<p>Over the last year or so I have been reading this forum (and posting a little) and I was hoping that I could get some opinions on my situation right now. So here's my story:</p>
<p>This past summer before senior year, I was recruited for my sport pretty heavily by the schools I was targeting. After one particularly large showcase, I received about 20 emails from coaches that I had been in contact with. They ranged from very interested to not very interested, as one should expect. I was also given a D1 offer, which I committed to a couple of weeks later. However, long story short, that did not work out because of academics. </p>
<p>So fast forward to the early fall, I chose 3 schools to go on OVs at (these were all division 3 schools in the same conference). These were schools I had been the most interested in all along, I had become closest to each of their coaches, and would want to go there without my sport (but could never get in without it). After these three visits I made a really tough choice, and applied to it Early Decision. The coach is fully supporting my application. However, based on complications with CollegeBoard, my subject tests (which are required) will not be in on time. After speaking with admissions, this will most likely mean I am deferred to ED2.</p>
<p>The problem is that I am a borderline candidate for this school even as a recruited athlete. In a conference full of strong academic schools it is near the top. And I only will have one ED2 application; I don't want to "waste" it. Basically, what I am worried about is using my ED2 on my first choice school, getting rejected, and then not having any coaches able to support my application in the RD round. I also fear that I will not get straight answers from the coaches, which has happened to me before.</p>
<p>Has anyone been in a situation like this in any way? I'd love some advice.</p>
<p>Sorry I am not familiar with the D3 and ED2 etc but I would encourage you to speak honestly and directly with the coach of your #1 program? Be candid about your situation and hopefully he will be candid with you as well. Best of luck.</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice. Unfortunately, I have tried that and it was not very revealing. D3s, especially NESCACs, seem to be very much at the mercy of the admissions department for their athletes. And they aren’t very helpful either.</p>
<p>Well I am sure someone on here will find your questions and be familiar with your situation. Can you change the title of your post to help with D3 specifically NESAC’s?</p>
<p>Anscher, if I understand your situation correctly - you are being supported at a very selective NESCAC but have been deferred to the ED2 round because of a delay in reporting your SAT II subject tests.
You’re concerned that if you are not admitted ED2, you’ll be left without coach support anywhere.</p>
<p>I’m afraid that’s the nature of the beast in the NESCAC. If the coach has told you that admissions gave you a read and they like what they’ve seen and he’s backing you…that’s about all you get.</p>
<p>And honestly, what are your alternatives at this point? Start pursuing ED2 at another school? I’m afraid that might come around and bite you.</p>
<p>At this point, assume ED2 will come through - but think about a RD strategy just in case.</p>
<p>Unfortunetly, you have little choice at this point in time if you want to pursue this opportunity. Nail the subject tests is my best advice (if you are going to take them again), and follow up ASAP with the coach and Admissions once the scores are in. Sometimes this process requires a leap of faith. </p>
<p>Your other choices are to apply RD as a recruited walk-on or just a walk on at some of the other schools. I think you should play out the ED2 school situation, but begin working on a contingency plan just in case. Good luck.</p>
<p>My question is, if you are borderline to get into these schools in the first place, are you sure you want to go there, especially as an athlete? While these schools are DIII, NESCAC schools are often run very much like a DI program. Do you have an extra 25+ hours/week to dedicate to your sport AND try to keep up with school?</p>
<p>What is your backup plan? What is the timeline for application at your back-up schools? Merit awards are going fast and it might be too late at some schools to qualify for those.</p>
<p>I’m curious as to what the "complications’ with CollegeBoard might be. Was it something you failed to do (e.g., take the tests on time or request scores) or something out of your control (e.g, Hurricane Sandy related)?</p>
<p>I am happy to give you my advice/opinion either way, it’s just that if you are being denied the opportunity to apply ED1 because of an event that is out of your control I would suggest a more strenuous appeal to Admissions and the coach. I know most Admission Offices have been very accommodating with respect to ED/EA deadlines impacted by Hurricane Sandy.</p>
<p>If you forget to do something like request scores or take the tests by a certain date, what’s done is done and moving forward I think you need to first consider the likelihood of your being accepted to your second and third choices. If you’re almost as borderline for those schools as you are for your first choice, then it seems to me you should go for your first choice. If you are much more likely to be admitted to choices 2 or 3 then, unfortunately, you’ll need to make a very difficult decision that only you can make.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, here’s the advice I would give to my son or daughter - go for your first choice! You only live once, and you don’t want to go throughout the rest of your life wondering whether you should have gone for what you really wanted. You already have the coach’s support and the coach and admissions are aware of your situation and your commitment to their school as your first choice. You will be fine no matter how things work out and at least you’ll know you went after what you really wanted. There will be plenty of situations later in life when you may need to decide to take the safer route. Now is a time in your life to grab for that brass ring!</p>
<p>we are also waiting for a D3 ED1 reply, and it’s nerve-wracking. I’m glad that you learned something about your application status (are you positive they are bumping it to ED2?) because that’s very helpful. And if you spoke to the coach and he is still encouraging, then that’s also very helpful.</p>
<p>Otherwise, you are in the same position as all of us…that’s what makes NESCAC awesome. It’s much nicer to get into a school where it’s hard to get in, right? I know you’re nervous, but we’re all nervous and doubting ourselves right now. I re-read D’s common app last week because i was nervous. It’s too late to do anything about anything, but at this point in the timeline the tension is very unpleasant.</p>
<p>Go back and make sure your RD options are good…I’m sure you have some. I’m having D look at her RD application supplements over the next few days and maybe start to spit some of those out. No, not fun. But even if the worst happens and she ends up at a D1 school where she didn’t want to be, solely because it was the one that accepted her, she will be just fine…she will be able to do her sport, she will be in college, she will get merit money, maybe in year 2 she will get some athletic money…things can always be worse. And if she hates it I will tell her to get straight A’s and she can transfer. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile we are all waiting, ugh! I am hoping you get great news in January. Oh, and yes, if you can do anything at all about those SAT subject tests (such as get them expedited and beg the coach to put in a good word for the school to consider you for ED1), do it!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies everyone. I really appreciate the insight! I will try to answer the questions that could help you advise me better. </p>
<p>Yes, the subject test complications were due to Hurricane Sandy. I was signed up for the November 3rd tests, which were cancelled. I had to take the December 1st ones instead, which will not be there in time for the decision. I have called admissions and spoken to them. They said the most likely path of action would be to send my app to ED2 in order to give it a look with everything included. </p>
<p>Choice #2 would be much more of a sure thing than #1. I have a legacy there and the program isn’t very strong; not to be arrogant but the coach has told me I would be the top recruit and I would get a full “slot” there. If I went ED2 here I am fairly certain I would get in, as it is less selective as well. Not to mention, on my overnight visit the coach mentioned a few freshmen that had the same process as me (deferred by one of the most selective NESCACs, then applied ED2 there). </p>
<p>To address the question about me being able to handle playing a sport in an academically rigorous college, I believe I’m up for the challenge. I’m not entirely unqualified, I have good test scores (2100+) but my GPA is low (3.4). I understand that it is likely I will struggle at some point, but the opportunity to attend and play for such great schools outweighs this for me. </p>
<p>As of right now, I do have backup plans that I could in theory apply to RD. But after spending many months filtering out these schools, telling the coaches I am committing elsewhere, and having my mind set on one school that gave me positive admissions indications the whole way through, it is tough. </p>
<p>The toughest part is getting a straight answer from the coach. Up until this complication, things were going incredibly smoothly. He was doing everything he could to make me feel confident about this, especially after my first quarter grades were great (he mentioned that would be the biggest factor). I was basically in the same boat as every other normally recruited athlete to a NESCAC school, but now I’m not. There is no way to get a real answer about how much “support” he has in the ED2 round, because it is subjective. “A good amount of support” could mean so many different things.</p>