<p>I applied to Bowdoin for Early Decision after being recruited by the softball coach. I live in California, and I was just wondering if anyone knew how much weight athletics hold in the admissions process. My academics are good, but they wouldn’t blow anyone out of the water.</p>
<p>It's complicated - it depends upon whether the coach "tipped" you in the admissions process (he or she probably did since you were recruited). There are three possible ratings available to coaches through the tip process - A, B and C. If you are really good (expected to be a high performer at the college level), the coach will give you a C rating and that will compensate for some defects in your academic record. It's worth a lot in the admissions process but each team is given very few C-band slots. If you are expected to be a contributor but not a star, you would be given an A or a B rating (depending upon how much help you need in the admissions process). (With an A rating, the athlete will get in if his or her qualifications are in the mainstream for Bowdoin; with a B rating, you get a small boost.) Since you say your academics are good but not astonishing, you would probably fall in either the A or B camp. The coach knows the process and would have given you the appropriate rating.</p>
<p>There are a total of somewhere in the range of 70 tips given out each year by coaches. They're split between men and women's sports and allocated among the various sports according to need. All the NESCAC schools use a similar process but there are slight variations among the schools. The bottom line is that if you were tipped, you have a real leg up in the process.</p>
<p>Many schools (including Bowdoin) ask what sports an applicant plans on pursuing on the "intercollegiate" level. Yet these days even D3 varsity are mostly recruited, and walk-ons are pretty rare. How should an athletically inclined but not recruit-level student respond?</p>
<p>that sounds really interesting. The coach told my coach that he considers me a player that could change the entire program, and he seemed really excited about the possibility of having me. I'm only telling you that because I don't know if that puts me in the C crowd or not. I know that he tipped me and presented my records to the admissions board prior to my application being sent. From what I know, he only gives out 1 or 2 tips a year. Ah, well...who really knows anyways. I'm still awaiting my letter either way.</p>
<p>I learned the following at an athletic recruiting seminar I attended this past summer. S is a recruited NESCAC athlete who will be tipped by the coach in his sport.
The Nescac banding system gives admissions flexilibity in admitting recruited athletes, but it does restrict the number of lower band athletes that can be taken. A C or D band athlete must be identified as an impact player (all 4 yrs) by the coach</p>
<p>Schools slot a number of players per band over a 4 year period</p>
<p>Schools have different numbers of allottments in each of bands and the bands are not exactly the same for all schools. For example, a C band recruit for Amherst, might be a B band for Trinity or Conn College in terms of academic stats.</p>
<p>Estimates of Banding in the NESCACS(varies with general averages for schools) :
A Band
SATs 700+ average, all above 680
SAT II 720
GPA: Mostly As, top 5%</p>
<p>B Band
SATs 650+ average, all above 610
SAT II 640
GPA: Mix of As and Bs, top 15%</p>
<p>C Band
SATs 630+ average, all above 580
SAT II 600
GPA: B record, top 20%</p>
<p>D Band
SATs below 1880 totall, all greater than 530
SAT II < 560
GPA: Below B average/Top 25-35%</p>
<p>The preread from admissions answers the question--is this applicant "tippable"? If yes, then the coach must decide whether he/she wants to use the tip on this athlete. That being said, the question for an athlete being recruited to a NESCAC school to ask the coach is--"Will you use a tip on me?"</p>
<p>Idlewild - there's a lot of give-and-take between the admissions department and the coaches regarding tips and admissibility. The coaches do not waste a tip (because their numbers are so limited) unless they are pretty certain that you will be admitted. In other words, they know exactly how the system works and what needs to be done and they do not encourage athletes to apply who are unlikely to be admitted. Good luck on the ED letter but, you have more reason to be optimistic than the average ED applicant . .</p>
<p>thanks a lot for all of the info! You guys really helped.</p>
<p>Hey Idle!
I'm also a recruited softball player, expecting my letter today, I hope...</p>
<p>We'll have to talk! Good luck!</p>