Class of 2014 pre reads How is it going?

Athletic Recruits
1

<p>Hi All</p>

<p>Popping in to say hello after being off line for about 3 weeks. </p>

<p>K2 sent info stats to coaches that have been part of the conversation for the last 9 months to a year.
One positive preread done (yay!!)
and another in the works- which we hope will come through positive and soon.</p>

<p>A few others we fully expect to be green lights yet wait for the admissions news.</p>

<p>One coach was honest that K2s academic stats are a stretch and had been honest the team isn't a good match for K2. Back in March on the second visit to campus (k2 had really liked the school and is a legacy) the coach had been more encouraging. So in the end I am glad he has been frank with K2 on the plans for the team. I think K2 could have enjoyed the school yet without a team fit there are other schools K2 likes as well and team fit could be better.</p>

<p>Hope to have the "list" firmed up soon and K2 will do some OVs.<br>
The OVs are valuable as we saw with K1. SO no shortcuts--OVs on the horizon.</p>

<p>With OVs we will get the fin pre reads done.</p>

<p>How is it going for your scholar-athlete?</p>

2

<p>Well we are in the waiting period. Can I ask how long it took to hear back? If its not a good fit, do they also give the courtesy of letting you know? I would hope so, about half I expect to be fine the other half are a gamble and a few definite reaches. There are two my son really is crossing his fingers for.</p>

<p>Just curious as to how long admissions takes in general…best of luck to you!
I would take an honest forthcoming coach anyday over one who strings you along or doesn’t have the courtesy to lay things out. Kudos to that coach.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

3

<p>I just wanted to say I wish I could answer this but I have only heard the words “pre-read” from one school and they said after 1st week of August. Otherwise some schools that seemed bullish on our son at camps feel curiously silent (like one where we have had no response to an email for stats sent 2 weeks ago).</p>

<p>We are trying to not read too much into the silence at the moment. It’s not even August.</p>

<p>Like fogfog we were lucky to have not one but two coaches (definitely reaches) be candid with us. One told us outright they did not foresee being able to offer our player a “spot” and the other said “If our son does A, B and C … MAYBE something but don’t wait on us.” We took both of those statements for what they were worth and all it does is help narrow the playing field. Just like the coaches are doing.</p>

<p>I have told son to sit tight until school starts and don’t read too much into anything unless a coach specifically tells him something. That means, don’t read into coaches that woo you, and don’t read into coaches that don’t contact you immediately. After school starts and there are very limited opportunities to do overnight visits, that’s a legitimate time to look at who wants to get you on campus, how strongly you figure in their lineup and what support they can offer you, and make the hard decisions.</p>

<p>And, like fenway, said, I like the idea of visiting 1st choices 1st. I think that’s great advice.</p>

4

<p>I had my pre read.
My stats are:
GPA: 4.0
ACT: 27 (first attempt)
SAT 1820 (first attempt)
SAT 2s: chem 680 English 650</p>

<p>Both iveys said they’d like to see the ACT raised to a 30 and take a few honors classes in grade 12. They both felt confident enough to give a verbal commitment offer and I took my number 1 schools offer :slight_smile: I have been promised a likely letter.
Just hoping I am able to get through admissions!</p>

5

<p>^i hope it works out; but LLs are issued ONLY after a complete application (essays included, though how great those need to be are a subject of great debate) has been submitted. For athletes, special committees review the app and issue the LL. I believe October 1 is the first date LLs can be issued.</p>

<p>I do know of athletes who have been admitted with similar stats.</p>

<p>As of right now, you are a coach’s dream in that your post implies that you have stopped active recruiting. Always, always have a viable backup plan.</p>

6

<p>^ I was wondering the same…
a green light pre-read means an OV offer
and the LL comes after that (and not before 10/1)</p>

<p>With K2 we are fishing in a different pond. (not HYP)</p>

<p>Have asked for pre-reads and some coaches are doing that which has been great. These are some schools that don’t traditionally do it for this sport and I am glad the coach has stepped up to the plate and gone to admissions with K2s stuff first before the official app.
OVs take so much time so I hope K2s favs are on the ball when the year starts.</p>

<p>Chicagomama
Like you–the coach’s candor was sooo valuable. We appreciated it. Though K2 didn’t like hearing no–I sure did like knowing ahead of time and not seeing K2 wondering.</p>

7

<p>racon45, I think that all sounds great but am curious, most seniors have had their fall courses set since May at least, if not April, and it’s not a matter of your choosing which courses to take. Whether or not you are eligible to take honors or AP courses is based on your previous grades and your teacher recommendations. Any coach could ask that my son take AP language instead of Honors but it’s not his choice. He had a B+ in his honors language and only A students are permitted to take AP language senior year.</p>

<p>I guess it’s always possible to go to your teachers and tell them how much depends on it, though, so I wish you luck.</p>

8

<p>Sorry I didn’t say that correctly. I meant that the coaches will be working with me and helping me through the application process to see as though I get the likely letter because they want me for my athletic ability.</p>

<p>With regards to the courses- I go to a small prep school and our school just got an AP program. My counsellors and the teachers tend to work really closely with the students and I’ve already talked to the principal who said wed be able to work something out in August as he wants me to get into the school (probably because it looks good for his school).</p>

<p>I am still talking to some scholarship schools who said we have a few spots and if anything happens before October 1, to give them a call.</p>

9

<p>Well, that is good news and I admire the availability of your principal and dedication to get things taken care of for you. Also for a school that just started an AP program, it’s amazing that you are still able to take part in a women’s ice hockey team that is competitive enough to get kids noticed at Ivy and scholarship level. That sounds like an interesting allocation of resources for a prep school, but i guess schools are all different.</p>

10

<p>I don’t just play on a high school team. I play on a club travel team as well. They all saw me playing at showcases and tournaments.</p>

11

<p>I have heard underground rumblings at camps about players who have “committed” NESCAC without doing any camps. I asked about whether these included pre-reads and the parents just shrugged their shoulders and said “it usually always works out.”</p>

<p>I have also heard that players can get recruited straight through a reputable HS program just with a phone call and film.</p>

<p>However, having been through it with our K1 just academically, which made me understand why you need to “feel” a school, if we did not visit schools and do camps where he can get to know coaches, I don’t think he would have the best information to make a decision.</p>

<p>I heard that pre-reads are going on now for some kids but overall everyone is in the same boat now at the end of July. Programs are waiting for higher kids to “definitively” sift out and decide they are not D1 but Ivy or not Ivy but D3Nescac I guess. I have no previous football recruiting experience.</p>

12

<p>I am new to posting, but have found the insights of many posters to be very helpful. I wonder if anyone has experienced my kids situation with pre-reads.</p>

<p>Kid has been asked by 6-7 coaches for his academic info (and provided all more than a month ago) - and academic info is strong - 4.3 GPA with honor/AP courseload, 750 on 2 subject tests, 2040 SAT.</p>

<p>Kid has been invited to 4 OVs (non-helmet sport) so far. However no one has said kid has passed a pre-read BY THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE. Of the 4 OVs, 1 coach said they only do pre-reads for kids they have serious doubts about. 1 coach said it all looks good, but please re-take the SAT this fall - after the OV. Kid contacted one coach and asked if he passed the pre-read. The coach said ‘no problem with the pre-read.’ All three of those were upper Ivy League. </p>

<p>We are confused. Is there a definitive pre-read that is done by an admissions officer? We thought you had to ‘pass’ a pre-read before you received an OV invite. The coaches kid has been in contact with seem unconcerned and we are not sure anything has actually happened other than coaches reviewing the stats. They are obviously interested or would not have extended the OVs - in writing.</p>

<p>Has kid passed official pre-reads or not and if yes why the need to re-take the SAT? Any ideas?</p>

13

<p>Terrafin, I think much depends on which tier schools are you looking at? For NESCACs and high academic Division 3s, as I understand it, the “pre-read” is all you get - along with encouragement from a coach to apply ED if the pre-read is positive. Even with perfect SATs and great grades, you are never 100% sure that your child will be admitted until the fat envelope arrives in your mailbox. </p>

<p>For the Ivies, it’s slightly different. The Elite 8 use the Academic Index (written about all over these boards) to evaluate student athletes, and if the things look good, you will be invited presumably for an OV (expenses paid since they are Div I), and will receive a likely letter in the fall from the admissions office - assuming the coach wants your child. The likely letter is your golden ticket; unless you fail all of your first semester classes, or get caught plotting to blow up your school, you will be admitted to that school. </p>

<p>As for pre-reads generally, I am not sure if the entire admissions committee reviews the information (given vacation schedules and the like). I assume it depends on the school. As for whether you need a pre-read before being invited for an OV, again, I think it depends on the school and the coach. That is not a hard and fast rule. If I were a coach at a high academic school, I would want to know where my recruits stood with admissions before inviting them for an OV, but not all coaches are the same. </p>

<p>As far as your son’s credentials, wow! If he were a football player, his academics would would not be an issue - At. All. Impressive!</p>

14

<p>meow1985: A few bits in response to your inquiry</p>

<p>“I have heard underground rumblings at camps about players who have “committed” NESCAC without doing any camps. I asked about whether these included pre-reads and the parents just shrugged their shoulders and said “it usually always works out.””</p>

<ol>
<li> I am not sure how anyone can commit to a NESCAC 1) this early; and 2) without a pre-read. For football anyway, even if the candidate is a Div I talent and has perfect test scores and GPA, and is personal friends with the school’s biggest donor, until admissions formally accepts him, it is not a done deal.<br></li>
</ol>

<p>“I have also heard that players can get recruited straight through a reputable HS program just with a phone call and film.”</p>

<p>2 Yes, it is possible to get recruited that way, but most coaches want to see you in person, and for the NESCAC/Ivies, your academics must be stellar. Typically, the situation that you identify happens with Div 1 schools that are at a higher level athletically, but not in the same ballpark academically as the NESCAC/Ivies. Note that any recruiting based on just film would also include extensive conversations with the student’s HS coach to see what kind of a player/kid he is.</p>

<p>That said, I agree that’s it’s best to have your son visit all the schools he is interested in if possible. It’s too important a decision to make sight unseen.</p>

<p>“I heard that pre-reads are going on now for some kids but overall everyone is in the same boat now at the end of July. Programs are waiting for higher kids to “definitively” sift out and decide they are not D1 but Ivy or not Ivy but D3Nescac I guess. I have no previous football recruiting experience.”</p>

<ol>
<li> You are correct. Pre-reads are going on now. However, while I think it is true that the Div 3/NESCACs are waiting on some kids who ultimately do not go Div I (Ivy, Patriot, Davidson), they are still recruiting actively - and since they are Div 3, they can call your son as many times as they want NOW. All Div 1s, including the ones listed above, cannot call your son until September 1. Based on my son’s experience this summer, one hook that NESCACS use with recruits is the argument that he’ll get more playing time in Division 3 than Division 1 and will be a “bigger fish in a smaller pond.” </li>
</ol>

<p>Note also that the NESCACs/Div 3s are running their camps this weekend and next, and presumably will be targeting kids at those sessions. I suspect that not all of those kids hit the Ivy/Patriot camp circuit this summer where the NESCAC coaches would have seen them perform in any event. </p>

<ol>
<li> Don’t fret about being unfamiliar with this process. These boards have been invaluable to many folks - if not for the information that is provided, at least for the group therapy!</li>
</ol>

15

<p>Hi NESCACgrad, thanks for clearing some of that up. The dad I spoke to had a boy at a particular football program that I guess has a good relationship with certain colleges. He said there was a boy who had already committed to the NESCAC school whose camp we were at, who was not doing any camps this summer as a result, not even the camp at the school itself. I said I didn’t think you could do a “commit” to a NESCAC and he said that whatever the deal was, he had never seen one fall through at his son’s school.</p>

<p>Maybe the boy had really great scores and GPA and could feel confident like that, though.</p>

<p>One other thing I heard. I heard some high school coaches really do not like their players going to these camps, either, and wondered if anyone here had that experience or has heard of this. The general thought was that either high school coaches felt cut out of the recruiting process and did not like it, or that there was too much of a chance for a player to not perform well or look less promising in person. I guess basically, if a coach is interested in a player, they are interested, and a camp can only change that for the negative.</p>

<p>I still don’t know, though, how you could make a decision on a school with only having met a coach on another campus or even taking a regular campus tour. I think my son has gotten a lot out of seeing locker rooms, fields, the stands, the complete coaching staff and how it all feels to him.</p>

<p>Some campuses my son really did not like after seeing them. Other ones he decided last minute to see and he loved them. I think it makes a huge difference though and I am glad we have spent this time together.</p>

16

<p>Sorry double post</p>

17

<p>Terrifin - IMO, those stats are fine if the coach wants the kid (assuming that the CR and Math sections are 700ish).</p>

<p>Next step is the OV where the team will meet, greet, and party with kid. Each coach has a limited number of OVs and will not waste one on a non-viable (academically) candidate. But, even if kid is over the academic hurdle,the coach will rank his potential recruits and basically go down the list until the roster if full. You’re family is in a great position. </p>

<p>I believe your limited to 5 OVs and the earlier weekend you’re invited, the higher in the pecking order is your kid (generally) - and by earlier weekend, I mean relative to each respective school’s calendar.</p>

<p>September will be an exhilarating time between every weekend OVing, the chosen school’s app prepared, and senior year academics to slog through.</p>

<p>The earlier the app is submitted, the earlier the special committee will meet, and the earlier you receive the LL, and the earlier everyone can relax and enjoy the fall.</p>

<p>Since it appears there may be multiple choices, I’d suggest really understanding the program, and especially the coaches. Some are good, some are average, some are terrible.</p>

18

<p>My scoop for today from a NESCAC coach is that coaches are not necessarily looking for senior film or senior grade reports before feeling confident beginning to make offers in August. If they have the junior grades and scores and have seen kids at camps this summer “3 and 4 times” and they feel like they have a known quantity, they will be calling. </p>

<p>The only thing I heard this weekend about “pre-reads” was that they are more typically done on the borderline kids, not on the ones coaches feel comfortable about. It surprised me because I originally thought the pre-read meant you were a high priority recruit, period, high or low academics. What I heard today, I interpreted as, needing a pre-read means we are not sure if you are admissible at our school academically and need some reassurance from admissions before we continue.</p>

19

<p>^ The pre-reads are done for All recruits of all HYP kids (our experience is in non helmet sports) …they are admitted by admissions and must have the same stats as the pool. The coaches take the entire pile of potential recruits stuff to admissions in July and then know what they have to work with in order to offer OVs…in K1s case the rercuiting calls all had 700s+ per section, very high weighted GPA/ tons of APs. etc
In Aug after the prereads the kids get the OV dates set and can travel after the first day of their Sr yr. With some 25k applicants admissions is very choosy about what they admit through LLs. K1 verballed at the OV. The call came that LL was on the way early Oct.</p>

20

<p>Our experience is different from fogfog’s. Only one official pre-read so far, at least as far as we know, but OV dates were set in June. Most schools have asked for the pre-read data (test scores, grades, etc.), but I have to believe that after years of recruiting, coaches can look at some students’ stats. and be pretty darn sure they’ll pass the pre-read. </p>

<p>I certainly agree that these students have to be tops both athletically and academically, I’m not sure about the relevance of the 25k regular applicants. The ratio of academically and athletically qualified kids to LL slots surely leads to significantly better odds for admission for our student-athletes. I’m not being arrogant here, just realistic.</p>