<p>Ok... so this is probably the 17th (or is it the 18th?) thread about athlete recruitment. But learning a little more about how recruitment works for Division I, II, & III schools, I came to know that there are quite a few differences between them.</p>
<p>Some older threads regarding recruitment mentioned that a Division III school wouldn't accept a recruited athlete if he didn't appear to be a good fit for the school as a student. On the other hand, as Division I athletes are more qualified than D III athletes (as far as their sport is concerned), D I schools do accept kids with not-so-good academics. </p>
<p>I am an athlete recruited by Columbia University this year and I'm applying RD to SEAS - The Fu Foundation School. My stats are in place and I'm a straight A kid, but I can't help but wonder how much athlete recruitment "actually" helps.</p>
<p>It would be very helpful if you could throw some light on this.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Every coach of an intercollegiate sport has a certain allotment of recruiting spots, and he has the power to basically call up the admissions office and say "take this kid", and unless you've got a criminal record or something they're probably going to go along with it. If that's the case, it's a big help, and i've known athletes with rather mediocre stats for whom athletic recruiting lowered the bar.</p>
<p>However, if he just says "if you get in, come talk to me, we've got a spot for you on the team", or the like, that's not a commitment to use one of his slots. So parse what the coach has told you carefully.</p>
<p>Finally - and this is very important - Puck Frinceton.</p>
<p>I have a friend who is currently a recruited athlete at Columbia. She was well outside the top 25% of the class, and I believe her ACT scores were a few points below the 25% mark. She applied early decision and recieved a likely letter. From what she's told me, almost every single recruitment spot is taken in the early decision round. Another friend of mine was a recruited athlete at Brown. She said the requirements for recruitment were that the athletes needed to have an average of 1800 on their SAT's. Ivy League coaches aren't allowed to say "you're in", but if he hasn't actually told you that you are one of his limited number of recruits, you will not get the same benefit.</p>
<p>Especially for non-revenue sports, you'd have to be the among the coach's top picks to have the Adcoms give you a wink on your stats, and even then, there's only so much leeway. Seniors2008's post sounds about right. For the revenue sports, things are different. For Service Academies, things are WAY different.</p>
<p>Denzera</p>
<p>My coach has assured me that I'm already on the team. I won't need to try out or anything once I'm selected, I'm already part of the team.</p>
<p>as seniors2008 points out as well, there is a gulf between "you're on the team if you get admitted", and "I will use one of my favors with the admissions office to get you admitted as a recruit".</p>
<p>Not everything that comes out of the coach's mouth is the same.</p>
<p>^ Valid point. All I know as of now is that:</p>
<p>1) My coach has told me that I'm already on the team. I'm not one of those "you-may-try-out-if-you-make-it" athletes.</p>
<p>2) My coach has told me that he has sent a letter of recommendation to the admissions office and has told me that I'm at the top of his recruiting list and that he'll try his best to get me in.</p>
<p>I guess I'm at a <em>pretty</em> safe spot as long as I don't do anything stupid. Also, recruitment isn't a crutch for me, my class rank is #1.</p>
<p>
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Especially for non-revenue sports, you'd have to be the among the coach's top picks to have the Adcoms give you a wink on your stats, and even then, there's only so much leeway. Seniors2008's post sounds about right. For the revenue sports, things are different. For Service Academies, things are WAY different.
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<p>There's no such thing as a "revenue sport" at Columbia. This isn't Ohio State.</p>
<p>being a recruit can EXTREMELY help you especially if you have decent grades and are good enough to play in the ivies. i know kids in my school who were in the bottom half of the school and are playing sports at columbia, yale, dartmouth etc. so it can help a ton. now if you are a top athlete AND student- you may not be put on the "coach's list" so that you do not use up a spot that could be used to boost another lesser student's chances in the admissions process</p>
<p>and just b/c the coach tells you you're at the top does not mean you actually are. i have heard countless stories of these fibs</p>
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and just b/c the coach tells you you're at the top does not mean you actually are. i have heard countless stories of these fibs
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<p>I was going to add that, too. That's a great point. They have little incentive not to lie.</p>
<p>Wneckid99</p>
<p>A very valid point. I'm very sure I'm not in one of his "spots", he'd rather have them for applicants who are beter than me at his sport and are worse than me academically. And I think it's fair too, weaker students would need more hlp getting admitted. Plus, the coach would want the best to come in, after all, he wants his sport to gain at the end of the day.</p>
<p>But if I am a straight A student, I guess even a letter of recommendation to admissions would help (which is sent for all recruited athletes, not just for the ones on "spots") me show that I'm good at my sport. Well ofcourse, the applicants on the spots will have the pleasure of the coach hovering over the admissions officer's back while he's making decisions.</p>
<p>As you probably know, coaches want recruited athletes to guarantee that they will attend if selected. How does one do that?</p>
<p>By applying early decision. That's why almost every single spot is taken in the ED round. I would be surprised if this coach saved a spot for a regular decision athlete.</p>
<p>^ Ok... them I'm pretty sure all the spots must've been taken up. But I don't think the coach will take me in one of those spots, that's because neither do I need that much help gettting in, nor am I the best athlete in his sport for this session.</p>
<p>He has sent a letter of recommendation to admissions though, which will definitely help me, maybe not as much as an athlete in a spot.</p>
<p>first what sport are you playing in?</p>
<p>Athlete recruitment definitely helps(see The</a> Eye : Ivy League Hustle). Hell, they even extended the ED deadline a whole week for Owen Langley because he missed it! If you have decent(read: B average in honors classes and 1300+ SATs), and are being recruited, you have practically a guaranteed acceptance.</p>
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But I don't think the coach will take me in one of those spots, that's because neither do I need that much help gettting in, nor am I the best athlete in his sport for this session.
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<p>What do you mean you don't need "that much help"? RD has like a 7% acceptance rate. I'm no expert on athlete stuff, but my guess is that this is the type of situation where the coach can help you get in only if you're really borderline and on the cusp. But I'm not sure.</p>
<p>mikesown</p>
<p>I'm way better than that definition of "decent". I'm a straight A student with the toughest courseload my school has to offer and my CR+Math score is better than 1300. I hope you're right! </p>
<p>Columbia2002</p>
<p>True. But the coach won't take me in one of his "spots" as I'm neither the best recruit he has, nor am I bad (or even "decent") at studies that I would need a lot of help getting in. The coach would definitely prefer his "spots" to be comprised of people who are the best at his sport and need help in admissions as their academics don't fit the bill. Thanks for the advice!</p>
<p>EVERY top recruit -- 1100 SAT or 1500 SAT -- needs all the help he can get. It's an extremely competitive process. A coach would use his "spots" for a superstar athlete with a 4.0/1500 because there's not even close to a guarantee that the person will otherwise get in. You're diminishing how this works.</p>