<p>I've read a few posts about athletes that have been recruited by coaches at elite colleges and subsequently rejected by the admissions department.</p>
<p>This seems odd. Early in the recruitment game the coach will size up the recruit's academic credentials and run them by admissions. I would think that if the coach has clout with admissions and admissions pre-screens the recruit, then there shouldn't be too many surprises.</p>
<p>Why would an athlete be rejected by a school that recruited him/her?</p>
<p>Recruiting is a process. Someone can be a "recruit" right up until admissions says they're not. Coaches do not admit students, the admissions office does. In the best case, when the triangle of communication is good, the recruit may know sooner rather than later that their academic stats don't match the school. Recruits must ask lots of questions and listen carefully to the answers to understand where they stand with each coach and admissions department. Recruiting has its own language/code. Recruited athletes and their families would do well to be mentored by a family that has already gone through this process, preferably with the school the student is most interested in attending.</p>
<p>What riverrunner said.</p>
<p>think about this way:
you have a good athlete, but you can't justify having, let's say x freshman in y position in whatever sport....and you don't want another college to have them either! though it's harsh, i know personally of 2 cases where a recruit at top sport colleges was a "sure thing" until they weren't.</p>
<p>I think recruited athletes have to be careful. Parents hear "We are offering you a scholarship/place on the team," much more often than coaches think they say it. Coaches have a great deal of influence in the process. They are often allowed a couple of admittance exceptions (free ride into the school, within reason) and then only the lesser recruits have to sweat the admissions process. Take an honest look at where you stand: if you are being recruited to play by many schools and have multiple offers, the likelihood of being admitted is higher. Parents need to sit down with the coach and ask exactly what their child needs to accomplish in order to gain admission. If they can't tell you, then have a back up ready to go. Being recruited is common, being offered, less so.
Riverrunner is correct: there is a code and a subculture that families need to learn for whatever sport their athlete is being recruited to play. I wish I had found another family to mentor me through this process. Although happy with the result, I could have used some advice from some one with experience. One thing parents could do is to see if there are any families of prior graduates from their high school who would be willing to tell them the ins & outs of recruiting. So, if I played volleyball and I know Joe Smith played for Yale three years ago, I might call Mrs. Smith and ask her if she had any advice for me. You can also find parents through club teams who have experience and might be willing to give advice. Do not be afraid to ask the coach direct questions. If they want you, you will get direct answers. If they want you in case their other recruit doesn't commit, they will likely be less direct. Parents need to ask, "Are you offering my son a scholarship/admission/walk-on spot?" or whatever they need to know in order to assist their child with their college decision.</p>