<p>Anyone know how good columbia's track program is, namely the distance program. I'm a junior right now who runs 4:41 for the mile. Say I finish my season with a hypothetical 4:38, I know it won't make any waves(recruit), but could I be considered for a walk-on? Could the coach give me that extra push to get accepted? My stats would be competitive without track (2/150,2190, 750+ on 3 SATII's), but I would like to run for the team, and i'm wondering if this would help make it less of a crapshoot. I plan on contacting the coach after spring track is over, but any advice before that would be appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>BTW, i plan on retaking the 2190 and taking 2 more SAT II's before the ED round. Yes, this is kind of like a chances thread, but i'm more interested to know if i'd be fast enough to run for columbia.</p>
<p>contacting the coach can't hurt. He can do one of two things for you:</p>
<ul>
<li>use you as one of his allotted recruitment calls. this will almost guarantee admission, but you'd also have to be among the best in the country. he doesn't get many of those.</li>
<li>Drop a note or call at the admissions office letting them know that you're really very good at track / XC and that if accepted, he'd love to have you come out for the team. It will serve as an independent verification that that particular EC of yours is worth something and stands out, so it will be a boost (just not an auto-admit).</li>
</ul>
<p>talk to him at some point when he's not coaching the team. I forget when track NCAAs are but I don't think they're much after graduation. they might even be over.</p>
<p>D, I figured you'd know the answer to this so I'm going to ask away --</p>
<p>What happens when an athletic auto-admit decides on Columbia but arrives and decides, for whatever the reason, not to play the sport? I want to say that kids on athletic scholarship at other schools (and I'm aware that there are none in the Ivy) could be denied future enrollment. Is there anything like this in the venerable Ivy (albeit called something entirely different)?</p>
<p>a good number of the athletic recruits quit or "get injured" and all that happens is they got a free ticket to an ivy education....sad but it happens a lot.</p>