I’m curious. How much weight does a coach endorsement hold to an admissions committee? D.C. Would be an impact athlete as a grade 9.
It depends on the school and what they need, how much weight they give to athletic recruitment, and also the makeup of the current team (do they have a lot of graduating senior for example). If your DC is an impact player you should definitely be in touch with the coaches at each school. They may be able to give you a better idea.
We have been in touch with coaches from all school. A couple of coaches mentioned that they will be speaking with the admissions committee on my child’s behalf and are excited about the prospect of child attending. Just trying to figure out how much that matters.
I’m happy to discuss individual school in a PM if you would like @momof3swimmers. I’m guessing swimming is your DC’s sport as was (is) mine.
I agree with GMC2918 that the weight it carries will differ from school to school, but it will definitely help. It will not overcome a drastically lower average SSAT score or poor recommendations, but in my DS experience it carried a impressive amount of weight as he was accepted to all four schools he applied to (Andover, Exeter, Deerfield and Suffield).
It depends: all coaches submit names usually several for each year. How many for your year, where you are on the list, who first choices them and so on. Recruits get preferential treatment -meaning grades and SSAT requirements are softened. Not so for academic athletes.
@Center can you clarify what you mean by “academic athletes”–do you mean applicants who play a sport(s) but would not be impact athletes their first year?
@AppleNotFar applicants who play sports and who may or may not be impact I.e varsity but are not recruits
So for “academic athletes”, is it still important to reach out to the coach, or not?
@sunnyschool absolutely! These schools love athletes who can play on a team or two and can do the work. Often they will tell the applicant you may start on JV depending on the kid and the sport. Or not. It just depends. Don’t want to say too much here but we learned the hard way…
@center so would a “recruit” by definition be an athlete with lower than average application stats who a coach wants to have on their team?
In answer to OP I would add that the weight of the coach’s support also depends on the relative strength of the rest of the applicant’s credentials.
Do BS / Prep schools actively and proactively recruit sports prospects -ie they reach out to the athlete/family first?
Or do the student/athletes usually self-identify in the application process?
@sunnyschool , usually the latter but not always . However, there are situations in which a coach at a BS may also coach a local elite team (or be close to those who do), in which case they’ll reach out to kids on their (non-school) team and encourage them to apply. I have seen a lot of this at the schools near me (so bigger impact on day students.) I am less familiar with the situation at other schools but would suspect there’s some variation of the same.
OK thanks. I’m just wondering how they get the “impact athletes”. At one school, I overheard coach talking about the club swimmers he wanted to get for the team. And, we were on tour with a parent of a basketball player who was “being encouraged to apply - for 11th”.
So DS I think has some things going for him (but I am biased). Superscore should put SSAT in the low 90’s. Excellent Recs. Leadership awards. Coach at one school invited him for a shadow day and sleep over. Would be on varsity as a 9 at all schools applied to most likely. Other coaches have said they will be speaking to admissions as well. Just curious how much weight coaches opinions hold.
I pm’d you @momof3swimmers
I also think it would depend on how big of a sport swimming is at the schools. Each sport is definitely not created equal. At my son’s school they are really big on hockey players and there are new hockey recruits every year. I don’t think that being a good swimmer would be the same as being a really good hockey or football player.
I honestly think that completely depends on the school. It is much different than college because sports do not bring in revenue. These schools want the best in all the sports, and if their program isn’t strong, they tend to try harder to get stronger athletes for said programs to make them more attractive to the variety of students applying to said school.
depends on the school. I’m pretty sure HADES and Ten Schools have rules about coaches initiating the contact.