Hello - I’m a rising senior in high school and have been in contact with several coaches. I visited the coach in person this spring. My academic index is 223, and I go to a well known boarding school. I used to be a highly ranked athlete in my sport, but due to the academic pressure at boarding school, I decided to only play on my school’s varsity team.
During the spring meeting the coach was pretty honest and said that lots of kids are interested in this school, and that after July 1 he would be very honest with me where I stood. He asked for me to send copies of my transcripts and test scores over the summer. We also spoke about a letter of recommendation in case I don’t get offered a recruiting spot.
I sent copies of everything earlier this week. The coach was honest and said that he has other kids who are higher on the list and that I will not be getting a recruiting offer. But then he wanted to know if I was still going to apply. When I said that yes I will still apply, he wrote back “We will track your application”. And asked me to keep them updated once I apply.
Another coach (different ivy) also offered something similar. But the second Ivy coach has not yet ruled me out for a recruiting spot.
What does the coach mean by tracking my application?
I played D1 volleyball in college and was heavily recruited by multiple coaches. Coaches receive alot of interest by athletes who may or may not qualify for admission in the university and/or have the athletic abilities. Add that to athletes that the coaches are actively recruiting in the hopes that those top athletes will commit & meet admission requirements. By saying that the coach will track your app is kind of equal to “We will see…”. This can mean that if you can actually get in, you may be invited to try out, or walk on. But, it can also work out in your favor if a recruited athlete fails to pan out thus opening up a spot for an academically eligible athlete like yourself…
I am interested in this situation also. Is there a separate list that Ivy coaches can give to admissions for athletes they would like to have on the roster but aren’t technically supporting with pre-reads and likely letters? Does it increase chances from that 5-6% admission rate? We’ve had 2 Ivy coaches tell my son they would love to have him on the team if he can get in on his own. That and a token will get him on the subway, ya know? Is there a 2nd tier of support at all in a situation like this?
There has been a lot written on this topic on this board in the past. I believe the consensus of most posters who are knowledgable on the subject of Ivy recruiting believe that there is no secondary level of support in the Ivy League. That is my opinion as well after looking closely at the Ivy rules and being involved at ne level or another with several recruits over a period of a few years. Here is a link to a thread I started a couple years ago in an attempt to collect the collective wisdom of this board in one place. It may be of some help to you.
DS has a teammate who was told “get in on your own and you’re on the team” but no actual admissions support was given. Kid is a huge asset to the team but I think a) he had very high stats and b)whilecoachwanted him, he wanted other athletes more. This particular school doesn’t even use all its alloted recruited athlete spots.
My experience supports @Ohiodad51 version that secondary support doesn’t really exist beyond once a kid gets in on their own perhaps they don’t need to “try out” like other walk ons.
I understood that there are 3 routes, recruiting, recommendation, and solo. If there is a recommendation and admissions is on the fence, they will consult the coach. I’ve heard talk (on here I think?) of a code on the application, etc., but have no idea if that’s true or how it works. Probably best to ask the coach if there is anything in particular you should include on the application. Show you care without being annoying. And as a side note, be careful about to which one you are applying ED.
I think this is where my skill at playing dumb (and it was not much of an acting job because I really didn’t know) came in. I’d ask the coach “What does that mean, you’ll 'follow the application status? I don’t understand how it will work. When will we find things out? Should he apply ED (or whatever letters that school uses)?”
This happened to my daughter. Our understanding was that it was more of an endorsement rather than full support. In other words, if admissions was deciding between several candidates, they would see that endorsement and it could help sway the decision. It also meant that, once admitted, she was invited to preseason and offered a spot on the team.
Just wanted to echo @twoinanddone’s point. Ask questions. Always and specifically. The process itself is stressful enough. Always best to ask clear and direct questions and listen carefully to the answers. It has been my experience that Ivy coaches will be frank and direct in their responses.