<p>If there is any confusion, I graduated in 2009 and attending West Point’s preparatory school primarily as a practical preliminary year for West Point but also to acquire additional football recruiting attention. So far pursuit of the latter has been more successful thank pursuit of the former.</p>
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Why not? Most of the people applying to Ivy League schools have NOT graduated from high school. They are applying during their senior year. </p>
<p>If you are in the West Point prep program, doesn’t that indicate an inability to gain entrance to West Point as a freshman due to academic considerations?</p>
<p>Aglages is clearly correct - the great majority of recruiting activity happens in junior and senior years of high school. </p>
<p>Is the West Point prep program not just a pre-West Point program? Could it also be considered a PG year?</p>
<p>Well, I am not being recruited for football by Duke and Stanford. Being more major D-I programs, I’m sure their overall academic standards may not be quite as tough as Penn’s…they’re great schools, but they are not Ivy Leagues. They have pretty damn good football teams as well and to make pretty damn good football teams you oftentimes have to recruit athletes who are mediocre in the classroom (or perhaps even less than such).</p>
<p>Mayhew, your insight has been great thus far. I am simply afraid as to how much work ethic it requires. It is not to say that I do not have the capacity to devote myself to my studies, but I know that I am not as diligent and dedicated a student as I should be. Perhaps I will need to resolve that with myself before deciding on Penn (if I even get in) because the last thing I would want is to enter a school like that and find myself up the creek without a paddle (if you’ll pardon the cliche).</p>
<p>I think it’s very true…what school one attends means a lot to one’s future. I already have West Point as an option. That school has a great name. But West Point is great at making officers/soldiers more than anything else. I do not want to be a career soldier. I already resolved with myself that I would serve my committment and then leave the service after five years (the minimum). IF I were to proceed on with West Point.</p>
<p>I know Penn is equally prestigious and I think Penn would be more up my alley. It seems more universally-geared. Penn has produced so many politicians—I was astounded at how many members of Congress, how many governors, and how many other individiuals involved in government, both past and present, graduated from UPenn. That’s astounding. Especially since I’m inclined towards subjects such as law and philosophy, the fact that so many individuals influential in areas requiring the practical application of these doctrines and subjects graduated from UPenn testifies greatly to the value of a UPenn education.</p>
<p>There is still so much to reflect upon. Still, I have to see where the coaches are going to go. They have called a few times tonight but I was unable to return their calls.</p>
<p>Most importantly, if I do get in it will be my moral and personal obligation to prove that I am worthy of that admissions spot that was denied to someone else who probably had a better GPA, or SAT, or was valedictorian or had whatever ostentatious merits that I lack. It will be my duty to demonstrate what unique values I have to contribute to both the institution and the members of that institution and furthermore how I can apply my natural aptitudes and abilities to the world once I graduate.</p>
<p>Well, I thought I stated from the get-go that I had *graduated * high school. Perhaps I am wrong, I did not skim back through my previous post to ensure this. I hope I clarified everything well enough.</p>
<p>Well, it could be interpreted as such. As I said, I have a weak math SAT score and it was suggested by West Point (a school that is very rigorious in the maths and sciences that I attend their preparatory school. It was not mandatory, however. I believe it was a judicious suggestion on their part—and equally judicious that I heeded their counsel. </p>
<p>A PG year is exactly what it is.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the advice so far everyone.</p>
<p>Blinkdog - you also might want to post on the Athletic Recruit Forum located in the College Admissions forum. There are some people there who are knowledgeable about football recruiting.</p>
<p>Wondering how this turned out…</p>
<p>Being a recruited football player myself I dont understand you very much blinkdog. Even as a 3rd tier recruit if your top 30 in scout for your position, atleast one Ivy would take you. And as a top 30 player in your position that makes you automatically atleast a 3 star recruit…theres no way Duke wouldn’t offer you if you had talked to them. And I have trouble thinking Stanford wouldnt have also if you sent them some tape.</p>
<p>The only way this makes any sense as to why you cant just go to Duke or Stanford and get both a good education and NFL chances is if your like a kicker or something. Then I understand.</p>
<p>Yeah I’m curious about this too. It seems like the OP would’ve gotten looks from Stanford, Northwestern, and Duke - all these three schools are of the same academic caliber as Penn, and the football programs are a lot more competitive.</p>
<p>Also, I’m surprised no one noted this, but Penn has a really good academic tutoring program for athletes. Tutors, who are either professionals or very bright undergrads/grad students help the athletes with their courses, balancing their academic and athletic demands, and the like. They even hold study halls so that the athletes can get their work done in an organized way. Here’s the link:</p>
<p>[Tutoring</a> Center](<a href=“Tutoring – Weingarten Center”>Tutoring – Weingarten Center)</p>