<p>How much pull do coaches have in the admissions process?</p>
<p>I meant to ask specifically about fencing coaches…</p>
<p>At which school? I believe it varies widely between schools (even in the same Division)</p>
<p>If I were to list some of the schools I’m considering: </p>
<p>Stanford
Duke
JHU
Brown
Boston College
UNC
Haverford </p>
<p>I would be sincerely grateful for any replies! :)</p>
<p>I can only speak to the following: </p>
<p>Brown - I’m not sure if he actively recruits, but I’ve heard that he is a straight shooter when/if you reach him. (His voice mail still says he’ll be out of his office until August 28th…) I don’t know how much pull he has with admissions. Have you calculated your AI (Academic Index)? </p>
<p>The Haverford coach is very accessible. If you have the credentials (he told us no Cs after Freshman year, 700+ on each of the SAT sections) and show interest, he’ll put you on the list and that would certainly give you an edge in admissions. If you are on the bubble he said that it is more difficult. He can only “get down on his knees and beg” for one fencer each year. </p>
<p>BC - I’ve heard the coach has little or no pull, and that they have the lowest budget of all NCAA teams. She told a fencing friend of ours that she would recommend him, but that it meant little in the admissions process. </p>
<p>Best of luck in your search.</p>
<p>Thank you! My AI is at least 210…</p>
<p>Eco, I would read that ENTIRE other thread you posted on recently. </p>
<p>This one:
<a href=“college fencing recruiting - Athletic Recruits - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/930200-college-fencing-recruiting-p1.html</a></p>
<p>IMO, the person you want to get info/opinion from is sherpa…</p>
<p>Note, a lot is going to depend on how good YOU are and what holes a coach is looking to fill in a given year. You could be a good foilist, but if that coach already has a deep foil bench, it may not be any help.</p>
<p>Thank you @SevenDad‌
I did actually read that thread 
Just wanted to try starting my own thread haha</p>
<p>Epeemom’s right, it varies a lot by school. At some schools (MIT, Caltech) a coach’s recommendation is nearly worthless. At most academically competitive schools with fencing teams, being on the coach’s short list of supported applicants will mean a lot in admissions. First, the applicant needs to have the requisite grades and test scores. Without those, there’s virtually no chance. But assuming you have the academic stats, if the coach supports you through the process, you’re likely to be accepted.</p>
<p>Here’s what I know about coach’s pull at the schools you mentioned:</p>
<p>Stanford - If anything, the coach under-promises and over-delivers.
Duke - A lot of pull for strong students, but pull drops quickly as academics drop.
JHU - Definite pull, but I don’t directly know how much.
Brown - If you have the stats and the coach wants you, I believe you’re in.
Boston College - I don’t know.
UNC - I don’t know.
Haverford - The coach has pull for qualified applicants; at least three spots per year.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply @sherpa</p>
<p>How long do coaches typically take to reply to emails? </p>
<p>Some are fast; others are agonizingly slow. It never hurts to pick up the phone and call them.</p>
<p>Are any of you experts familiar with fencing in the Air Force academy? </p>
<p>I know a fair amount. What do you want to know?</p>
<p>Sherpa, how about Yale? Yale coach has some pull too? Reading from other threads, he seems not active in recruiting…</p>
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<p>He has pull but uses it very sparingly.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick response! </p>
<p>It sounds like he does have some pull, but there is a very limited number of slots for recruiting at Yale. So if he wants and supports a student/fencer with strong academic credentials (OKed from pre-evaluation by admission office), it is likely the student will be accepted?</p>
<p>Yes, very likely.</p>
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<p>Btw, I checked the Yale fencing team roster and found out there are not many top ranked fencers
(Junior Point Ranking Top 10 or even Top 20). Does this mean even a fencer ranked outside of Top 30 might have a chance at Yale? I wonder why Yale does not actively recruit stronger fencers like Harvard and Princeton…</p>
<p>
Chance to get recruited? Unlikely
Chance to make the team? Yes
It’s a mystery to me too.</p>