How to get advantage of Field Hockey Skills to get into Ivies?

Applying to College
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<p>tli83: Thanks for the information; It was quite useful.</p>

<p>But the profile doesn’t provide High School stats and only provide stats for the yale team.
But it does provide the coaches email and way to contact them. Thanks for the information</p>

<p>Said too early. Not all playes on the roaster had high school stats so that may mean those were not recruited atheletes. There are some 4 -5 whoes high school stats are listed and seems like top class so must be recruited atheletes.
So I think it is possible to play for Yale without being a recruited FH player.</p>

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<p>collegealum314 : “ivies don’t give athletic scholarships and they are need-blind, so there is no advantage to telling them that you don’t need money.”</p>

<p>It seems you are correct on this.</p>

<p>Financial Aid
No school in the Ivy League offers aid based on athletic ability. Like all Ivy League institutions, Yale University offers financial aid based on need. Please go to the following link for more information on financial aid at Yale.</p>

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<p>^^^ It seems the
Yale University Field Hockey
Prospective Student-Athlete Information Form</p>

<p>does have the following</p>

<p>Do you intend to apply for financial assistance to attend college (optional). Yes No</p>

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<p>Parentofivyhope:
I am kind of losing patience with all of this so this is my last try here.</p>

<p>First - go to this link: [Harvard</a> Crimson Field Hockey](<a href=“http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~f-hockey/roster.html]Harvard”>http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~f-hockey/roster.html)
click on 4-5 random players and look at their high school info. Many were on National teams and/or played in Futures, and/or were All-State etc etc.
Their high school FH resume’s are quite impressive.</p>

<p>You are correct that there are players who walk-on. Every college team has walk-ons. These women were NOT accepted as FH Athletes. Even though Ivy’s don’t give Athletic scholarships - the coach still recruits and can have input on some recruits admissions packages.</p>

<p>Yes - your daughter - should be be accepted - may feel free to tryout for the team.
FINALLY - She will NOT be recruited or be able to use FH as a “hook”.
Whew.</p>

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<p>JustAMomOf4: “FINALLY - She will NOT be recruited or be able to use FH as a “hook”. Whew.”</p>

<p>That is a very strong statement without even knowing how skillful she is with FH.
After going thru players stat on the Yale team, it is clear that not everyone have to be a star High school FH player to play on Yale’s team. Which is sufficient to get in touch with the coaches.</p>

<p>So I still think contacting the coaches is not harmful even if she won’t get recruited as a athelete.</p>

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<p>Okkkkkaaaaaayyyyyyy -
As the parent of a two daughters who spent many years playing field hockey - year round, who also participated in the National Field Hockey Festival - IMO you are wasting your time. Contacting the coaches will not help her get admitted.
I promise - I am leaving this thread.</p>

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<p>JustAMomOf4 : I’m not sure why you make such comments. Last year one of the football student from D school made into Stanford on atheletic scholarship even though the captain and the star player didn’t because he had 2300 SAT1 with 8 APs while the star player had a 2000 with no APs.</p>

<p>That show top school may like their atheletes to be much more than just Atheletes.</p>

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<p>K- a sampling of the Harvard FH teams players credentials- seems pretty much stars all around to me</p>

<p>Four-year starter and team captain at Crofton House School … Named the Most All-Around Senior Athlete </p>

<p>Four-year letterwinner in field hockey and lacrosse at Merion Mercy Academy</p>

<p>Captained the field hockey, indoor track and lacrosse teams … led the field hockey team to the state finals in 1999 and 2000 and the lacrosse team to the state semifinals in 2000 …</p>

<p>An All-Southwest Prep Conference and All-City field hockey player at St. John’s </p>

<p>: A Second-team NFHCA All-American as a senior at Bryn Mawr High School ..</p>

<p>four-year varsity letterwinner in field hockey and swimming at Manheim Township</p>

<p>A Second Team All-American in 1998 at the Pingry School … A Regional All-American in 1997 and 1998 and an All-State pick in 1998 … Named to the First Team All-Colonial Hills Conference three times ..</p>

<p>A member of the 2001 Under-18 National Team … participated in the 2000 USFHA A Camp … a first-team National All-American … led Walpole High School to three State Championships .</p>

<p>A member of the 2002 under-21 British Columbia Provincial team … Helped Crofton House School win a silver medal at the British Columbia Independent Schools Association Championships.</p>

<p>Three-year letterwinner and starter at Tower Hill School … Also played lacrosse and ran track for a season … Field hockey captain as a senior … 2001 First-team All-America … </p>

<p>South Regional All-America in 2000 … Selected to A Camp in 2001 and B camp in 2000 … Field hockey team won back-to-back state titles in 2000 and 2001 </p>

<p>Team MVP and co-captain for the field hockey team at National Cathedral School … earned Regional All-American honors in field hockey and All-American accolades in lacrosse </p>

<p>Team MVP and co-captain for the field hockey team at National Cathedral School … earned Regional All-American honors in field hockey and All-American accolades in lacrosse</p>

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<p>and a sampling of yales:</p>

<p>Captained field hockey team as a senior … team won state titles in 2005 and 2006 … Michigan High School Field Hockey Association Academic All-Star </p>

<p>First team all-state and a member of the Harrisburg Patriot-News Big 11 for Hershey, which was runner-up in District 3 … Mid-Penn conference all-star and Player of the Year for the Keystone Division .</p>

<p>Two-time Middlesex League All-Star and co-captain for Watertown, leading team to Division II North championship … State finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman .</p>

<p>Participated in National Futures tournament in 2004 and 2005 … captained field hockey team at Kent Place School … was team MVP, first team New Jersey All-Star, first team All-State Group 3 and first team all-county in 2005 and 2006 .</p>

<p>SFHA Futures participant … All Main Line All-Star first team as a junior and senior, second team as a sophomore … Two-time AACA all-star .</p>

<p>ed Crofton House to three medals at AA Provincials, including gold as a sophomore … Served as co-captain her senior year when the team won silver … Won the Margot Thompson Cup for athletic skill, determination and passion along with the All-rounder Athlete Award</p>

<p>it goes on and on</p>

<p>I didn’t find one who was not a star player all through hs</p>

70

<p>Check the Yale Bulldogs</p>

<p>[Player</a> Bio: Jayna Whitcher :: Field Hockey](<a href=“http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/whitcher_jayna00.html]Player”>http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/whitcher_jayna00.html)
[Player</a> Bio: Ali Rotondo :: Field Hockey](<a href=“http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/rotondo_ali00.html]Player”>http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/rotondo_ali00.html)</p>

<p>Both doesn’t seem to have played at high school level.</p>

71

<p>Another Yale</p>

<p>[Player</a> Bio: Julia Weiser :: Field Hockey](<a href=“http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/weiser_julia00.html]Player”>http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/weiser_julia00.html)</p>

<p>High School: All-conference and All-South Zone at St. John’s School … Earned school’s award for athletic excellence in field hockey … National Merit Scholar.</p>

<p>[Player</a> Bio: Beth Raveche :: Field Hockey](<a href=“http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/raveche_beth00.html]Player”>http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/w-fieldh/mtt/raveche_beth00.html)
Also won an indoor and an outdoor national championship with her club team.</p>

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<p>almouth posted another outstanding season, thanks in part to the scoring talents of Whitcher. During the regular season, she collected 16 goals and 20 assists in leading the Clippers to an undefeated season and an Atlantic Coast League title. Along the way, she earned ACL All-Star recognition. The run continued for the Clippers all the way to the sectional final, where they fell to Walpole. Before falling to the Porkers, Falmouth recorded wins over Stoughton, Dartmouth, and New Bedford. She is also a member of the indoor and outdoor track teams. She is an excellent student, sporting a 3.82 GPA, and earning high honors accolades. She will attend Yale in the fall…that is one of the players you noted</p>

<p>and the other one</p>

<p>FIELD HOCKEY AWARDS: Parrott Academy field hockey players Ali Rotondo and Jennie Mostellar were named to the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association all-state team</p>

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<p>I give up as well…sigh…calll them up, tell them your D is really good, but hasn’t actually played in a few years…good luck</p>

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<p>^^^: I was able to look up Whitcher too, still I think it might not be harmful for my D to try to contact the coaches to tell that she is interested in playing for their team if selected.
She really wants to play so why not. Worst might be that she end up playing the club sport at the university she goes to.</p>

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<p>so do you finally see our point, that those players at the Ivy level, or at any college level sport have actually played the sport, have a track record and excelled?</p>

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<p>^^: But I’ve also seen that Yale questionaire do contain and seems concerned about the academic abilities so that might mean that Yale might be willing to accept a less proven player with high academic ability.</p>

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<p>You can certainly play FH at Yale without being a recruited athlete. You do still need to be very talented though, if you want to make first-string. If your D is just interested in playing FH, there are teams at all different levels. </p>

<p>There is a balance to be struck between academic and athletic achievement, but there really is not a shortage of academic high achievers who can play FH at a reasonable level here. It’s a bit like tennis, there are lots and lots of people who have played varsity FH in high school, for example, simply because there is a good deal of cross-over between the types of schools that play FH and the types of schools that Yale traditionally accepts students from. So being able to play FH at a reasonable level really doesn’t make your application stand out or get you recruited. </p>

<p>It is also expected that the new financial aid programs are going to make getting real star players to choose HYP, etc, a lot easier.</p>

<p>By all means, have your D contact the coach, but trying at this late stage to build a resume as an FH player is probably not the best strategy if it’s going to take time away from activities your D enjoys more and excels in. Also be aware that schools like applications, and if talking up your D’s chances of getting to play FH is likely to make her send in that application, a lot schools will do it regardless of the true chances of her playing.</p>

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<p>^^ Fair enough; so back to the brain storming table to comeup with something else that may provide some leverage to get into Ivies.</p>

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<p>The only ‘leverage’ your daughter has is herself: her accomplishments, her passions, her personality, and how she presents herself in her essays. Let her show who she truly is to the admissions committees - that’s what they’re interested in, not something artificial you come up with in an effort to gain admission.</p>

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<p>Your D sounds very accomplished, and most people at the Ivies are just that and were accepted on that basis. I think you need to remember when you are thinking about ‘leverage’ that it isn’t these gimmicks and random add-ons, like being quite good at FH, that are going to get your D accepted. </p>

<p>Most people here have been very dedicated to a few things and have done them very well. It is those things that got them accepted. If spending time trying to build that kind of leverage takes time away from your D pursuing the activities she truly enjoys and excels at, the things she has been dedicated to and does very well, then the vast majority of the time it will be bad for her application. </p>

<p>A little color, something other applicants don’t have, can be good for an application, it can make you a bit more memorable, but that is all (and most of the time that comes not from one more activity on her list, but from how your D presents herself in her essays). She would be better spending her time improving what she has than trying at this late stage to do something new or make herself something she is not. Adcoms are well aware that people do that sort of thing, and are pretty good at spotting it too.</p>