<p>D got an e-mail from a DIII (NESCAC) coach stating that feedback from admissions was "very encouraging" at this time but of course decisions don't really come until April blah blah blah...and now he wanted to guage her real interest. She replied that ****** school was one of her top two. What do you think? Is she most likely in or is the coach leading her?</p>
<p>Wait...don't they have ED or EA? My son has two teammates at his school who both know they are in at their respective NESCAC schools and will be on the team.</p>
<p>Only ED and we could not do that due to comparing financial packages. D is applying to 3 NESCACs</p>
<p>I thought the NESCAC's all met 100% of need? Do they throw loans in there as well as grants?</p>
<p>In answer to your original question, my daughter was recruited DI for her sport. Coaches at these schools told us that admissions gives the athlete applications an "early read" so the coach can give the athlete a verbal "likely". They then ask what your interest is in their particular school. It sounds like the same thing. My daughter applied early action at three schools and found out by December from all three, but was told of the "likely" in October/November.</p>
<p>Be very careful. DIIIs don't have a letter of intent or likely letter system. Read posts from finnsdad for a cautionary tale.</p>
<p>You did the right thing to express high interest, but try to think about something else (ha!) until April. Maybe some sort of induced coma would be in order.</p>
<p>My understanding is that most NESCAC coaches attempt to lock up the majority of their recruits through ED1. Those that have ED2 may add one or two. The coaches have much less influence as you get to RD. If I had to guess, your coach probably has very few slots left to fill and little influence unless the recruit has a very strong academic profile.</p>
<p>NESCACs only give fin need $$$ but some are more "generous" than others. S applied to a NESCAC three years ago and fin aid package was poor. Wouldn't even bother letting D apply to that particular school. D has applied to 3 NESCACs know to be "generous". We'll see. I have two in college (S ended up at WPI with merit $$$ and fin need) next year so should get better fin package first year. Then after that...who knows. I will have to talk to each fin aid office of schools she gets accepted at. She also applied to 3 Ivies so is likely to get fair amount of rejection letters! Don't worry she applied to some safeties too! At some of these schools she is just hoping the athletics helps her get in ... we know it means no $$....she's a really good athlete but not a D1 superstar or anything.</p>
<p>At the same time, coaches do not go out of their way to give encouraging news. So that is definately a positive. Best of luck.</p>
<p>This particular NESCAC is not that big on ED and coach has not pushed for that at all. Other coaches at other NESCACs pushed her for ED and dropped her when they found out we would/could not do ED because we were waiting to compare fin aid packages. I know they can run from one extreme to the other. Three years ago S got packages ranging from 2600 to 22K per year from 7 diff schools so comparing can be worthwhile. Incidentally he is very happy at a school that gave him about 15K per year. This is why I would not let D lock in to ED. Besides the only school she would have done ED to does not do ED or EA.</p>
<p>Jess:
Best of luck staying patient over the next few months. We are just starting the process with some Nescac and one Ivy. Was wondering what type of academic benchmarks the coaches gave you to make you a candidate for admission? Was it the same for Nescac and Ivy? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>When my D was starting to apply to D3/D2 schools. Coaches would not even look at her until they had a copy of her transcripts. From our experience, coaches go by the minimum standards that the colleges accept students at. Does that make sense?
Jess: we had a mixed bag of "info" from coaches when she applied. One coach encouraged ED but she didnt get in so we went ED2 at her 2nd choice ( which she actually liked better but was afraid to tell us)and it turned out to be the better choice for my D. </p>
<p>Good luck all around!</p>
<p>Like hockeymom's response, we experienced the disappointment of my D not getting in (deferred) to her ED1 choice. She quickly applied ED2 to her 2nd choice - another great school. We kept our eyes wide open and took nothing for granted. If I, as a parent, was guilty of anything in the process it was "hearing what I wanted to hear" from the ED1coach. When we asked him pointblank about using an athletic tip on my daughter he originally said yes if she applied ED, but then after the application was submitted he backed off and wouldnt even answer emails that were just "touch-base" related. Something felt odd about the situation - but I downplayed it, thinking that he was just really busy and the last thing I wanted to do ws become a nuisance to him.
So my simple advice is listen to everything, try to get a firm commitment from the coach about using a tip on your daughter, and listen to your instincts along the way. Good luck.</p>
<p>I agree with finnsdad, except to say that getting a letter is a pretty good sign simply because it is really made clear that no body of a NESCAC school can offer admission beyond the admission's office.</p>
<p>My son was called and wooed by two nescac schools going so far as jumping on a plane when the one coach said it was important for him to be there for this recruiting weekend. Well, he went and loved the school. The coach told him his grades were good enough that he didn't have to use a tip on him and they'd let him know if he was in in two weeks or so. Son wrote thank you notes and all that stuff promptly. The assit coach called and left a message for son to call back and son did but the coach never called him back. On top of that, our AD called just to check to see if he "should steer the family in another direction" since he knows the head coach and HE didn't get a call back. We are not looking for aid either. So to be honest, I am more disappointed in the school's manners than whether or not my son was recruited. </p>
<p>THe other NESCAC school asked son in an email how interested are you in our school? Son said they were one of the top two (both nescac) but that he wasn't really in the strongest position to rank his choices because he wasn't admitted anywhere yet. I thought that was an extremely fair response. Why disappoint yourself by committing your brain to a number one school you may not get in? Anyway, he said he'd call him the upcoming week and yet the guy didn't call. Now, maybe he emailed some other kid who said, I'd kill to come to <insert school="" here="">, but if coaches are in the business of only going on things they want to hear, then I don't see that it would be a good fit for my kid to play there regardless of the school. </insert></p>
<p>It's disappointing and it would be nice to have that little extra push in admissions, but I think it's better to be a forthright and honest person. And frankly, these "adults" have been fairly bogus to lead a kid to spend a bunch of money to fly out there and then not even have the manners to make a two minute phone call or write a two line email. It makes the whole school look bad, and considering I wasn't asking them to give us a dime makes it worse somehow.</p>
<p>So that anyone got an actual letter this late in the process? I'd say that was a pretty solid sign.</p>
<p>So we will take it as a positive sign but nothing more. The coach also said he was going to have a team member contact her to so that she could get a feel for this team from the student's point of view.</p>
<p>That sounds good Jessephen. When son went to the campus he hung out with the entire team and felt the whole visit went really well. The team aspect of that get together left the biggest impression -- not that it matters now, but at the time it was nice.</p>
<p>I was just talking to a friend whose husband is a bigwig CEO. His feeling on recruitment are along the lines of his hiring. A quick no is far less painful than a long maybe. I like the thinking.</p>
<p>I agree about the quick no thing - you get over it and move on. It would not be very nice if this coach has led her along this long (or right up until April 1) and then she gets a no - that would be harsh. This particular college really is number two on her list and number one is H. Who actually gets into H - very few people and probably not my D. I would say in her mind the 1 & 2 are very close together.</p>
<p>Well after reading everyone else, I'll add my two cents. D is a frosh athlete at a NESCAC school right now. Met with several coaches and all seemed for the most part on the up and up. We were certainly not misled by anyone but one coach who was hot to trot after her visit, wanted transcripts right away to get a confirmation from admissions, send it ASAP, etc. Never heard back again. Of course she wasn't that interested in that school but he never even inquired again. At the same time though another coach wanted her ED1 and then again ED2 but she wouldn't commit. She was then waitlisted in RD. His response all along was his influence became less and less through the process.</p>
<p>I, however, have been told two stories by my D's friends that they were both promised that they were in great shape.....denied. Two different NESCAC schools.</p>
<p>I certainly think the email is a good sign but I must say that the admissions process is so fluid that nothing is certain until you get the letter. I wish you the best, we went through a hellacious time last March. But again to end on the positive, my daughter is extremely happy at her school, loves the coach, loves the team. It all works out in the end!!!!</p>
<p>My d2 had a great experience with her NESCAC coach before her ED acceptance. I was worried the entire time because of the "denied after being wooed" posts. D2 sent her transcripts, test scores, video etc before her unofficial visit at the school in October. When we visited, the coach said that admissions had reviewed her paperwork and were excited about her application (I paraphrase). Though I am a worrier, looking back (20/20 hindsight), this was a very positive comment from the coach and her way of saying that D2 would be admitted. Granted, she went ED so the coach had more influence. But your email is very positive and to the extent that you can relax, try to.</p>
<p>Just a quick note on coaches returning phone call...make sure it is a time they can return calls. Not sure of the sport or time of year but there are some no phone call times for different levels.</p>
<p>NESCAC is DIII and so NCAA recruiting guidelines don't apply (and wouldn't if you're talking about a senior). </p>
<p>Shesonherway: That is exactly what S was told during his visit as well. Now, to the extent that people are just busy and there is no EDII, I imagine we'd be waiting things out regardless, but I am not encouraging the love. Best to be pleasantly surprised than ill prepared.</p>