<p>Would anyone like to read my letter to the Princeton Basketball coach and give me some feedback?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>I think that you already asked this question on this and other boards and the consensus was that since you are just a freshman and will perhaps be playing JV next year that you would be well served to work on your academics and your school work and hold off on contacting coaches for a little while. (If you are going to write to the coach anyway, since you have said that your brother is being recruited, perhaps he or a parent would be willing to help you.) </p>
<p>You should chill out a bit on the college athletics push and keep working hard to improve your game and your academics and start this process when you see how your next varsity or AAU team season is going. </p>
<p>One thing you may wish to consider, as someone else has suggested, is going to summer basketball camps at some of the schools in which you are interested in order to get on the radar. But right now, it isn’t very likely that a letter from a frosh team player, star or not, is going to get anything more than a polite “I will keep you in mind” or “Contact me in a year or two” response. Your time would be better spent on your academics.</p>
<p>I’d like to second Columbia1985. Both on this board and in PMs, you’ve been give a great deal of good advice. Patience is hard, but “a watched pot doesn’t boil.” You have done all the right things and have the info you need. Your priorities should be working on your books and game. Get on an AAU team and play. Register for elite camps this summer. Contact prep school coaches at schools you’re interest in.</p>
<p>College coaches at the Ivy and mid major level are focused on completing their recruiting for the class of 2010. They might have the highest profile 2011’s on their radar (from seeing them at camps, in high school games. or in AAU competition. Only the very best 2012’s may have a small profile. They are unconcerned with 2013’s (freshman). Even if you are at the top of the heap right now, there will be so much change over the next few years, they don’t have the time to invest in watching this group at this stage of development.</p>
<p>Contacting coaches too early in the process without the “cred” to deserve his attention could negatively impact his impression of you and how you are considered when it is your time.</p>
<p>Help yourself by working on your books and game and spend less time over-thinking your situation and re-asking the same questions on this board. Everyone here wants to help you, but you need to step up and help yourself.</p>
<p>Calm down and enjoy your freshman year. Be here now.</p>
<p>Excellent advice.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you also start adding additional schools to your target list. While it’s great to have a dream school in mind, the simple fact of the matter is that basketball rosters are pretty small, and there are probably 100 qualified kids (athletically and academically) for each available roster spot. By broadening your options, you stand a much better chance of continuing your playing career beyond high school.</p>
<p>xAxBxC, there’s a lot of excellent advice here. I’ll try not to be repetitive, but I’d like to add on the “dream school” front that it’s definitely a good idea to cast a wide net and look at a wide variety. A dream school is fine, but not only is gaining admission to Princeton very tough, you may discover it’s not right for you later on. When I was a freshman, I always thought I’d want to go to Harvard. Why? It’s Harvard. I knew nothing about the school, though. I put myself in position to have a solid shot (as solid as there can be) at admission with or without athletics, but as I researched schools junior year/summer after, and thought about what I actually wanted in my college experience, I discovered Harvard wasn’t even close to right for me, and it didn’t even make my final list. I’m not saying you haven’t researched Princeton or other schools enough, but you will change and grow significantly between now and junior/senior year. By widening your search, you’ll be left with many options if suddenly Princeton isn’t so wonderful…</p>