Hi everyone, I’m a junior who is hoping to run competitively in college. I have fairly competitive grades (4.1 GPA through freshman and sophomore years), 9 AP classes through junior year, and a 1540 SAT (800 M, 740 CR). Does anyone know whether I would have a shot at walking on to Dartmouth’s XC/TF team or another ivy with a 4:17 1500m (from sophomore year)?
What are you running this year? 4:17 meets the recruiting standards for track & field (http://www.dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11600&ATCLID=205003576), so I would think you’d be very welcome as a walk-on. I would contact the running coach directly or fill out the recruiting questionnaire: https://secureq.scoutwareforms.net/q/dartmouth_tcc/b58n2.html?DB_OEM_ID=11600
Well, from personal experience, I know it is very hard to get into Dartmouth and very hard to get onto the team. The coach has more than enough kids interested in running for him. Feel free to try, but don’t get your hopes up too much. (My son was a distance runner. He was accepted to Wash U and Amherst, but rejected by Dartmouth. The coach let him know he didn’t have much of a shot at being on the team, anyway.)
@gnaawj Men’s team or Women’s?
Urk. I guess I foolishly assumed that OP was a fast girl as opposed to a not-quite-that fast boy. Ignore what I said and listen to @MaineLonghorn.
Ha, and I assumed it was a boy! If it’s a girl, that’s a different story.
If OP is a girl, she’s on everyone’s radar already:
http://www.tullyrunners.com/XC2016/NationTopXcGirls2016.htm
I believe your assumption was the more accurate one.
Assuming you are a boy (since if you a girl you would be a recruited athlete), unfortunately I do not think that they will let you walk on. (I noted on their website that the size of the men’s team was capped) A friend’s daughter was told that if she got in she could walk on. After she was admitted it was “possibly” and then two weeks later a NO. They were dishonest so I would pick your school by where you want to get your education. Dartmouth does have a running club which provides an opportunity to run /train and race.
Good Luck
It was interesting - Dartmouth was the one school my son really didn’t like, but he applied there because everybody thought he should. He didn’t like the coach or the campus (I don’t even know if it’s the same coach anymore, because this was awhile back). And it was the one school he applied to that rejected him.
Sorry to be misleading: I am a boy! However, I haven’t really trained offseason before and have een doing relatively low mileage prior to this off season (35ish miles per week during the season). hoping to bring my times down a lot this season (junior year) due to starting a serious offseason training program. Are recruiting standards typically what you need to hit to walk on?
Yes, the recruiting standards in running are specific and required, especially for Division 1 schools. My daughter is a runner and visited Dartmouth. The coach interviewed her and told her exactly how much she needed to improve her PRs to be recruited. Otherwise they were not interested and she would be just the same as any other applicant to Dartmouth.
@gnaawj you only need to hit the recruiting standards by the end of junior year, but that means you need to drop at least 15 seconds off your 1500 time.
@MaineLonghorn , there is a bit of a tradition of academically strong runners from our mutual HS and others in the area going to D. That is probably a significant reason why people would think your S should apply. The year my S applied RD, two runners from the next town were recruited. My S, as you know, had some success at the HS and state level but he was not in their league. (And they were not in the league of the famous runner four years before, who was nationally ranked. 
)
At the party that summer for D '12s, there was a kid who had times in the same range as one of the recruited runners, but who hadn’t tried to be recruited for track. From the discussion amongst those in the know, it seemed likely that an alum who was involved in recruiting would give the coach a call and he might be able to walk on if the numbers allowed it.
The year my son talked to the Dartmouth coach, the coach made it clear he had more than enough runners. He said walking on wouldn’t be a possibility. Of course, that could change from year to year.