the easiest way for athletes to resolve this issue maybe just to take the ACT/SAT until they reach the school’s benchmark level, whether that’s 1500+ or 35+… that will make it easier for the coach to coordinate that with the AO/admissions office by removing another potential hurdle
Yes, a strong test score is often an advantage in recruiting, but the ‘benchmarks’ for student-athletes vary across the institutions you are targeting. As someone said above, or maybe on your other thread…there is (generally) much more academic flexibility for recruited athletes at Ivies than at the NESCACs (to stick with the example that poster used).
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no doubt there are school to school, and conference to conference differences, but moving hurdles out of the way such as by achieving a high SAT score is always handy, and certainly can’t hurt. of course, there is not one issue that revolves everything… short of donating 25 million
I am not sure why you are explaining recruiting to the board when you haven’t gone through the full recruiting experience. You do know a lot, for sure, but maybe could learn a bit more about nuance and context.
At the risk of speaking for others, we on the board want to help every prospective recruit navigate the minefield of athletic recruiting so that misconceptions etc don’t end up torpedoeing (to continue the war metaphor!) a candidate’s chances.
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Sure, getting a good test score doesn’t hurt. But if I had to choose between getting faster and raising a 33 ACT to 36, I’d choose getting faster every time.
I second what others have mentioned: coaches care not only about getting recruits in, but that they can do the work as well. It does a coach no good to get a good recruit who can’t make it academically, or who struggles so much on the academic side that it affects athletic performance/availability.
One thing I’d think about also, since you seem a bit focused on school rankings and the like: it’s not necessarily a great experience as a student-athlete to just barely be good enough to get a slot at, say, Yale. It could be an athletic struggle to ever get a chance to compete at all, let alone at conference meets. In my experience, much better to focus on a good athletic fit as well as academic/social/financial fit.
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Thanks your point is absolutely right, and the combination of coach feedback and swim rosters times (in her case) give a pretty good idea of her ability to represent the school team in competition.
Test scores: in this case, getting a better test score (from 14** to 15**) and swimming faster aren’t mutually exclusive, so aiming for both is a respectable objective, especially with superstores. in fact it could be necessary in the case of John Hopkins.
Academic & Overall Fit: excluding the most demanding schools (MIT, Caltech) and girls schools (Wellesley, Bryn Mawr. etc) was done early on. D24 is comfortable she’ll be able to study and learn at the remaining schools, though it includes schools that are traditionally more demanding (Chicago, Cornell, Berkeley etc)
Apart from Caltech and MIT (maybe Chicago), academic pressure is driven more by major than school. Plenty of easy classes and majors to hide in at UC Berkeley while a Stanford athlete who wants to graduate with an engineering degree will have his/her work cut out for them.
Academic and athletic fit are both important as each will affect the other. It becomes then a matter of priority which will be different for each athlete. At some point, an athlete will have to face choices in prioritization. In our experience, the major advantage of a D3 program is that it is easier to prioritize academic interests. The seasons are shorter, the demand on time throughout the year is less and coaches are more forgiving on practices conflicting with labs/exams. Also, as an athlete, would you rather be part of competitive “big time” team where you might be on the bench with limited playing time or an immediate starter? For some athletes, being “part of something” is enough, others it becomes a frustration.
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Thanks for your detailed response. D24 isn’t familiar with the different time requirements and demands between D1 & D3 swim seasons: she will do some follow-on checks with her former teammates who swim at Top Ivy & D3 schools to get a better understanding. Additional color from anyone experienced with this would be appreciated.
D24 is a keen and dedicated student, and a steadfast competitor, whether swimming a relay with Olympians, or anchoring a weaker team. However, your point about time demand difference is a critical one.
Having attended both Cornell & Stanford difficult majors, I well understand your point about the difference in academic pressure, and it’s definitely a factor for D24, though her target studies in environmental studies maybe ruled as comparatively less hardcore than physics.
This question may already have been asked. given that most schools are Test Optional, are athletes also subject to the same rules, or do coaches at specific schools require athletic applicants to submit their SAT/ACT scores as part of the early evaluation, or later to qualify through pre-reads.
SAT/ACT seem to be mandatory at MIT/John Hopkins, but would appreciate if there is any further clarifications for Ivy/ selective LACs/Carnegie Mellon/Chicago.
am enquiring because D24 Seats sub-1500. feedback much appreciated.
Coaches have significant leeway at many schools. Yes, some require test scores to even consider the candidate, even though the college is TO. This stance may also be influenced by admissions, but I haven’t seen that as much as I have seen coaches requiring test scores of their own accord (and sometimes I don’t have the full set of facts).
If a student sends in a test score for the pre-read, the AO will generally tell the coach whether or not the student should apply with or without the score assuming the AO green lights the student (and the coach ultimately make that athlete an offer).
My dd submitted her test scores directly to the coach when she was in the early stages of recruitment. She also updated the coach with subsequent test scores. When asked for the preread info, coach decided to submit info to the admissions liaison as TO. Since dd had a positive preread as TO, her future coach told her not to submit scores when she sent in her app even though she retook and ACT and was in 50% at the school for scores. She was told that since she passed the preread TO, she should stick to that for admissions.
This could be different at another school, however.
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All coaches wanted my sons SAT that he took after sophomore year, even though all schools were test optional. Then, that same score – which was not great – was submitted for all 5 prereads he had (including at the most selective LACs). He passed all the prereads with that score. When he accepted an offer and applied ED to the school, however, he did not submit the score, even though the Admissions Office had already seen it during the preread.
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If I remember correctly she is somewhere in the 1400s range? That is a score she can/should comfortably share with the coaches.
Ivies will not bat an eye at that if she has the times they want. Top D3s might say she should try and improve that score, but IMO that is because it is still early and an improved score might allow them to offer a tip and save a slot for someone else.
Bottom line is that score won’t disqualify her anywhere (other than the very few mentioned - but leave it for the coach to determine that), but given it is still only wither of Jr year, I would give it one more try.
University of Chicago has been test optional for a long time. Similar high level lac’s have as well. All info available on schools admissions sites.
A coach asking for scores has nothing to do with a school being test optional. Coach will ask for scores and then tell you how to apply.
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Thanks for clarifying, the general sense seems to be clarifying the situation with the coaches first and foremost, to address whether the SAT scores should be submitted as part of the pre-read, or be omitted altogether as part of TO. in any case, D24 will take the SAT again to target 1500 to be in the same zone.
Now it comes down to email/interaction with coaches to ensure D24 builds a solid communication channel.
My daughter just finished the recruiting process this fall and did multiple pre reads throughout the spring and summer, including schools that offered LL. all requested all test scores for the pre read and then the results clarified if she should submit the scores with her application, if it was recommended she retest, or what target score she needed to have in order to submit with scores.
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First congrats!!! Thanks for clarifying, two questions follow:
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would you have the sport and indicative schools/scores as a reference?
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were there scores above the actual school 25% or 75%, and were the coaches explicit about the reason they would request a higher score , maybe relative to her athletic performance?
Soccer - two nescac schools, two UAA schools, 3 NEWMAC schools, Grinnell, Kenyon, macalester and then two lower ranked D1s.
No explanation just a list of documents needed for pre reads. One school stated she would not be advised to include her test score in the formal application. All others green lit her with scores. Scores were in the middle 50 to 75 range for all. GPA and rigor were high or match for all
Soccer and she was a highly recruited athlete for these schools - in their final group of 5ish and only in her position at that point of the process for most, some she was one of two GKs they were doing pre reads with.
Even with above 50th percentile score?
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My DD’s test score hit the middle 50% at a NESCAC school and she was advised not to submit as she passed the preread without a test score.
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