<p>I have been conversing with the water polo coach at Caltech, and I sent him a resume with my ECs and grades along with some information about swimming. Now, he wants me to go to Caltech and stay overnight to watch a water polo game and meet with other recruits. This makes me wonder if Caltech is indeed recruiting and will make the application process easier or if they are just interested, as I have never heard of Caltech recruiting students for athletics.</p>
<p>Coaches cannot influence admissions decisions. However, coaches are extremely interested in getting academically qualified athletes to apply to Caltech in the hopes that they will be accepted and choose to attend.</p>
<p>Is that just at Caltech or also at other schools because I know a friend with less than stellar grades that has been recruited and is going to Princeton for basketball.</p>
<p>I think it’s just Caltech. Probably MIT too. But no other schools.</p>
<p>Ivies are different. They have an eternal love for athletes.</p>
<p>So, I shouldn’t count on being a recruited athlete to give me and extra advantage as I saw in the 2014 resultsthread that being a recruited athlete was. considered a hook.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t consider it a hook. It will help you if you are already qualified for Caltech in the sense that the adcomm will generally prefer a student who will contribute to the community over one who does nothing but study. But it won’t help you get into Caltech any more than any other extracurricular would.</p>
<p>I would say at Caltech:</p>
<p>IMO winner > athlete > petty EC involvement > straight studying. </p>
<p>Caltech is DIII NCAA and doesn’t have athletic recruits like the DI Ivies. </p>
<p>Athletic recruitment definitely helps though! Good luck this year along with the rest of prospies like me this year!</p>
<p>So, from these responses I am feeling that the coach is not going to be able to help much and that I should not get my hopes up of the coach helping my application through the adcoms.</p>
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<p>I am not sure where you got that. It is not. There are articles and a film “Quantum Hoops” on Caltech Basketball that talk about athletics not being a hook at Caltech</p>
<p>[Turning</a> Losing Into A Science - 01.09.06 - SI Vault](<a href=“http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108962/1/index.htm]Turning”>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1108962/1/index.htm)
quote from the basketball coach.
*
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get decent basketball players into a school this hard?*</p>
<p>*“I search all around the country, trying to find a few good players who could get in here,” says Dow, who has eight high school valedictorians on his squad, “but as soon as I hear they’ve gotten a B, it’s, ‘See ya!’”</p>
<p>Only six guys on his roster even played varsity ball in high school. Nobody on the team got an offer to play from any other college. None has dunked in his Caltech career.*</p>
<p>Coaches in CalTech have very little say in the recruitment process. IMSAgeek has it right when he say *But it won’t help you get into Caltech any more than any other extracurricular would. *</p>
<p>Passion for math and science is far important in CalTech admission then athletic abilities. Do not delude yourself otherwise.</p>
<p>^ Thanks for that link mazewanderer. It made my day!
Hahahaha :D</p>
<p>things have changed in the past 3-4 years</p>
<p>D also received an email directly from the new Cal Tech Water Polo coach. We thought it was a clever idea on his part, especially since MIT does not offer Water Polo for girls. Anyway, we realized that it was just an interesting ploy to get her to apply, nothing more and certainly no guarantees.</p>
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<p>In what way?</p>
<p>I think they have woman’s water polo and did the coach offer for you to stay at caltech for a night or two?</p>
<p>So I have a chance of playing varsity soccer??? o.0</p>
<p>YESS!!! ( I got cut from our soccer team and never went back to tryout again…)</p>
<p>You could certainly be on the varsity soccer team. I have no idea how much playing time you’d get.</p>
<p>What grade are you all in? I’m a junior and I’ve been corresponding with the cross country coach.</p>
<p>I am a senior and the coach has arranged a visited for me to go to caltec.</p>
<p>Go for a vist, you have nothing to lose.
Ask the coach if he can give you a likely letter, you will know for sure then. When do you plan to visit? Was he happy with all your stats.
Also are you into math and sciences?</p>
<p>I will definitely ask him to give me a likely letter, but are there those things at Caltech as they don’t emphasize sports too much. He told me to visit soon after the EA deadline, so I am also wondering if I should apply EA or do regular admissions. Also yes, to both at the end.</p>