<p>Hey everyone,
I'm a 17 year old male from New York City whose first three words were Mama, Dada, and Princeton! lol just kidding...but seriously I've always set my sights on Princeton and I was enraptured the second I stepped on the campus for my first visit. One thing I have always wanted was to play soccer for Princeton and I have heard some things about "likely" letters which are communications made to an applicant prior to the official notification date with the help of a coach. If anyone has information on the particulars of the process by which I could receive one I would deeply and sincerely appreciate the help!! Please PM me with any advice!</p>
<p>This topic is discussed in detail here:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/546050-parent-recruited-athlete-needs-advice.html%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/546050-parent-recruited-athlete-needs-advice.html</a></p>
<p>dvictorio-
You need to start by contacting the Princeton soccer coach, telling him of your interest in Princeton and your desire to play soccer there. You can find his email address on the Princeton athletics website, GoPrincetonTigers.comThe</a> Official Web Site of Princeton University Athletics.
You should take time to compose a well-written letter presenting your case as clearly and succinctly as you can. The coach will want to know your academic qualifications, so include test scores, a list of courses you've taken with your grades, and any academic awards you've received. Of course, you also should list special accomplishments and achievements in soccer. You also should fill out the Princeton Prospective Student-Athlete Questionnaire, which you can find on the goprincetontigers.com website under “Men’s Soccer – Recruiting”.
If the coach thinks you might help the team, they will send you a letter asking for more information. (Don’t expect an immediate phone call – they get a lot of inquiries, and there are NCAA rules limiting what they can do.) If you do hear from them, they may ask for video showing you playing, so they can assess your talent level and readiness for college competition.
Some people seem to think that athletics is “the easy way in” to Ivy schools, but the truth is that the athletic bar is pretty high. There were only six soccer recruits in the Princeton Class of 2012, including some of the top high school and club soccer players in the country. You’ll probably need All-State-level honors or national ranking in the top 500 or so, in order to attract interest.
Since you live nearby, you might consider making an unofficial visit to the University and, if possible, meeting with the coach or assistant coach in person to introduce yourself. This is a way for you to show your interest, and to give them a chance to get to know more about you. If your academic and soccer accomplishments are in-line with their requirements, this should be pretty easy to arrange. [Princeton is not allowed to pay any of your expenses for an unofficial visit like this, by NCAA rules.] </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks so much for the help dadfromnorcal!...i've already been in contact with the coach via my high school and club soccer coaches as well as highly-qualified references from others in the soccer community...one thing i am a little wary about though, i don't have the national recognition which i would assume is a highly sought credential but was given the chance to play for ODP on a state and national level several years ago which I denied for personal family reasons....do you think I am completely going to be put out of sight and out of mind with these Ivy League coaches because I haven't devoted my entire existence to soccer but only most of it? :) I would still be as dedicated and as much of an attribute even without the high profile rankings and statistics and I know this, but how do I convey that to the coach so that he'll look at me in lieu of my lack of national-level honors?</p>
<p>How strong are your academics? I know someone in my HS who was good enough at soccer to get her recruited to several of Princeton's peer institutions but as ultimately rejected by those same colleges.</p>
<p>As piccolo points out, Ivy League athletic recruits have to meet high academic standards to comply with the athletic conference rules and to pass muster with Admissions. As a result, Ivy coaches have to recruit kids who have a life outside their sport, or they can’t get them into their universities. You don’t need to be a “24/7” jock – in fact, it might be better if you are not (assuming you are in fact fully committed to playing if the coach supports you).
Obviously, it would be easier to get attention if you were MVP of the national ODP team, but your soccer credentials seem sufficient to warrant consideration from the coaches at Princeton. They no doubt spend a lot of their time evaluating unheralded players from little-known programs, and, unlike other sports, they can’t just rely on times or points scored. I suspect they are pretty good at making up their own minds about your potential contribution to their team, regardless of your national credentials or lack thereof.
The important thing is that you cannot sit back and wait for them to come to you. You need to get in front of them and make your case. To borrow a soccer analogy, it’s up to you to carry the ball up the field.
Don’t confuse informal introductions or casual contacts with serious expression of interest. You are not a serious candidate until you personally step forward and ask to be considered. Fill out the web form, and send a letter or email presenting your qualifications and asking to be considered. Get an appointment with the coach or his recruiting coordinator. Put on your tie, get on the train, go to his office, tell him you’d like to come to Princeton and play for him, and ask if there is a chance that you could be considered for a spot on his “recruit list”.
Of course, there is a chance that you’ll get dinged. They may conclude that you are not big/fast/strong/skilled enough to succeed at the college level, they may have All-Ivy players at your position already, or they may not like your academic profile. I expect they will try to be generally polite, but they also will be honest, and you could get your feelings hurt. But don’t talk yourself out of trying just because you’re concerned that you won’t be “good enough”. Accept the risk and go for it anyway.</p>