<p>In terms of verbal committments, that is indeed the problem as I see it in ice hockey---kids commit early to D1 programs --even before they get their board scores etc and then basically lock out all other players...</p>
<p>I know of one boy who committed to Brown (yea, Brown again) prior to taking his boards and ended up with 900 on the M/V on his SATs--all his bridges were burned hockey wise, and obviously Brown would not admit him. Now he will be playing baseball--full ride at a D1 program though not Ivy and pretty low level D1</p>
<p>Recruits weighing Ivy options against scholarship offers from other schools are at a disadvantage without the Ivy likely letter, since admissions is always the big question at Ivy schools. It can be many months or even years from the time that an athlete begins receiving athletic scholarship offers and Ivy schools make their EA/ED decisions. Holding out for Ivy admissions can cost you a scholarship. A likely letter at least puts the question of admission to rest and the athlete can make a decision based on other considerations.</p>
<p>I don't know exact details but my D's friend has narrowed it down to 3 schools by late spring of junior year. My end of summer she already knew where she was going. I doubt that any of the school's took applications from juniors. This was a div 1 athlete on scholarship.
I also read in the local sports page that a athlete on one of the teams in a tournament was going to be playing for Georgetown next year.
On the other hand I also have heard about an athlete who did not apply to a school being recruited in June of senior year. She is a multi-sport athlete whose scholarship is supposedly coming from the other sport she plays not the recruited sport. And even stranger is that the sport the scholarship is in she is would not have been a recruit. People are still trying to figure that one out.</p>
<p>mom60: The team probably ran out of scholarships & still wanted her. Used a spare scholarship on another team to snag a good athlete. NCAA has rules preventing certain sports (usually reveune) from doing this. Even if the athlete is a superstar in lacrosse, for example, and a walk-on caliber player in football, his athletic scholarship will be charged against the football team.</p>
<p>You know, I actually thought I knew more than the average person about college admissions before I read this thread. This is all new to me, even after reading the NYTimes series on athletic recruitment. I just had no idea athletic recruiting happened so early in the process.</p>
<p>I'm with you. I read Bill Pennington's series AND Chris Lincoln's book AND my S is "being recruited" (called constantly, invited on official visits, etc.) but I still have no idea what's going on. It is much different in the Ivy League and NESCAC. Hooks are nice, but our kids still have to look around. No assumptions should be made, and they have to understand that this opera ain't over until the fat envelope sings.</p>
<p>Having a student-athlete, particular one with high stats (GPA, SAT, athletic ability, etc.) results in a very interesting and complicated admissions process. Student-athletes with lower stats traditionally look solely at the scholarship schools that admit without much regard for stats and/or schools where they can excel at their sport. Those with the high stats have the added complication of finding the 'right academic/athletic fit' which may include the elite LACs, Ivies, etc. What this student-athlete has to do is determine what is best for him/her, do alot of research, ask questions, and, in particular, start early. (I would recommend the end of sophomore year or the summer between sophomore and junior year.)</p>
<p>The tricky part in our experience thus far is the pressure from these schools to apply ED---in our case, we have one coach asking our son to apply ED1 and the other ED2---the ED2 school is his first choice, but if he does not get in, he has burned his bridges with the other school.</p>
<p>Momof2sons-
Has your son approached the coach of his first choice school, indicating that it is his first choice? Has asked the coach whether his stats have been reviewed and whether they can/will issue him a 'likely letter'? In many cases, schools which do not offer scholarships will not send a likely letter unless it is requested.</p>
<p>We are still working on that piece of the communication(coach was just married over labor day and has been on his honeymoon!). Our son plans to call him this week to let the coach know his thoughts and to set up an overnight visit</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you think about it, it does the other Division I schools a favor because it allows the kid to commit to the Ivy with certainly that he'll be admitted, rather than make a commitment to another school that he then breaks when the Ivy finally admits him.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I remember Michelle Fernandez talking about this in "A is for Admission"--it is called a "squeeze play" (which I like as the mother of a baseball player ;) ). The scholarship offer is extended by the D1, then the player goes to the Ivy and says that he/she will commit to the D1 if he isn't basically given a strong likely letter from the Ivy, which forces the Ivy to make a decision on the candidate. This of course assumes that he is desperately wanted by both.</p>
<p>I have read here and there that you have to be AWFULLY careful with coaches who demand a commitment and "guarantee" that the kid will get in. Lots of old threads on this here site about that kind of situation. Be very careful and don't believe it until you have the letter (from ADMISSIONS, not from the coach) in hand. StateYourName I LOVE your "fat envelope sings"!</p>
<p>The other aspect to keep in mind is who is currently playing the position your child is touting as their best position......does the dream school have a sophmore currently playing as shortstop, for instance? If your child is a shortstop, then the likelihood is the coach will use their slots for other positions, ie ones being currently played by seniors. It really pays for the family to understand the depth of bench for your child's favorite school or top few choices. The coach may have to fill real holes, as opposed to considering great students/superstars but for a position that is already full...hence, they don't need your chilld. Your research on depth of bench is an important component to the recruitment process. May be elementary to most, but don't want to assume this is truly understood.</p>
<p>6-8 recruited athletes are a very low number from prep schools. By the time it will be over, you would find 45-50 kids who are athletics recruited early in all kind of colleges including Ivies, LACs, and Division I schools. Even tech schools would send emails to kids with stats/GPAs but who have something to offer in sports.</p>
<p>and apologies...it is Michele Hernandez--I realized it when I re-read my post after work. It has been years since I read her book, but it was the first one I read, and one of the best.</p>
<p>How do these athletes get admission or a likely letter or a nod whatever? Many people claimed that only a full committee makes decision on each kid’s chances before giving admissions? What happened to committee? Are they enrolling kids for next year admission cycle this year?</p>
<p>This process does not seems a very fair process. But it is reality and we have to accept it.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at an Ivy and was recruited in a non-revenue sport. During the summer before senior year he was sent a special application with RECRUIT and his sport marked on it. The coach gets a pre-read from admissions on all his recruits. Of course, admissions doesn't have the recs and essays at this point. The kid is rated "high", "medium" or "low" for each of the different colleges at this university (engineering, arts/sciences etc). If the kid is rated high, admission is almost (but not 100% guaranteed). This helps the kid decide if it is worth taking the ED shot at that school. The VERY top recruit or two in the sports have a slightly easier time and can have a spot in the more selective school within the university.</p>
<p>MomofWildChild: Many thanks for your comment. At what point did the Coach communicate the High/Med/Low "early read" result from Admissions, and was that result communicated in writing? I recognize that only an actual Admissions Committee letter "counts", but we are in exactly the position you described: juggling visits over the next month to determine where S should apply ED. Obviously, it makes no sense to apply ED to a school where an "early read" didn't result in a High or Med response. I guess the real questions are: How does one extract this data from a coach? Should it be volunteered?</p>
<p>Look for the old thread (2 falls ago) called something like "Is Enthusiastic Coach's Call same as a Likely Letter" or search on Dizzymom. There is a lot of good info in that thread.
We got the rating information early fall of S's senior year. This particular coach is wonderful, but is stretched thin and not always the best communicator. As you said, the coach can NOT guarantee admission, and I have known a number of very disappointed ED athletes (from one Ivy in particular- not my son's.....). However, son's coach said in over 20 years he has had only 1 or 2 kids ranked "high" NOT get admitted. In one case the kid's principal wrote to the college Admission Director and said the kid was a bad kid and should not be accepted. The impression I got was that you would really have to blow your essays and recs to not get in if you are rated high. MOST Ivy coaches should give you a good idea of your chances before they encourage you to apply ED. The Colgate coach told son he gets a pre-read on all his kids and will NOT have them apply ED if he is not virtually certain they will be admitted. He has a very close relationship with Admissions and has been at the school a long time. Other things that matter are how highly regarded the coach is, his or her relationship with Admissions, whether they have a new coach and have "promised" the coach he/she will get the recruits they want.....</p>
<p>Stateyourname, here is one suggestion from a parent who went through this last year -- have your child save one official visit for the post ED period. Usually ED/EA works out for recruited athletes, but just in case, for whatever reason, your child's early school doesn't pan out, it is invaluable to have an official visit left in your back pocket for January and February. I was amazed at the calls my child received over the winter. I assumed that by then the rosters would be fairly set, but either coaches didn't get the kids they thought they would or kids didn't follow through on their commitments (or some combination) but much to my surprise two of the tip top ivies came calling over the winter.</p>
<p>Thanks again MoWC, and in connection with such thanks, yet more questions:</p>
<p>In each case was the early read on an application, or simply in response to GPA and boards as the student listed on the school's "Quesionaire for Prospective Student-Athletes" (that asks for sports stats and awards as well)?</p>
<p>S was asked to and has submitted the athlete's questionaire (electronically or on paper) at nearly a dozen schools (Ivy and NESCAC), and has been in constant email and phone contact with the coachs. In a couple of cases an unofficial transcript has been requested. Is there a clear yes/no data point that you, in your unique experience, can point to as being a "reliable" indicator? He has done unofficial visits to each school and is now being invited on official weekends. Perhaps at the official visits he can put the question to the coaches. What was your experience regarding timing?</p>
<p>Last question: S is doing 95% of this himself. In your judgment, at what point may/should a parent interpose some "adult supervision" on the process?</p>
<p>And thank you for the reference to the other thread. I may have already read it, but I'm going back.</p>