<p>Sitting in an office unrelated to this school, there was a copy of an alumni magazine on the coffee table.
This interview was interesting...especially to read how fewer athletes not more, are slotted...and why the ivy league went to no athletic money etc....</p>
<p>Enjoy</p>
<p>Yaa, Im not overly happy with Levin shortening the amount of recruits allowed, it creates a very stressful time for would be recruits who are told they cannot be supported simply because there are not enough slots. I think that there should be a limit, but Yale should allow some more recruits in (should they be of the academic standards Yale holds)</p>
<p>Being a recruit means giving (often) half a decade or more to a sport, and I think that warrants some special treatment considering recruits who can get into Yale gave this time * on top of * the years dedicated to being a good enough student to get admitted.</p>
<p>@thatguy100</p>
<p>Well said. I would HAVE to agree! ;)</p>
<p>I too noticed the relative paucity of slots Yale had for baseball (6) compared to some of the other Ivies at which I was looking. I can see the benefit to the extent that it shifts selectivity measures like SAT ranges up slightly…At the same time though, from a recruiting standpoint it really seems like a horrible policy. The coaches have to play a completely different recruiting game, either 1) waiting for the ideal recruits (which may or may not come, sometimes leaving Yale with more “back-up” recruits than hoped for) or 2) filling the recruiting class as quickly as possible to avoid any disasters (but also, IF an ideal recruit comes along down the road, there’s nothing to be done; that recruit is lost). I actually had this discussion with both players and coaches through the summer; I didn’t know then that the slot number was due to this guy’s policy.</p>
<p>However much we loved Yale as a school, their recruiting for my daughter’s sport was comparatively weak. First, they were the ONLY school which did not have viewbooks and the Admissions Office itself was lacking in general pamphlets and printed information for the taking. Yale also took a long while to update their team webpage for D’s sport. Second, the head coach and asst. coach clearly had the attitude that since athletics are secondary to Yale’s mission (which is fine, all schools should believe that) they are not going to aggressively recruit anyone. They expressed that Yale is a good enough school that students will come to them if they want to be there. This attitude was expressed in words, and also through policy. For example, the coach said she wasn’t going to call or write my daughter a lot like other schools might, because she thinks it’s silly. Um yeah, but that’s like the inattentive boyfriend versus the one who sends a box of chocolate or flowers. Finally, the team held 2-4 fewer coach-supervised practices per week than the other schools we looked at. The girls were supposed to do their assigned training on their own. As I parent, these things made me question the school’s support of athletics and commitment to helping my athlete succeed in her sport.</p>
<p>I know that riverrrunner’s daughter has had a tremendous experience there so far. It’s too bad other kids who could have been very happy there might have been turned off by the above factors.</p>
<p>My two cents…Actions speak louder than words. After reading this article it seems pretty clear to me that he doesn’t care or want to put as much resources (as past presidents) into athletics. He would rather use the resources for academics. He justifies these actions by discussing the economics of college athletics, alumni are behind him, and they are competitive enough in Ivy athletics. I don’t agree with his overall viewpoint of “because we are Yale, we will always have good student athletes”. It is not that easy, believe it or not this is something you have to work at. I’m not that familiar with the inner workings of Yale, but he seems to take an ultra-minimalist view of college athletics and recruiting. Over time if his policy lives, there will be an overall decline in their athletic programs. If that happens, why bother being in an athletic conference if you’re not competitive. </p>
<p>Last time I checked, this is the USA and you have choices. After reading this article, I would move onto the next school if strong athletics and strong academics is your goal as a recruited athlete.</p>
<p>I think the Ivys and D3s (that I know well) have it right in their makeup and policies about student athletes. My biggest pet peeve is time out of the classroom, and fluff majors. You don’t see that nearly as much as these big, elite sports-first colleges. Ivys and D3s makes sure it is academics first. It is a very good balance. This Levin policy is going in a very different direction that is too extreme for my sense of balance.</p>
<p>TheGFG’s description of Yale recruiting is completely consistent with our experience 3 years ago. The Yale coaches will not court athletes in the way many other schools do. Their message is Levin’s: Yale is probably the most difficult school in the league for a student athlete to be admitted to. My sense was (and is) that the coaches and athletes are somewhat proud of that, just as Levin says. There is integrity in a policy that holds to high standards in the face of the temptation to compromise.</p>
<p>What is the result of this policy?<br>
Well, some good, some not so good, if you’re an athlete. Each family will have to weigh the pros and cons of a school that takes this position with athletic recruiting.</p>
<p>First, the teams may not be as competitive as others in the league, at least in the short term. It’s really difficult to find top athletes who are also top students. Many of you CC parents have these kids living at your houses, so you know what I’m talking about. They’re a rare breed. I can’t see inside Levin’s head, but maybe the long-term strategy is to position Yale to be the Ivy that holds out for these kids in recruiting and won’t settle for anything less. </p>
<p>For student/athletes who do choose Yale, there’s some earned pride that goes along with that match. Levin’s clear statement of policy reminds the current students, alumni, faculty, and recruits that Yale doesn’t compromise on academic standards for their athletes. If you’re wearing a Yale letter sweater, you can bet you want the rest of your classmates to be clear that you belong in the classroom with them. This policy leaves less room for doubt that Yale athletes are the intellectual peers of the rest of the class.</p>
<p>I don’t want Levin’s point about maintaining a balance in the class to be lost. He says that recruiting fewer athletes means that more students with other gifts can be brought to each class. Each student’s education and experience at Yale is enhanced when the broad spectrum of talents, backgrounds and passions is represented. The student/athletes win when a large proportion of the student body is actively engaged in and sharing at the very highest level their passions for music, art, drama, writing, astronomy, biology, and so on. Yale students are often blown away when they discover the accomplishments of the kid who sits next to them in the dining hall. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of my kid’s education to increase the number of recruited athletes if the result is loss of this community. It’s not a cliche to say that much of the learning that goes on in college happens outside the classroom.</p>
<p>Clearly, Yale and this league is not for everyone. Part of the laid-back style of the coaches during recruiting was respecting that notion. Students and families who scratch beneath the surface (and try not to be blinded by the box of candy! :)) will find the right match.</p>
<p>Best wishes!</p>
<p>fenwaysouth - my daughter has recently visited a D3 soccer team that plays in the SCAC. She was previously focused on Div I, but when we visited the school we were both impressed at the quality of play - visibly better than the local 10,000+ student D1 school for example - and I’m trying to figure out why. You said, “… D3s makes sure it is academics first. It is a very good balance …” Can you (or anyone) elaborate?</p>
<p>I don’t want to come off as boastful or arrogant with this, but I just want to illustrate how this policy can be rather backwards. And believe me, no sour grapes here - Yale was one of my top choices but wasn’t the top choice - but the fact that I, with a 238 AI, was unable to be offered a slot by Yale because their coach already used up his vastly limited slots for my position (while admitting to me that he wished he hadn’t because he preferred me athletically over one of those kids and also said that I was, academically, the strongest recruit he’s dealt with in nearly 20 years of coaching), due to a policy meant to attract student-athletes of high academic caliber first and foremost, just illustrates how poor and ineffective the ploy really is.</p>
<p>thrill: isn’t it just that the “local” d1 school doesn’t have a very good team? women’s soccer is dominated by top D1 soccer schools such as florida, North Carolina, usc, ucla, etc…isn’t it?</p>
<p>With respect to Yale: Our experience (and that of child’s friends’) was completely different; in fact, the other extreme. Could it depend on the sport?</p>
<p>So are they implying that their peer schools, Harvard and Princeton, are accepting sub-par student athletes that Yale wouldn’t take? That was not D’s experience in meeting her fellow recruits at H and P–they were all academically qualified, at least based on informal conversations regarding schooling. As serious athletes, though, most did not consider Yale because Yale’s team was finishing last in HEPS, whereas, for example, Princeton is tops and also quite competitive nationally.</p>
<p>Hi</p>
<p>Ummm, I guess I didnt read it that way…</p>
<p>My point of posting the article was how I found the article made mention of
-the Ivy League as a whole had decided to not allow athletic $ to drive recruits like many D1s,
<p>Three great “Kudos” to these schools.</p>
<p>Too often the myths about recruits, stats and slots get blown way out of proportion…and these myths forget that the recruits have the academic talent.</p>
<p>pacheight: the usual names do tend to be in the top every year - the D1 school has been single digit ranked not so long ago, but when I watch them now I wonder what’s happened (I’d think I’m not alone in that wondering). My real point, I suppose, was my surprise at the quality of the D3 program which is playing at a level at least equal to the scholarship-offering school 10x the size. D3 is seldom covered in the press, and I confess going-with-the-flow of paying little attention to it historically.</p>
<p>TheGFG, maybe we should have this conversation privately, but in the sport we both follow, the answer is yes, H and P are taking SOME athletes that Yale coaches can’t get through admissions.</p>
<p>monstor, was this a case of bad timing? I think some student/athletes are moving faster to contact coaches and respond to offers, leaving some really talented kids out in cold.</p>
<p>Hello again,</p>
<p>Speaking from the recruited athlete standpoint. YES, Harvard and Princeton do accept students that Yale wont. Are these students sub par? OF COURSE 
(I am 100% kidding, they are not sub par in any way).</p>
<p>As well, I was a very late recruit (as in, November of my grade 12 year) and it seemed to work out fine. Also, my recruiting was fast, fierce and adamant. Yale told me straight up that they wanted me to come on a visit within 5 days of me emailing them for the first time. On my visit, I was told in no uncertain terms that I was the best combination of athletics and academics that they had seen, and it pushed me clearly above the other recruits (not trying to boast too much, but you get the picture).</p>
<p>I definitely dont agree with the statements that Yale recruiting is lax, as my experience clearly shows otherwise. However, I will concede that on my visit I was told that Yale will not take some athletes simply because their grades are not high enough. My guess is, since the number of recruitment spots is lower, they focus on the more successful variable of academics. As well, before getting recruited, your stats are sent through admissions to see if you are admissible anyways - no one will even get attention from a coach if their academics arent up to snuff.</p>
<p>As for monstors comment - it is not a ploy, its a policy. Yes, I personally do not agree with it, but it was in no way designed as a ploy so you wouldnt get support from Yale athletics. </p>
<p>Riverrunners statement about athletes and coaches being proud of the fact that we are the hardest to get into in terms of student athletes? I would have to agree. I know that I have a certain pride when I can say that some Yale sports teams have the highest GPA in the nation of that sport. </p>
<p>And, I forget who said it, but I am truly amazed when I figure out the things that some of the people I sit with in the dining hall have done with their relatively short lives.</p>
<p>Thats just my extra two cents.</p>
<p>All the Ivies we dealt with did pre-reads with admissions before continuing the recruiting process–not just Yale.</p>
<p>I’d agree that Cornell, Penn and Columbia took kids that HYP wouldn’t, however.</p>
<p>I know that all the Ivies do that - as would any top school I imagine. I was simply stating that Yale did it to make a point that they have high academic standards.</p>
<p>And yes the other Ivies take kids that HYP wouldnt, but the statement made was that H and P take kids that Y wont as well.</p>
<p>
It was a case of bad timing that was caused in part by Yale’s lack of slots (earlier in this thread I argue that such a limited number of slots completely changes a coach’s approach towards filling those slots) - I know that every other Ivy League school to which I was speaking still had the great majority of their slots still available at the time that I found out Yale had but 1-2 slots to offer, and to position players only (I made a point of finding this out from each school to avoid a similar situation).</p>
<p>
Okay, perhaps my word choice is off; obviously Yale has nothing personal against me, and I wouldn’t try to suggest that. This policy IS a ploy though in the sense that I hardly feel it raises academic standards of athletes so much as it poses to raise them (while doing a disservice to athletics programs altogether). It’s there to appease the political tensions IMO, whether it really accomplishes its goals or not.</p>
<p>monstor, I’m sorry you didn’t match at Yale, and that’s a purely selfish comment.</p>
<p>I guess one lesson from this exchange has to be that athletes with profiles like yours need to get their stats (academic and athletic) to the coaches at the schools they’re interested in as early as they can. When kids ask my opinion, I suggest sending a resume in June after junior year when they have a complete set of transcripts and test scores. This allows coaches at selective schools to have a pretty solid picture of recruits’ academics as they move into active recruiting in July. We were told that’s about the soonest some Ivy coaches can make a serious guess about chances in admissions. Of course athletes are often on the radar much earlier than that because of their athletic performance, but the process of choosing final recruits for OVs can only take place after a look at the final transcript.</p>