<p>I was told by the coach that I would have his "backing throughout the admissions process." What exactly does that mean? And does this significantly change the dynamics of the application process assuming other things are on par?</p>
<p>Yes, of course, it can significantly change the dynamics of the application process.</p>
<p>But what the coach told you could mean anything from "You'll be one of 30 kids on a list I give Admissions, and they've promised me they'll try to accept 5 or 6 of them" to "I'll tell Admissions that I want you (but not as much as I want four other kids)" to "If you are within range on your grades and SATs you will be accepted."</p>
<p>It can vary by coach, by sport, by college, by kid. There are lots and lots of threads on this topic on the Parents Forum. If you are really in this position, you should read some of them, and maybe PM the parents of other Yale or Ivy athletes, especially in your sport.</p>
<p>You should be aware that many Ivy League colleges will give a "likely letter" to a recruited athlete, which essentially is a commitment to admit you if you don't screw up. The point is to induce you not to do something stupid like sign a NLI with some other DI school, or apply ED elsewhere, things you might well be tempted to do if you were uncertain of your status at Yale. If the coach isn't offering you a likely letter, it may mean that they won't do that in your sport, or it may mean that you don't have THAT much backing from the coach. Or it may mean simply that you haven't asked for it yet.</p>
<p>The only way to find out is (a) to educate yourself about the standards in your sport, and about the track record of the coach, and then (b) ask the coach directly what he means, and listen very, very carefully to the answer. If you don't understand what he's saying, ask follow-up questions.</p>
<p>Remember, the coach has a bunch of interests that don't necessarily correspond to your interests. The coach would like as many qualified athletes as possible to get admitted, as insurance in case some of them flake out. The coach almost certainly has a limited amount of juice he can apply to get people in, unless it's a marginal sport, but just as certainly he doesn't have enough juice to get everyone he wants in. If you are a really good student, he may not want to waste a lot of juice on you, since he thinks you may be likely to get in without it (or without much of it). And the coach may be right in that assessment, or he may be wrong. Or he may be right that Admissions will give him two kids from a list of seven or eight, in addition to the kids he forced down Admissions' throat.</p>
<p>But it's not all that glum, because most coaches don't want to get the reputation of being liars, either. So if you ask specific questions, you ought to get honest answers. (If you can't get a straight answer, you may want to re-think your relationship with this coach.)</p>
<p>Wow, great post... very informative. That should be sticky-ed somewhere.</p>
<p>DarkStar, please PM me with specifics, if you like. My D is a freshman athlete at Yale, having gone through Ivy recruitment last year. JHS is exactly right. If you want specifics about Yale, lets talk. Bottom line, you should be being offered or asking for a likely letter NOW so you can apply EASC if this is your first choice. If its not, then there are other things you need to be doing. If H is your first choice, I can't help you. Kidding.</p>
<p>Check this thread for a little more discussion on this topic:</p>
<p>hey, i applied as an athletic recruit for a likely letter!! i was told that if you are offered one then you are a "recruit with distinction". do u know how long it takes admissions to process your application if you are applying for a likely letter?</p>
<p>Hi gym, I pmed you (twice :))</p>
<p>I agree with JHS's post and my guess is that the recruit would be somewhere low/mid on this coach's list (sorry). If the recruit were higher, I expect the coach would be saying something stronger than just offering "backing throughout the admissions process." Of course, some coaches will over promise and some under so I agree with speaking with the coach and trying to pin him/her down. Of course that may be hard since the recruit's position will change over time as other recruits may add to or drop off a coach's list. A question such as how many recruiting slots do you have and are you able to offer me one of those slots might help. Of course we could also discuss whether the athlete or a parent should be having these conversations. </p>
<p>Gym, I also agree likely letters are a special thing, but it's not something you apply for. If the coach says pretty definitively you are a supported recruit, the next step would be to ask whether a likely letter would be a possibility. As a part of this, likelies are only offered to athletes that commit to a school, the coaches don't want to waste one. It might be typical for a coach to recruit 4-5 athletes but have just a couple likely letters. The coach would forward the completed application to admissions sometime early Oct and a likely letter would be sent out 2-3 weeks later. The athlete agrees to apply early and receives the official acceptance in Dec. It seems some sports happen earlier, some later. If you don't get a likely, you can still have verbal support and apply EA and wait with your fingers crossed until Dec. I believe admissions may still give a pre-read to the coach even without a likely.</p>
<p>sorry all, been a little to occupied with business to keep up with athletic posts. most information here on the money. I know riverrunner's d went through same process my d went through for this year. D's Yale coaches wanted all committed recruits to have application in by September 1. All (5) were to be reviewed for likely letters. My d got hers first week in October as did others. Now coaches will encourage other, non supported individuals to apply but do not have ability ( my understanding) to help in admissions. If someone happens to be really good at another sport, will encourage the applicant to talk to that sport's coaches to see if they might use one of their slots. But big difference between coach saying I will use one of my picks to support you and simple encouragement to apply and come out for team if admitted.</p>
<p>Has anyone heard of a coach providing a tip or bump to an application without a full recruiting slot. Second child is a great student and would be in the pool based on academics alone and could likely play in their sport, but wouldn't be strong enough for a slot as a recruited athlete. I've heard that sometimes a coach will provide a small level of support without using up a "slot", for a kid that wouldn't be a leader but could benefit the program. A small tip might be enough to raise a kid above the masses. Any experience on this from anyone else?</p>
<p>how do you tell the coaches you are interested in playing for them???</p>
<p>joyo, what's your sport?</p>
<p>basketball</p>
<p>You can contact the Yale coach directly with a resume including athletics and academics on ONE page, or fill out their form. </p>