<p>Hi, I'm a parent whose child is very interested in Yale. As an athlete, there is concern that compteting at the DI level will not allow for exploration of all the college has to offer outside of athletics. Can anyone speak to the time commitments of an Ivy athlete and whether they really have time to explore clubs, study abroad programs, etc.? Specifically at Yale?</p>
<p>Sometimes, ECs win out over athletics: <a href=“Brandon Sherrod leaves Yale Bulldogs for Whiffenpoofs glee club - ESPN”>http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10926337/brandon-sherrod-leaves-yale-bulldogs-whiffenpoofs-glee-club</a></p>
<p>ETA: Note how supportive the coach was (and rightfully so).</p>
<p>Time commitment may be 3-4 hrs/day 6 days a week and many full weekends. A lot may depend on how competitive the team and the coach are. You will have to figure this one out and ask direct questions (if you do not dare to ask the coach then ask current team members during visits). Some Ivy coaches explicitly stated during our recruiting process that you would have a chance to study abroad and do other ECs but these were exceptions. The bigger issue - the practices will interfere with classes and you kid’s class choices may be limited. Pre-meds labs are usually accommodated but some other class choices may create tensions. If regular study abroad is not feasible the summer abroad programs are always an option and are covered by finaid (once).</p>
<p>If your kid becomes varsity athlete at Yale his college experience will be different. It will not be necessary worse but different. There are some real rewards and some drawbacks. Here are some rewards - instant group of close friends, from freshmen to seniors who will always be there to offer advice and support, there will be a daily structure from day one, dedicated athletic alumni network in additions to all other networks, your kid will become a part of long tradition of Yale athletics (something that existed 100+ years ago and will hopefully exist many more years) and Ivy athletics in general. The teams do some ECs together too, visit interesting places together including even travel abroad, meet interesting people - it is not only about sports. There will be social opportunities not available to non-athletes. Some employers value Ivy athletes so there may be advantages during job placements. On a more trivial note - athletic gear will be washed for free and there will be access to clean bathrooms and showers daily - do not underestimate these items:) although comparing to regular strong D1 programs Yale offers nothing special to its athletes. Some athletic faculties are top notch and some are so-so. Note that if local facilities are very good there may be more home competitions and less travel so more time to study/ECs. Check the schedules for the last few years. Respect for athletes? - not so sure although it seems their President is trying to change current anti-athletic vibe.</p>
<p>The most important - if your kid likes to compete - Yale will give him an opportunity to continue his athletic career for another 4 years at a relatively high level while getting a great education. You may also look at Brown that is similar to Yale and it seems they take their athletics less seriously. If you are looking at D3 programs as an alternative - athletically they are nowhere near Yale but study abroad/ECs will probably be guaranteed. </p>
<p>If you are an athlete at Yale, your sport is your main EC. Simple as that. It’s a big time commitment but many non-athlete Yalies will spend as much time a week on their slate of ECs especially once they pick up leadership roles. Everyone takes ECs really seriously here and athletes are of course no exception. Your student will be able to lead a full, fulfilling college lifestyle but it will not be easy, especially if he/she is interested in med school as many entering freshmen are. But then, if Yale were easy, would it really be Yale?</p>
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<p>Yes, please do look at Brown. In the 2013-14 academic year Brown beat Yale in men’s soccer, and split in hockey, basketball and baseball!</p>
<p>(OT loss in lacrosse and downed by a TD in football) </p>
<p>Sorry to hurt your feelings:) You could also add some other sports like women soccer and fencing. As I said before it may depend on the specific sport program. I just expressed my opinion based on my observations during the recruiting process.
Chance to do other ECs will be greatly influenced by the major, level of academic talent and if athlete actually wants to start on the team or sit on the bench.</p>
<p>If your observations during your (or your kid’s/friend’s) recruiting process were that Brown takes athletics less seriously than Yale or any other Ivy, I think your observations are wrong. </p>
<p>Maybe your observation about Brown’s seriousness in athletics was a reflection of their level of interest in the recruit.</p>
<p>That sounds a little harsh, I know, but I have seen that relationship between the school’s level of interest and the recruit’s corresponding impression of the school on several occasions.</p>
As a conference, Ivy does have regulations in place to limit time spent on your sport. The information you need has to come from the coach and current players. If your son has a legitimate offer from Yale for a sport then you should be able to ask these questions and get truthful answers.
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