<p>Critter: I know about the A&M riding program, Auburn is new to me (but what do I know). The D’s riding is done outside of school and few, if any of her softball or field hockey team mates know this is what she does in down-time/off-season.</p>
<p>The d is a sophomore, so athletic recruiting for her is just beginning. her grades are good (3.45 at a very academic private school) so grades, academic fit and intended major will go a long way in her making a decision.</p>
<p>My son was limited by his physical size to D2 and D3 schools for recruiting purposes… based on the positions he played in HS. He was fortunate to receive slot offers from three NESCAC schools, but had these options fallen through, he also had two other D3 schools and two D2 schools on his short list for EDII or RD consideration, as academic and financial safeties. </p>
<p>He applied EDI to his 1st choice school before 11/15 and got a call from the coach on Dec 1 that he was accepted. His official acceptance letter was dated closer to 12/15, and the estimated FA award arrived shortly thereafter - within a week? The award was very close to what the school’s FA calculator had projected… and was actually increased by the time we filed our taxes.</p>
<p>In the end, he chose the school he felt provided the best fit for him - where there were more B+ students and quality athletes like him. Geography …urban Vs. rural, and the ability to play a club sport in the off-season also weighed heavily into his final decision. The COA for these NESCAC schools would have been comparable for us, as all vow to meet demonstrated financial need (no merit, leadership, athletic, etc.). It may have been more cost effective for him to pursue his other D3 and D2 choices based on what coaches were conveying, but we feel very strongly he is in a great place that is allowing him to contribute and challenge himself, academically, athletically and socially. It’s a very good feeling.</p>
<p>“Every school has a place to eat, a place to sleep, a place to play and a place to study. Some are just nicer than others. It’s going to be the people that make the difference at the end of the day.”</p>
<p>I think this is very wise advice, now with D in her junior year at a Div. 1 school. Pay very close attention to the composition of the student body and the team. While individual coaches, assistant coaches, athletic directors, team members, roommates, etc. come and go, and frankly playing time will come and go too, there is a GENERAL feel to the people at a school and that is relatively stable over 4 years. Will your child find affinity with the others with whom s/he will be interacting at that school?</p>
<p>The coach that recruited D was happy as a clam at the school and said he’d never leave if it were up to him. The school is, after all, a fantastic place in a great location, and highly respected for both athletics and academics. Well, after freshman year the program was restructured and now D’s coach was only going to coach the men. The asst. coach was awesome and had been a major draw for D during the recruiting process, but he moved on to grad school. So D had all new coaches soph. year. Over the summer after soph. year there was a major shake-up in the program–to this day not fully comprehended, but not a scandal–and now there’s a new AD and all new coaches. So that’s 3 coaches in 3 years for our D. NO ONE could have anticipated these events at this school, and frankly it was kind of a big deal in the sport community about which many were very surprised. Each program change required some adjustment, but D’s happiness level remained the same and/or improved because the overall team and school atmosphere remained great.</p>
<p>In addition, half of the girls in D’s recruiting class are no longer on the team for various reasons. Quite a few of the older girls D met on her OV are also no longer on the team. Again, this had not impacted D’s happiness with the school or program, because she loves her friends who aren’t on the team, the kids still on the team. and has loved the newcomers each year too. OVERALL, the team culture and atmosphere is still overwhelmingly positive and like-minded people are drawn to it.</p>
<p>this is a great thread, as I read I see some of the same concerns I have for my D at here D1 program. She was recruited by the current NCAA and past two NCAA champions and frankly one school(because of talent) said hey you won’t be a 1,2 or 3 for sure in your first year, but you’ll get some action which was cool. However; we chose to go where we thought we’d have a FAIR chance at being a 2,3 & 4 most certainly, but the coach is tethered to those that he’s invested the scholarship dollars in versus let them compete for positions--------and they just don’t look like a championship squad. He likes her D’s grades, but just doesn’t think she’s ready for that level of competition, yet other coaches are asking why she isn’t competing, at our national events the buzz is she finishes better than his regulars, but she’s not competing for his team-----maybe you should think of leaving which we thought of, but the other options won’t allow the blend of political activism(she meet the President three times during the campaign as well as several other Presidential candidates, she’s appeared on two MSNBC programs as a spokesperson for her group, so she just doesn’t think she can get the same exposure if she where at another school,so sport aside that is why we chose our school.</p>
<p>The sport aspect is nice and yes she should be competing for a spot, but she is unfortunate enough to have a former Eastern bloc Olympian that doesn’t believe in healthy competition among team members…so go figure.</p>
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<p>I’m not sure what the equivalent of “sour grapes” is in this situation because my D’s athletic ability is not up to Div. I levels so we’ll never have to face that decision but I’d thought I’d pass on this thought anyway . . . </p>
<p>From talking to a couple of sets of parents whose daughters have gone on to compete in Div I, I have been struck my just how intense the training and overall situation seems to be at that level.</p>
<p>I love sports and competing but these coaches seem to be taking it to a whole other dimension.</p>
<p>I could be very wrong but I feel that is a situation my own D would thrive in.
But, as I said, not something we are likely to have to face.</p>
<p>NOTE: I had more than one thead open and I probably also posted this in another wrong thread. Apologies. Mods, if you see it somewhere else, please delete.</p>
<p>D finally made her commitment to her #1 choice Div. 1 school. Her decision was not based on the team and coach alone. SHe loves the school and the atmosphere and the city. I had reservations because it is OOS and that concerns me. Ultimately it was her decision. I do not see the coach moving on anytime soon ( but you never know ). My D is super competitive and yet the team in her league has not been the most competitive in the past. However, the coach is newer and led her former team to National Champs. I think my D sees it as an opportunity to be part of a team that will be moving up to Champions. I will admit that the visiting the schools, watching competitions, talking with coaches is so vital to the process. After visiting all of her choices she was able to weed out what she thought was important. Some schools put too much expectation into the teams, some not so much. In the end she found the school that balanced out what she needed both athletically and academically.</p>
<p>H o w does a thread whose last post was three months ago become one of the hot discussions?</p>
<p>Excellent thread. Terrific advice. Thank you, All.</p>
D’15 made her commitment late in the fall. After assessing skill level, she realized she wasn’t strong enough for HYPS. Academics are stellar (possible valedictorian) so she chose a school that was the best academic/athletic combo. In hindsight, I think she could have done better if she weren’t trying to balance both. She was recruited by mid-tier D-1. If she chose not to play, she would have been a likely Ivy/Stanford admit based on her school’s Naviance. But hindsight is always 20-20 and hopefully she will be happy with her choice.