My D recently received an email from the coach at a NESCAC school that feedback from admissions was very good and that with the coaches backing her chance of admission is very good. Can/does a coach let an athlete know the results before they are officially released?
This question has come up repeatedly in the Athletic Recruits forum. The answer is simple. It’s a ‘no’.
Unfortunately, the coaches do not usually release results. 
My son is waiting for a decision now. His results are supposed to be released on the 15th. However, people have posted that they received results by the 12th of December. However, one recruit from this college (different sport) said that the coach told her that she has been officially accepted. She posted this information in an area where admissions could see it too. So I guess her coach did give her a heads up.
The NESCAC Admissions policy is very clear:
“All admissions decisions are rendered and delivered in writing by the admissions office only. Any communication regarding the status of admissions decisions conveyed by non-admissions personnel should be considered preliminary, unofficial, and subject to change.”
Although it is true that admissions decisions come from the admissions office, there can be something inferred from the coach’s comments. If the coach has been in his/her position for a significant period of time, he/she should have some experience judging how much weight their support yields. If the coach is relatively new to the position, I would have more concern.
@allboyz – No disrespect intended, but we’re dealing with teenagers here. Who knows exactly what the coach said to her. My son was given really strong assurances from the coach that he’d be admitted. So the coach may have told her something positive that he heard from admissions (e.g. “admissions told me that they don’t see any problem with your application”), but I think that most of these coaches are smart enough to know what they can say and what they can’t say.
Acemom,
There is no doubt that a coach who has been at a school for a while knows the admissions drill. In fact, we rely on the coach knowing the drill in assessing the odds of whether a recruit can get in at a given school to determine whether they should apply. That is fine. It is what is supposed to happen. But actually relaying a formal acceptance (or rejection), I don’t think they can do it. Nor should they. Coaches support the applications of athletes that they think will help their team. Beyond that, they are not a party to the application and do not get information from admissions about the application outcome.
So, if you are hoping for warm comfort in these final days, you have it. If you are looking for certainty of the outcome, you will (sadly) just have to wait.
I know decisions will be out in a few days, so for most it wont matter… But just curious regarding D1 schools, recruit and EA … I know coaches cannot tell recruits the admissions decision, but I’m wondering if the adcom gives them a heads up if a recruit will not be admitted, once they decide, so the coach can get going and try to get a replacement in place for the team? Seems it would be a detriment to the team if the coaches hands were tied in recruiting until decisions are made public. In other words, do they know ahead of time, although they cannot tell?
At most D1 schools (non Ivy, not Stanford) the coaches do know and can tell. Most athletes are not that close to minimum admissions standards, so the students are accepted. They may not be admitted to a particular major, but they’ll be admitted to the university. Those who are dancing close to the edge know it, the coaches know it, and they have backup plans (redshirt, go to summer school, go to a junior college). Wisconsin’s football coach left because he liked the junior college route and the university did not.
Even the early signing of the NLI for most sports happens in november, before admissions acceptance. It is of course a condition of the NLI that the student be academically accepted.
My daughter runs CC and track for a DIII school, and she was “preadmitted” during the recruitment process. What we were told was that the admissions office had given the green light to the coach to let her know that if she applied, and if nothing bad happened the rest of her senior year (as is the case with any applicant), that she would be admitted. The coach did not and can not go so far as to say she is in for sure, but that was about as close as you can get. I’m sure coaches handle that differently, however.
Just wanted to follow up to say that my D was admitted and will be running in the NESCAC next year!