Hi all,
I am a current junior in high school, and a very good athlete. By that I mean I have offers to play my sport at many D1 schools (including Princeton), and have multiple top-20 National finishes. I absolutely love Princeton, and will likely commit there soon. However, I am curious as to whether I have a chance at getting into other top schools (such as Stanford, Duke, Yale, plus the other usuals) without having the coach vouch for me with admissions. This will likely not affect my decision, but in case I change my mind in the next few months or suffer an injury, I believe this would be helpful. Currently I have a 4.4 GPA at a strong academic public school and scored a 33 on my ACT. Outside of school and sports, I am interning in a post doc lab at a respected university. As far as high school involvement, I participate in all of my school’s upperclassmen activities, such as the annual dodgeball tournament and powderpuff game, if that makes a difference. I am a member of National Honor Society as well. I understand that college admissions are unpredictable and that there is no way of knowing without applying. That said, thank you to everybody who responds, I appreciate any input on this matter!
You certainly have a shot, but your chances are going to be better at schools where you are a recruited athlete. You app seems strong, but your odds are so much higher if you have something they want.
Honestly, a 33 ACT is on the lower end for the schools you listed.
These boards are littered with sad tales from girls like you from the NE without a sport or other hook. If you don’t go ED or EA with coach support, you are down in 10% land, and it’s not a fun place to be. Of course you might get in or even hit the jackpot with more than 1 high academic, low probability school, but the question is: “do you feel lucky?”…!
Without the sport, you are simply another excellent, qualified candidate – and most are not admitted. Some are, of course.
If you are fully recruited (I.e., LL or vetted by Admissions), your chances of admission are 99% and the 1% who don’t get In are due to some developing problem with grades or other issues.
If you apply without being fully recruited, your chances of admission are… whatever they are for you as an individual candidate but probably much closer to the school average than to 99%.
Also, if you are recruited you will generally have to apply ED/SCEA. That is the deal; almost guaranteed admissions in return for your commitment (and four years of your life).
FWIW, I think a 33 is borderline at the super-selectives. What’s your UW GPA?
Also…if you have been offered an opportunity to get a coach’s support with admission at Princeton…why even look elsewhere?
Without a LL slot, as the above posts have stated, your chances are as good or as bad as anyone of the 16000+ or so applicants who will be highly qualified to do well in Princeton. Your grade and score is good enough to get you in as a recruited athlete, but not so outstanding as a non athlete applicant.
I agree with what others have said. Students with stats better than yours are being routinely denied from Ivies these days. You can’t get much better than Princeton. Are you worried about having to apply ED?
Accept with Princeton and do it now! As a top tier athlete, you’ll miss athletics once you get to college if you don’t participate. Additionally, it keeps you fit & strong, and it opens SO many doors for you at college and after, that I strongly suggest you just go for it. You’ll get a lot of support (i.e., free class tutors, free food, first selection at classes for your major & that work with your schedule, etc.) These are amazing schools. The faster you accept, the better!
Check on the free tutoring part at Princeton. In the recruiting process we learned that varsity student athletes at Harvard must pay for their tutoring. We didn’t find that at any other DI school,so perhaps some of the ivies are different in that regard.
Unless you really don’t want to do your sport in college, take any opportunity to be recruited by Princeton and commit. The landscape for “average excellent” students in top schools is brutal.
There is no charge to students for tutoring at Princeton, athlete or not. Also, there is no formal priority for scheduling classes at Princeton, although there appears to be kind of nudge nudge wink wink process of getting athletes into closed labs or precepts in classes they need that conflict with athletic commitments
Hi Everyone! Just wanted to clarify. I fully intend to go to Princeton. I guess the question I’m really asking is whether or not I’m ONLY getting in because I’m an athlete. Of course being an athlete allows me “special privileges” in college, as well as in high school, and I don’t want to feel like I’m not qualified enough to be at Princeton. Thank you again to all of you who responded.
If Princeton is giving you the green light in terms of admissions support/LL, they must think you are qualified enough. Your stats might be on the low side for admitted candidates, but within range.
I wouldn’t overthink it. You’re in a very fortunate position, and one that you’ve earned. Congrats!
Your academics are quite strong and I expect you will perform well at Princeton. The issue is that schools the caliber of Princeton simply don’t have enough room to take all of the qualified candidates. Your athletic accomplishments (which I’m sure is a result of a great deal of dedication and hard work on your part) moves you to the front of the line of qualified candidates. Go and make the most of your opportunity both on and off the field.
You didn’t say whether you like your sport or not. You said you want to apply to these other schools because “I am curious.” Why take a potential spot away from a fellow classmate just to satisfy your curiosity? 33 ACT is quite marginal for Yale or Stanford. There are many many 35s and 36s who get rejected. I would give your sport a best efforts for at least a year or two - integrity (don’t be one of those people who quit the moment they start). If you really hate it and are not playing after a couple of years, then explain this to the coach and focus on your studies. Lastly, your grades are fantastic and I’m sure you’ll do great at Princeton. Congrats.
Youre only a junior now, so nothing is definite. The verbal commitment you will eventually exchange with the coach also is non binding, and contingent upon the admission officer’s preread. You may not necessarily have to have the stellar academics to get accepted into Princeton as a recruited athlete, but your grades have to be just a good as all the other potentially acceptable applicants. You will not be getting a free pass no matter how good of an athlete you are if your grades are not acceptable. So don’t worry about if you are good enough to be a Princeton student if accepted. Believe me, if you are not good enough you will not get in.
I had met a Harvard University student who was from Iowa who was also a very good wrestler. He had even exclaimed to other people that the only reason why he got into Harvard was because of his wrestling abilities and that he has even said he was a stupid person. Athletics do sway yes but not in the amount you think. The only notable Ivy League athlete I can think of is Jeremy Lin. Good luck!
I too have a kid going to Harvard as an athlete. Although he too can exclaim to other people he is stupid as well and his sport got him in, for a non banded sport, your academics have to be quite up there to get admitted. Harvard will certainly not admitted any “stupid person”, at least academically.