Are there certain athletic hooks that exist at prep/private schools especially ISL schools? My son is applying to a few ISL schools both day and boarding as a ninth grader, he is an all A student in a great school community, his overall SSAT is 70% and we need FA. He plays baseball for a select team and it seems as though one school is paying particular attention to him as he plays a unique position and just happens their senior that plays the same position is graduating. Any thoughts are appreciated.
The schools in the ISL league do not recruit athletes for the sole purpose of playing a particular sport and neither do most boarding schools for that matter. It is clearly stated in the ISL by-laws and any infractions can be seriously embarrassing, including job loss. I know there will be many here that will be adamant that their kid got in on based on their athletic ability. Yes, that may be the position the school was looking for but first does the kid “fit”, will he or she be able to handle the academics, grow and give back to the school? I think you’ll find many athletic, smart, engaging, articulate, witty, outgoing boys and girls at all these boarding schools. Remember, they’re building a new class each year and if it’s the underwater tuba player they’re looking and he’s “nice”, than all the better, no guarantee but good.
Would only respond that 70th percentile is adequate for even the most competitive boarding schools. Maybe not top of the heap, obviously, but it shows your child qualifies academically, even if some hard work may be necessary. And yes, sports skills are definitely a part of “fit”.
IMO most often athletic hooks are excellent tie breakers. Many schools get more than enough qualified applicants so how do them pick from academically near equals? My oldest is a senior and played varsity soccer his entire career. There were some very good soccer players on his team over the years going on to play D1 etc. I asked him if he thought anyone ever got in just because of soccer ability, he said no everyone was smart enough to be there. There are exceptions though - there was a bit of a scandal a few years ago at Lawrence Academy. The head of school was forced out and as was a coach.
Thanks for the replies appreciate the input. Hey it all gets sorted out March 10.
Not sure about the ISL, but in TSAO athletic hooks do exist. Take a look at this article published in Choate.
http://thenews.choate.edu/article/recruiting-beyond-rosters-yield-field
There are definitely students that get into ISL schools because of their athletic prowess that fall on the lower range of the accepted students in terms of academics. However, they are capable of doing the work although they aren’t going to be in the top half of their class academically. The schools will only accept those students that they feel can survive academically. They will only go so low when looking at grades and test scores. They don’t want to see any student flunk out, although it does happen, but often it is not the student with the athletic hook. Many of these athletes go on to fare very well in the college process as recruited athletes, often outperforming their BS classmates with higher gpas and test scores. Being an A student with SSATs in the 70s, your son will likely be capable of surviving academically at boarding school. So, yes, athletic hooks do exist, even at ISL schools.
Thank you for the link sgopal2 and thank you doschicos for your opinion.
Athletes with smarts are a dime a dozen when it comes to boarding schools. Every school will tell you that in the end, it’s not the ball or the stick in the hand that counts but what’s between the ears. Being an athlete is not a hook, maybe a barb but not a hook when it comes to boarding school. The Choate article makes it quite clear “it also factors in the considerations of the whole school” ie. fit, as the coaches “actively bring the Admissions Department the test scores and grades”. Don’t believe me, ask Salisbury and the nightmare they went through several years ago.
While I’m pontificating on my soap box, I’ll also emphatically state that musicians/artists with smarts are also a dime a dozen at boarding schools. They’re looking for well rounded “nice” kids and if they can throw a ball or play the flute, then all the better.
Andover recruits as well. Read this article in the Phillipian
The choice to pursue older, developed players or younger players with potential is difficult and risky, but Coach Scott’s decision to take young players with strong academic backgrounds has worked well for the Boys Soccer Team
“If we’re going to take a chance on a student, let’s take a chance on a ninth grader who we’ll have four years with and really have the opportunity to give them a good education rather than take a chance on a PG who is iffy academically,” said Scott.
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Similar to Choate, after the coach brings “grades” to the door of admission teams, it stops there. The article focuses a lot on the JV to Varsity aspect. Andover is like a miniature university and not everyone gets on JV and then it’s harder to make Varsity, especially at an exemplary school such as Andover. The coach wants to give those kids who have gone up through the ranks a chance to make Varsity come their senior year. Andover nor Choate admit kids unless they can cut the mustard and all those kids I’ve met from both Choate and Andover and those alumni that I’ve grown up with most certainly can or did.
I’m confident, that if you ask either school to go on the record and ask if they recruit (like Michigan), I’ll bet my bottom dollar the answer will be “well no, not exactly”. Character and academics comes first.
Or
If I had a kid who can kick the ball through the uprights at 60 yards, I doubt the school will say he’s in. Be nice but they’re going to want to make sure he can add and subtract first and that he’s a good kid.
Ok, I’m done, this comes up every year on CC.
Coach Scott is the entire reason I said I thought athletics are a great tie breaker. My son is a current Andover senior and played for Coach Scott. He was wait-listed as an incoming freshmen. The next year he was admitted. The changes from on year to next - increase in Math SSAT, slight decrease in English SSAT (overall +3 percentile increase so not a big swing), added some community service and lots of interaction with Coach Scott. IMO opinion Coach Scott had the most impact.
I can tell you that a kid who is a good football or lacrosse player from my kid’s school has a wide range of high school choices that do not require an A average…this includes Deefield etc. However its a strong school so I suppose the argument is that B student who has survived K-8 is probably capable of handling the work at any of the schools mentioned here even if they don’t end up in the top of the class. So it opens doors at schools which would otherwise require a higher GPA, but they are not getting heavily “recruited” so to speak the results just end up a little easier
Here’s an interesting thread if your son or daughter is an elite athlete or on that path : http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1564851-choosing-a-bs-because-of-a-sport-%C2%97-pro-con.html