<p>I posted a similar thread below, but go no response. Let me rephrase:</p>
<p>My son has academics that are worthy of Ivy admission (SAT 2220, 4.4 GPA, 700+ SATII, 5s on all APs), but so do a lot of kids. He is also a nationally ranked tennis player, but probably not good enough to get recruited on an Ivy team (it is very hard to recruited for an Ivy team). He is good enough to play at good DIII schools like Amherst, Williams, etc., and probably good enough to walk on an Ivy team. So he would have some value to a coach.</p>
<p>Can anyone recommend some tactics or strategies to use in his application process?</p>
<p>I can’t offer much advice on the DIII aspect - but for the Ivy schools, he should email the coaches with his tennis stats, grades and scores. The problem is, if his tennis skills aren’t quite strong enough to get a LL, there just doesn’t seem to be a great deal of reliable admissions support - but every coach has a different recruiting situation - I think he should definitely establish a dialogue with the coaches and ask some straightforward questions about the degree of support that he might expect.</p>
<p>We (the CC board) could take this in a lot of different directions. Your son has excellent academic stats, and he must be a pretty darn good tennis player to be nationally ranked. I played in college 100 years ago, and the players today are incredible athletes.</p>
<p>First, there are many, many factors in Ivy admissions, so it is not slam dunk by any means that he would get admitted. Each school is different as well as the colleges within the University. Second, it is not clear to me what your son wants to do. He has choices, but what does he want to do? Is he willing to walk-on to an Ivy and sit the bench for a bunch of years or would he rather play 3-4 years at Elite LAC? Neither reality is right or wrong but it is something that needs to be considered IMHO.</p>
<p>**Truthfully, I would be trying to have this conversation with an Ivy or Elite LAC coach. The coaches should be the ones guiding you through this process of what can and can’t be done once your son has established a relationship with the coaches. Their has to be a need on their part or you will be wasting your time guessing. Once you hear it from the coaches lips then you play your cards. ** </p>
<p>Both Ivy and Elite LAC coaches have some form of “slots” and “tips” they can use in recruiting. Your son needs to find out if a coach is willing to give him a “slot” or a “tip” through Admissions. In addition, if it was me I’d play the following timeline with the assumption that your son is a rising senior.</p>
<p>1) Try to get recruited by an Ivy or Elite LAC D3 coach (now through the Fall) for the schools that most interest your son. Ask the coach if he can help you with Admissions.</p>
<p>2) If no Likely Letter, apply ED/EA to the school IF your son really wants to go to that school (you’ll know by mid-Dec) . Try to walk on if it is an Ivy. D3’s have tryouts in the Fall for recruited and walk-ons.</p>
<p>3) Apply RD to the secondary choice schools he is interested in if he was not accepted ED to his first choice. He’ll know by April-May. Try to walk-on at Ivy or go to D3 tryouts inthe Fall for recruited and walk-ons.</p>
<p>I’m sure others will have a different perspective. I wish you the best, and let us know if we can help further.</p>
<p>Fenway South posted a replay, which reads in part:</p>
<p>“Both Ivy and Elite LAC coaches have some form of “slots” and “tips” they can use in recruiting. Your son needs to find out if a coach is willing to give him a “slot” or a “tip” through Admissions. In addition, if it was me I’d play the following timeline with the assumption that your son is a rising senior.”</p>
<p>Can someone tell me exactly what is a “slot” and what is a “tip”?</p>
<p>A slot is an actual position of support–a place on the coach’s “List” which s/he gives to admissions, and admissions tries to support. Usually the list for tennis is short, so the coach will only list the very top candidates.</p>
<p>A tip is when the coach will write a note to admissions saying–this player would be a nice walk-on addition to the team, but not good enough to make my “list.” Admissions will usually not give much, if any weight to a tip. However, if the candidate is a stellar student in other ways, the athletic support is seen as a “tip.”</p>
<p>Without the heavy hook of recruitment, the tennis will not have much significance for the DI Ivies. If he really wants to play tennis, DIIIs would seem to be the best route.</p>
<p>Has your son filled out the online potential recruit questionnaires for the schools?</p>