<p>I’d contact the financial aid office, not admissions. But first I’d run the calculator on the school’s website. Having completed three FA pre-reads and run numerous calculators, we’ve found that the calculators and pre-reads have been very similar (with the pre-reads a bit more favorable) in two out of three cases (the third may have been my fault for inputting something incorrectly). At any rate, once you’ve run the calculator, you’ll be in a good position to ask questions of an FA officer (e.g. Under what circumstances might the calculator be inaccurate? How much will this vary if our income changes? The parental contribution is too high for us–is more aid available than I’m seeing on the calculator? Are there opportunities for scholarships as the years go on?)</p>
<p>At D3 schools, aid can vary widely. If I couldn’t have a good conversation with the FA office, I’d have my student wait for the regular admission deadline to apply, to be able to compare offers.</p>
<p>D is finally out of the pre-read phase, took 2 months. Coach called her over the weekend and said that Admissions gave their approval and she would get in. He has now asked D for weekends she is available for an OV. She sent him dates last night and we are now waiting for him to get back to her!</p>
<p>Pre-reads a go at Tufts, Vassar, Colby, Grinnell & Macalster. Still waiting on Chicago and Swarthmore. I think he will decline visit to Colby, but we will make a midwest swing over Columbus Day. I think in his heart, he is already a Jumbo, though.</p>
<p>I have a question about NESCAC, not sure if this is the best place to ask. My son is looking at Bowdoin among other schools, does being in NESCAC mean that we should be considering it not as a normal DIII, but more like an Ivy in terms of recruiting?</p>
<p>Also have a note about LL’s. My alma mater just started offering them for all students; they send a LL to students end of February or so. The acceptance rate (by the LL’d students) of the non-athletic likely letters when they first started a few years ago was only 30%. </p>
<p>And finally, since my son is a legacy, he is going to go ED at the Ivy we went to because there is no benefit otherwise to him being a legacy in terms of admissions. Anyone who has a child who is targeting their alma mater should look into whether both ED and RD applicants get the “legacy benefit”. Luckily, our school is his top choice, and because he is borderline (better than some have listed as pre-read positive at Ivies, worse than others) and loves the sports facilities as well (benefit of an on-site camp), ED is a no-brainer.</p>
<p>Rhandco … Unless your son has the top academic stats to get into your alma mater Ivy on his own, just a note that unless the Ivy coach at your son’s sport is also vocally supporting the application, I would recommend not wasting your ED on the Ivy just because of the legacy.</p>
<p>I say this as the fellow mom of a kid who is double legacy to one Ivy and doing very well being recruited for his sport. If he were only a few inches taller he could play Ivy, but it is not to be, and the coach at “our school” is using his support for kids more appropriate to his team needs. We can want what we want, but our kid would need the sports support boost, and we know we would be foolish to throw away our “early” application on the ivy despite the legacy.</p>
<p>We are using it to apply to one of the schools where he is being heavily recruited, once we figure out which that school will be.</p>
<p>Rhandco - I don’t think there is a “normal” for DIII schools. The most selective DIII schools (Wash U, U Chicago, Emory, and MIT) require their athletes to have high academic achievement. they are looking for unweighted GPAs of 3.8, 6 APs and test scores of sat 2100/ ACT of 32. These schools tend to use “tips” for admission which means the athletes GPA/tests schools should be very close to the schools average student. As I understand it NESCAC schools use “tips” but they also use “slots” which means that the athletes GPA and test scores can be lower than the average student.</p>
<p>Ivy league schools use AI to evaluate their athletes. The AI is calculated from both the GPA and tests scores. There is a minimum floor AI for each athlete. There is also an average AI requirement for all athletes at each school which I believe is one standard deviation below the schools average AI for all students. Because the AI calculation now uses unweighted GPAs the Ivy league schools can and do recruit athletes who have not taken AP courses. Ivy league schools also tend to recruit nationally ranked athletes while the selective DIII schools recruit athletes that are highly ranked at regional and state levels. In general the Ivy league athletes tend to have much better athletic performance than the NESCAC athletes but the academic performance can be similar.</p>
<p>Glad to read the progress everyone is having.
Our K2 has dropped the ball on the essay for the CA…and so its still not ready…
grrrr</p>
<p>and K2 had dropped the ball on calling the 2 coaches that were to be arranging the OVs. Granted the coaches were supposed to be getting it together…yet I warned K2 that not closing the loop would mean no flight…</p>
<p>K2 had written an email to the head coach for a set OV date–and had not heard back from the recruiting/frosh coach who was supposed to be doing the details. That coach also dropped the ball…so K2 did not go this last weekend. In fact mid week last week the head coach sent an email apologizing for their errors…</p>
<p>Still… frustrating as time away from here, school and sport is difficult to find.
K2 might not get to see these schools till Jan/Feb at this rate–which would be after all of the EA apps are in…</p>
<p>Another OV was to start tom…however, the coach coordinating that was out of town and did K2 call to confirm…uh no.</p>
<p>otoh K2 was admitted to another school and got a call from that coach talking about how K2 is a top recruit and so on…
I think K2 has eased up on the throttle…even though that school isnt a #1 choice, the feeling that K2 is “in” has eased anxiety and effort…
sigh</p>
<p>Been a while since I last posted something. Busy!</p>
<p>NESCACs have done pre-reads for football player son, and coaches have all reported back that the admissions office have given a thumbs up. Visiting two of those NESCACs in next two weekends to see a football game, and to meet with coaches and players. Other NESCACs have extended invitations to visit campus and attend a football game, but at this point we have to pick and choose - as we don’t live in New England. </p>
<p>Not sure what to expect on these “unofficial” visits. Hopefully, the coaches can shed some light on how much stock we can put on a positive pre-read. </p>
<p>Still hearing from some Ivies and Patriot League schools, but at this point, the NESCACs are showing the most love - perhaps because they don’t have the same restrictions on contacting seniors the same way that Division Is do.</p>
<p>how do you know if you got a pre-read? or what is considered a preread? I gave my transcript and highlights/game footage to the recruiter and he said that you’d fit in academically and for the team, and that the admissions office would like the courses I took… Do coaches/recruiters ever just “stop replying”/in what ways can the coaches/recruiters drop the ball.</p>
<p>Thanks to this forum, when we started to hear language in the ballpark of “we want you here” we knew to ask exactly what that meant in terms of support. We are looking at NESCACs. Because of advice from others, I was able to ask, “coach, when you say support, at what level are we talking about, because this is a fine school that attracts students with amazing credentials. Where do you see our son in terms of getting through admissions with his personal academics?” That opened the dialogue right up, and we heard the language we were told to listen for.</p>
<p>As of now, we have two slot offers and two positive pre-reads. We are still waiting on a third with two overnights to go.</p>
<p>Basically, in response to Walahoo, we were specifically told that son’s transcripts and scores were seen by admissions (keyword!) and that son was “fine.” Not just that he “fit in” which is what we heard all summer like m&ms, coaches said this). At the time we were also on campus and coaches were making moves to make son want to be on that campus. Free lunch, free tours, rollaway bed for overnight visit from campus housing, free tshirts, time with head coach.</p>
<p>oh! i’m new to this so what are overnights really for? I didn’t know they had a significant meaning or anything… the coach asked me to go for an overnight but I have really no idea what to expect… what should one expect from an overnight trip?</p>
<p>Overnights are the final icing on the cake. It is bringing the coaches and the recruits together for the final look through. It is not 100% necessary but it is much more common than not to have all parties sit down in person before final serious overtures.</p>
<p>Overnights also happen at different times. They can happen in fall, winter or spring. If you are asked to go overnight earlier, It is generally is a positive thing. You are possibly higher on their recruiting list. Of course, recruiting is a chain. Although I am only familiar with the northeast, I have been made to understand now that Ivies recruit kids who could go D1, NESCACs, patriot, liberty and colonial recruit kids who could go Ivy, d2s and other d3s follow suit.</p>
<p>PS I know there are better answers about what to expect on overnights on other threads … Try search term “OV”</p>