Hi,
I am a senior and I was wondering if I can get into school based on my athletic ability. My sport is sprints, and I am sprinting within the listed D3 range for sprints in the 100m and 200m. My academics and ECs are also very competitive, but would it be easy for me to simply contact the coach at MIT and ask if I can join the track and field team, and they would let me in based on my qualifying times and strong academics?
This happened last year for one of my friends who was academically strong but great at baseball, and got into MIT for baseball.
I would say not. Sorry. Being within D3 sprint times might not be enough. You need to bring more. Like D1 times since you are only average. With MIT, all applicants are very strong academically so I will put you equal to them as well. Being D3 good just makes you average again. You need more than that to get in “easily”. I say that lightly as I doubt anything will get you into MIT easily.
It’s worth contacting the coach, though, for sure. If the coach wants you on the team, he or she can offer a “pre-read” that, if successful, might lead to a “tip,” which is a very, very big help in admissions. @jonhcoogan
Have to agree with the above. Recruiting should occur at latest summer of your junior year, especially because most D3 schools (any school, really) wants you to apply ED/EA because you’ll have a higher chance than if you apply RD. Yes, they have a pull with admissions but unless its D1 they only have so much say.
The pre-read can boost your confidence, but especially with MIT, the coaches don’t have a strong pull with adcom at all. Your academic application should be able to mostly stand on its own competitively against other applicants.
The rule of thumb for MIT is “if the student were hit by a bus and couldn’t compete any more, would he still be admitted to MIT?”. The coaches’ “pull” is really more along the lines of independent confirmation of the students’ athletic claims than any ability to admit students in order to field an athletic team.
Bottom line, when you want a tippy top like MIT, you need to be able to learn what they look for, that’s not going on assumptions about what someone else says or did. MIT has lots of info available.
And if you are a senior, this is crazy late to be pulling together ideas.
Contact the coach ASAP. Coaches at MIT have very little clout with admissions, but they do send a list of athletes they would like to have on their teams. I don’t think MIT even gives likely letters. But that does not matter in your case because you are late to reach out to any coaches. But you are a SPRINTER and as such your times speak for themselves. Since you say your times stack up well, then he can evaluate you pretty quickly. MIT track does publish a list of qualifying times for all events that includes times they expect of recruits and times that will qualify you as a “walk on.” See if you can find that list with a google search. If not, the coach can share it with you. A simple email to the coach with your times and letting you know you applied could not hurt. Attach an athletic resume to the email if you have one. Hopefully you get admitted with or without coach help and having contact with the coach will make joining the team more smooth. Don’t show up first day of class expecting to walk onto the track team. No doubt there will be summer training expected. Good luck!