<p>citygirlsmom: First she can play FH and is quite skillful. She would be happy to play club sport in case she could not make it to the team.
FH is not something you can walk in and play it does need skills.</p>
<p>febreze88: My D has her own way of getting the information and I do have mine. I don't tell her what to do and what not.</p>
<p>The information I want is mostly for myself so that I can have the knowledge and can engage in some meaningful talk with my D.</p>
<p>I'm not like some parent who like to dictate their children without having all the information. I on the other hand gets all the information and talk to my D as a friend.</p>
<p>"I think we are talking about intelligent people who don't grind and it comes natural to these kids. But this natural instinct works only in limited area and not across the board. "</p>
<p>It's possible to have a lot of natural talent in two different areas (science and humanities, for instance.) It's obviously less common than in just one area, but it happens.</p>
<p>^^^
Agreed. But I think that there ultimately is a connection between all of the subject areas. In order to succeed in writing, math, science, etc. you just need to be able to think logically and creatively. I guess that for most people that is easier said than done though...</p>
<p>
[quote]
So if these intelligent kids stretch to other areas then they are playing the game otherwise they should be happy with their natural instincts to score couple of B's or C's in that area.
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Hahahaha...I'm sorry that your personal experience has been so bleak, but it's extremely hilarious that you'd assume that it's "natural instinct" to do poorly in class. That seems to be the attitude of the American education system, but for the kids who do really well? Nope, sorry. All of the really top-notch students at my school take difficult classes and get A's because as Newjack said, we wouldn't be able to stand the alternative. </p>
<p>It has nothing to do with parental pressure or college admissions - I thought of choosing colleges as a complete nuisance until this fall, and the parents were never really concerned about the whole grades thing. 4 of the other 5 top students at my school are the same (the last one had an unfortunate application season...).</p>
<p>The simple truth is, some people want to do their best. We realize that we have the capacity to do well, so we learn as much as possible. We take AP/IB classes because we like a challenge - and frankly, because we can avoid those people who feel it's "natural" to slack off and be idiots. And we get As because that's our personal standard.</p>
<p>It's true that some people completely contrive their applications and do nothing but try to outdo everyone else for the sake of admissions. But it is totally ridiculous to come here claiming that we're all "just playing the game," simply because you are.</p>
<p>Regarding your D's application, if she likes field hockey she should do it regardless of Ivy admissions. Sports always add a different dimension, though I agree with everyone that you've gotta be the absolute top for it to "give you an edge." It would have been better had she actually been able to keep a club going at her school and had been persistent in playing outside of school. It may not be too late to salvage this, but she really needs to show some real commitment to the sport.</p>
<p>I think many, many applicants to Ivy League schools have played varsity sports. Don't forget all the kids coming from prep schools, who most likely have played a varsity sport. Just the kids needed to field teams in the wide range of interscholastic sports means most kids were on a team- and usually at the varsity level. Not the case, of course, with large publics.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, why are you pushing your daughter so hard to go to an Ivy? I know you know what the Ivy League is (specifically, 8 schools in a sports conference), but when you say "ivy league" do you really mean "a very highly ranked school?" Surely you are aware that there are MANY other schools that are just as good as the Ivys (and many are even ranked higher, since you are so concerned about prestige...) Would you not be just as happy if you daughter ended up somewhere like Duke (just an example), which is ranked above many of the ivys? (and a school for which MANY students turn down ALL of the Ivys...)</p>
<p>Assuming your worries expressed here are being relayed to your daughter, it seems like a lot of stress is being put on a 17 (?) year old girl. Please be careful, such stress can cause a lot of problems, and I am sure she is putting plenty of pressure on herself already.</p>
<p>Parentofivyhope, I saw on an earlier thread you were talking about your D wanting to major in some sort of engineering while completing premed requirements. I hate to tell you, someone who is going to have a very, very challenging curriculum like that is not going to have time for D1 athletics. Even an accomplished girl like your D.</p>
<p>ParentofIvyhope -
Again - there is just no way that your daughter is going to use field hockey to get into Harvard - even if you think she is a skilled player.</p>
<p>I am not quite sure why it surprises you that Ivy league schools have field hockey teams - FH was traditionally an east coast, prep school sport.<br>
The Harvard Roster is full of accomplished field hockey players - they have played in the Futures program, they are All-Americans, they are on National teams. They are not your "average" high school varisty starter.
If she is a rising senior - then I am also willing to bet that Harvard's recruiting is just about finished for her class.
Time to search for another "hook".</p>
<p>To try a little synthesis of the good advice above: Top achievement and talent in a sport can help a student gain admission into a school, but the emphasis has to be on "top." In this case, it just doesn't seem possible to achieve that with this particular sport in your daughter's situation...it's just unrealistic.
The followup question is, would playing this sport be a good use of time in the summer between junior and senior year? The answer to that is: maybe. It depends on what the alternatives are. Colleges want to see a number of ECs, preferably ones in which the student excels, shows commitment, and shows leadership. What would your daughter have to give up to play this sport in the summer? If it's another activity that she truly loves and does well in, it's probably not worth it. If, on the other hand, she was just going to spend the summer taking SAT prep courses, then let her play.</p>
<p>Newjack88 :"Agreed. But I think that there ultimately is a connection between all of the subject areas. In order to succeed in writing, math, science, etc. you just need to be able to think logically and creatively. I guess that for most people that is easier said than done though..."</p>
<p>I think this is where we differ. This is what I call study skills, yes some are good at it. These students normally successful in any subject they lie their hands on as long as the test is on the material covered. These students will also do well in online courses, self studies.</p>
<p>But you don't call these students as genius or intelligent. Study skills are aquired over the time and may come up with proper upbringing.</p>
<p>So coming back to what an intelligent person is? A person who can think about something on their own. Doesn't need to confine themselves with the written material boundaries.
It will be very difficult for a mathematical genius to cram Historical dates just to Ace the exam. His mind will always wander solving the intergrals or differentials.</p>
<p>So I think you need do some more study or may be you have good study skills but cannot think outside the box.</p>
<p>Hanajima Arashi : "Hahahaha...I'm sorry that your personal experience has been so bleak, but it's extremely hilarious that you'd assume that it's "natural instinct" to do poorly in class. That seems to be the attitude of the American education system, but for the kids who do really well? Nope, sorry. All of the really top-notch students at my school take difficult classes and get A's because as Newjack said, we wouldn't be able to stand the alternative. "</p>
<p>Ok it seems another good with study skills who think they are intelligent. If you cann't comprehend what I said then it is beyond your capabilities.</p>
<p>The point was that an intelligent person can be successful in one area without effort but for all other subject area they will have to work their butt off, otherwise the most intelligent of all at Caltech would have lot of life to live. </p>
<p>It is not that an intelligent person get B's or C's but that if they won't try hard to get an A then on just the ability they may get B and C in a subject that is of not their interest. But since everyone wants to play the game and maximize their chances of admission to Ivies these intelligent students also struggle hard to take courses they don't like and get As.</p>
<p>So in short everyone is trying to play the admission game. So what is wrong in my playing it or trying to become a bit better.</p>
<p>Alum007: I do understand your point. If it is for me I would love to go to UCB EECS as I really think it is a great program and will shape any one professional career with the best possible skills.</p>
<p>But my D is different she had her eyes on Yale ever since she is in middle school. So I just want to support her and make sure she gets into her dream college. </p>
<p>I always prefer engaging in meaningful conversation with my D. So when she informed me that the Ivies has Women FH teams and she would love to play for the college, I wanted to gather information.</p>
<p>It was much helpful in discussing yesterday night as I had some knowledge about the sytem too. So I was able to talk to her that Ivies are D1 teams and it is not easy to be a recruited athelete.
She told me that she knows and wasn't trying to get recruited as she already had a talk with her school atheletic director. She just wanted to convey to the university that this is something she loves as a sport and will be happy to be playing for the team or in a club if she is given a chance.</p>
<p>JustAMomOf4: I just was able to talk to the Harvard Atheletic Department and was told that not all members of Women FH teams are recruited atheletes, and it may make sense in contacting the coaches. There are lots of students who actually join teams after getting acceptances without being recruited atheletes.</p>
<p>In case you missed it: an eye-opening article (really a series of articles) on how hard it is to be a recruited athlete and, surprising to me, how little money is available.</p>
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The life of the scholarship athlete is so arduous that coaches and athletes said it was not unusual for as many as 15 percent of those receiving athletic aid to quit sports and turn down the scholarship money after a year or two.</p>
<p>I came in with 10 recruited girls, Stephanie Campbell said. There are four of us left as seniors. Not everyone was on scholarship, but maybe half who left were getting money.
<p>LurkNessMonster: One thing to clear up. We are not looking for a way to fund her expenses. My D won't be applying for Financial Aid. </p>
<p>We are just looking for any leverage this might provide getting into the colleges itself.</p>
<p>So then there might be some advantage in letting the coach know that my D is not looking for Scholarship dollar but still would like to play on the team. Which might be a win-win for the coach too.</p>
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[quote]
I just was able to talk to the Harvard Atheletic Department and was told that not all members of Women FH teams are recruited atheletes, and it may make sense in contacting the coaches. There are lots of students who actually join teams after getting acceptances without being recruited atheletes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>She needs to be a great player in HS to join the team as a walk on. If I understand correctly, your D plays only casually in a non-competitive club team. That is not enough for any DI team. The walk on players who make the team are star players in the high schools or club teams. Many of them win the state championships or are national ranked.</p>
<p>If you go to the Yale Bulldogs site, you can see the roster for the FH team, with individual bios telling you what each player did in high school. I would guess the other Ivies have a similar thing. Comparing your D's achievements to that information would give you an idea of where she stands.</p>