<p>Hi y'all on this forum....I am not personally involved in this situation, but need some advice for a good friend's child:</p>
<p>Girl was recruited for Div I sport and received a likely letter etc.....all assumed that girl would apply ED (and was required to do so)....</p>
<p>Fast forward to last week: Parent receives an email from the coach basically stating that it wasn't necessary for the entire group of recruits to apply ED; kid has the option to apply ED or RD....</p>
<p>Is this kosher? No experience in this aspect of college admissions, but I presumed that recruits were required to apply ED...</p>
<p>Also, does this/would this affect FA? (not athletic scholarships, but financial aid if applying for)....</p>
<p>I am just concerned that something weird is going on here and that there is a risk of waiting until later on to put application in.....</p>
<p>you would want to see what kind of letter she received and whether it was binding on the University. A likely letter is primarily, if not exclusively, an Ivy League phenomenon, used by the Ivy League schools to compete with scholarship schools. A likely letter is usually, if not always, granted after the application has been filed. In almost all cases, once an Ivy issues a likely letter, the ahtlete is in. If, instead, the friend’s daughter received some vague sounds of assurance or non binding correspondence, there might be reason for concern. She should probably call the coach to try to clear it up, as it is relatively late in the recruiting seasons for most sports.</p>
<p>that was exactly my concern; yes, it was a letter with a binding commitment on the part of the coach last spring…( I guess it’s just not called a “likely letter” based on what you posted)</p>
<p>My concern, however, is this ED/RD issue and it’s impact on financial aid…any thoughts?</p>
<p>You would, among other things, want to take a very close look at the letter. under what circumstances can the offer be withdrawn? We say numerous cases in the press where scholarship offers are withdrawn. Under generally applicable legal principles, a contract is not binding until there is an acceptance. Has there been an acceptance? The intial offer, however, may not include financial terms. In other words, I guess it is possible they could just make the financial terms unattractive. In any case, why worry. discuss it with the coach.</p>
<p>my D got a couple similar letters her junior year but they were not LL’s or anything that would really be classified as a real commitment, although if she had chosen one f those schools and not get in the letter was certainly the kind of thing that would raise admissions eyebrows.</p>
<p>LL’s or real written commitments don’t come until senior year.</p>
<p>your friend should call the coach, I suspect the kid is in but I’d make some calls.</p>
<p>I doubt it was a hard commit from the school. It almost… sounds like what was “received” was a verbal commitment. And, as is well known, verbal commitments are as good as the paper they are written on.</p>
<p>The combination of “no ED required” and lack of actually reading the letter seems… odd. If it turns out for the better, congrats to all and enjoy your college. But if the original person is still asking I would suggest that the original person call the coach directly and simply ask. If the original person has completed their junior year it is legal to call and/or email. Simply ask.</p>
<p>There is no sport or conference identified here. If this is the Ivy League, it is not a binding commitment guaranteeing admission because it was offered in the junior year. Likely letters are not offered until beginning in October of one’s senior year and are offered by the admissions office, not the coach. Further, there is not commitment for an athletic scholarship since the Ivies only offer need based assistance, which is granted by the Admissions and Financial Aid office without consideration for any athletic ability or contribution made by the student.</p>
<p>If it is not the Ivy League and it occurred in the athlete’s junior year, it was a non-binding offer for an athletic scholarship with an implied offer of admission. In 98% of D1 schools, if the coach has made this offer, you’ll be admitted if you can get out of the NCAA Clearinghouse. If the athlete accepted the offer, then the athlete made a non-binding verbal commitment. Either party may withdraw from the agreement until the athlete’s senior, when they sign a NCAA sanctioned Letter of Intent. After this occurs, either the Fall or the Spring of the athletes’s Senior year, the school is obligated to provide an athletic scholarship and the athlete is obligated to play for the school for a term of one year. The agreement is not automatically renewable, but can be renewed at the discretion of the school. If the athlete chooses not to return to the school, they are subject to fairly severe restrictions on playing at the school to which they are transferring.</p>
<p>This is just for D1. D2 and D3 have their own structure, rules, and requirements.</p>
<p>If Rodney’s friend’s daughter received any such letter from an Ivy in her junior year, it would offer no commitment as likely letters cannot be extended at that time and cannot be extended by the coach. If the school is not an Ivy, it is then probably a non-binding offer of a scholarship with an implied offer of admission. This offer only becomes binding once the Letter of Intent is signed in the athlete’s senior year.</p>