@Midwestmomofboys @tenniswimvball Thanks. Just to clarify, I’m not asking to be recruited. I’m just talking about getting into the ivies with decent tennis for education alone. My parents are old-school, meaning “well-rounded” could get you in, which isn’t necessarily true nowadays. Now, it’s about being highly skilled in a very specific skill, whether it be in sports or in some high school subject, which I don’t seem to exhibit.
There is no National Letter of Intent for a D3 school (some schools have a certificate, but it is not binding in any way), and the commitment is usually agreeing to do ED. Coaches may have some pull, but it’s hard to tell without talking to each one. There is a huge amount of trust needed on both sides, for the athlete to rule out other schools and depend on the coach to have some pull when the athlete applies ED, and for the coach to be honest in the amount of pull he really has.
@46Tennis34 I think your instincts about how little your tennis can help you get into an Ivy is right on. But is an Ivy all you can settle on? Perhaps you are feeling pressure from your parents to get into a school like that. The reality is that your tennis can help you get into a great school. @tenniswimvball gave you the suggestion to look at the Patriot League. Are there any schools there that interest you? If so, contact the coaches and let them know of your interest. Perhaps your parents will be more impressed with NESCAC schools. There are definitely recruits that get help getting into those schools. There are many, many other schools small and large that might work out too.
Once you start contacting coaches, just through email initially if you want, then you’ll start to get an idea of where you stand. At that point you should be able to focus on those schools where you can get help. Perhaps you’ll find that your standards are high enough that tennis will be of no help getting into where you want to go. At least you’ll know and perhaps your parents will have become educated by the process as well. Good luck.
@GrudeMonk Thanks. And yes, I have been emailing coaches in the NESCAC. I’m mentioning ivy leagues because preferably, I’d want to go to any ivy league and not have to play tennis then get into a school with tennis and have to spend so much time on that. But if I have to, I will. Lol, I did tell my parents that I wouldn’t stand a chance with other applicants in ivy leagues because I am only a decent tennis player, but I’d always get lectured at haha. But I will try nonetheless.
It does sound like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, so I feel confident you will end up where you should. I can see one problem developing though. A great school that’s a good fit for you may want to recruit you, but that school will require applying ED. If you decide to do that, then your dream of an Ivy with no tennis is probably gone. At least at a D3 school the time commitment is less than it would be at a D1 school. In addition having teammates that you work out with can be a stabilizing force and help you get settled and happy in your freshman year.
Also if you don’t really enjoy tennis, then you might want to rethink everything. It’s far from ideal to participate in a sport just to gain an advantage in something outside your sport. Best case scenario is that you do like tennis and you will be able to continue to enjoy it at a time and effort level that works for you.