I have been in discussion with a couple Ivies for women’s volleyball and the process is tightening up for me, which I’m happy about. I’m currently a junior and just got emailed a “financial pre-read” for one of the Ivies, my top school, making me curious as to the intent of this message. I know I need to make it through admissions before they truly “offer” me a slot for recruiting, but does the academic pre-read come before this? Have I passed the academic part of the “offer” and now it’s primarily financial? Or is it the opposite way?
The coach hasn’t asked me for official academic information, although they do know my GPA, course load and most recent ACT score. Does the financial pre-read come before the academic/admissions pre-read? What interest level does this sound like from sending me a financial pre-read to fill out in March of my junior year?
I can share some of my academic information if that helps to see where I’m at in regards to Ivy standards. Thanks for any insight you may have.
There is no right or wrong way. Since Ivy schools don’t offer scholarships, doing a financial pre-read is the only way to know if you’ll get any financial help. If it turns out you’ll get 100% of need based aid, that puts the school on the same level as a D1 volleyball school. If you do a financial preread and it turns out you won’t get anything or only $30k, you’ll need to decide if continuing with the Ivy application is do-able for you.
Sports in which kids tend to commit early can present a challenge for Ivy coaches. When D1 scholarship schools are pressing kids for commitments, it’s easy for them to try to knock an Ivy out of consideration by telling kids that Ivies don’t give scholarships (which they don’t). But the need-based aid at some of the Ivies can be very strong.
The relatively early FA pre-read might be this coaches way of letting you know that attending an Ivy might not be as big of a financial hurdle as some competing coaches may say.
This is interesting because at least in my family’s experience (granted, different sport), schools don’t offer to do FA pre-reads until after an academic pre-read has been done–in our case, the summer before senior year. If you sent in an unofficial copy of your ACT score (from the site), and an unofficial transcript, that’s all they really need to do an academic pre-read–so if that’s the case, they may well have done one. Have you asked the coach? Sometimes they don’t tell you.
At any rate, I encourage you to get the pre-read done. And yes, it’s a good sign. Since these pre-reads come from the FA office, coaches are fairly selective about who they forward the form to.
agree with @classicalmama and @varska. An early offer (especially unprompted) of a financial pre read should be taken as a good sign of actual interest. As far as academic pre reads, in my son’s sport there were essentially two. One similar to what @classicalmama referenced which, if I recollect correctly, was done by the athletic department’s liaison to the admissions office. This was really basically an AI calculation using actual numbers and a quick look at the transcript to make sure there were no obvious issues. In my son’s case that was done in the spring of junior year, and I agree that you are not always aware that it is going on. Then in July the schools who were interested asked for a transcript, score reports and senior year schedule for a formal academic pre read. Once they asked for that information, we started the financial aid pre read.
@classicalmama@Ohiodad51
I’ve asked the coach at least 3 times if he’d like any official academic information from me. All I’ve told him is my course load for junior year, GPA from the first semester(without any official screenshot of a transcript), and an ACT score (once again, without any screenshots).
I’d like to assume that my academics are good enough, though I also though the academic read would come before the financial read as you both said. I know this coach has committed to girls in classes above me when they were only sophomores because they tested well enough early and came from competitive California prep schools.
As far as the pre-read stages go, what occurred between when your children filled out the financial information and when they committed? Are there other steps to take if both parties are truly happy?
@highschool217, don’t sweat the initial pre read. Assumedly the coach has seen enough to be comfortable where you are academically. I would assume he will do a formal pre read after July 1 when the rules low, although there is no rule that one is required.
Timing is a tough thing, not only because the recruiting calendars keep inching up, but apparently there is wide variety in how different sports recruit. When my son was recruited two years ago, four of the six schools seriously recruiting him said they would not extend “real” offers until after academic pre reads in July. How true that is now, I have no idea. I have heard that one school which just two years ago was aggressively recruiting against early offers is now handing them out.
In my son’s case, there was a formal extension of an offer with a couple schools right after the academic pre read was completed in the summer. With a couple others there was a bit more recruiting contact before an offer was extended. There was no discernible relationship between the timing of the financial aid pre read and the extension of an offer.
In my son’s case he ended up with an offer from each school that did a post July pre read, but that is in no way always the case. His best friend had a pre read done at two schools and did not get offered by either. I would caution you that whatever stage you are in, assume that the coach is still evaluating you against other recruits until he or she tells you he will support you for a likely letter.
This isn’t unusual or surprising. More than 80% of the women’s lacrosse coaches, including all Ivies, support the proposed rule that no contact or offers of any kind should be made before Sept 1 of junior year, but until that rule is passed they all feel they have to recruit and make offers early. I really think it is only parents who want the early early early contact and commitment. An informal agreement just doesn’t work so they are all out there looking at freshmen and sophomores and making ‘commitments’ to freshmen and sophomores. Coaches would rather be looking at a 16 year old junior than a 14 year old rising sophomore, but if the coach waits, the recruit will be gone because the recruit feels the pressure to commit early. For the Ivies it is a ‘commitment to the process’ but everyone looks at those the same as they look at commitments to Virginia and Northwestern and Hopkins. Some look at rough grades and scores, others just don’t care. I think if a sophomore ‘commits to the process’ for Yale or Brown, there is special attention paid to making sure that student does meet the AI needed. If more test prep is needed, it is provided. Higher grades? Take an easier course.
Syracuse just made an offer to an 8th grader. Early.
@Ohiodad51@varska If I have offers from other Division 1 programs, with deadlines, is it risky to turn them down and hope the Ivy path will work out? I’ve been in good communication with Columbia’s coaches(they said I’m in the top 2 for my position), visited, attended summer camp, gone through a financial pre-read…or should I still be wary?
@highschool217 I’d be very open and clear with the Columbia coaches about your other offers. I’d tell them all of the details about them, including the deadlines. As it stands, it’s naturally risky to turn down an actual offer for a non-offer that may materialize into one or may not materialize into one.
I don’t know your sport, but if having offers with such early deadlines is typical, then a college like Columbia should likely understand your predicament.
I tend to agree with @fbislife above. A D1 offer from a scholarship school in women’s volleyball is nothing to dismiss lightly. As a headcount sport, I believe those are full scholarships, right?
I’m sure you wouldn’t be the first recruit the Columbia coaches have had that was very concerned about turning down a competing offer. I’d put my cards on the table with Columbia, explaining that its your first choice but you have these other offers with deadlines. They (Columbia) won’t be able to expedite a LL or provide anything rock-solid before next fall, but you may get a better feel for just how strongly they are committed to you.
I agree on all counts with both @fbislife and @varska. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your level of trust. The Ivy coach can’t give you anything solid until the likely letter in October, but remember that the regular D1 school can’t give you anything solid until you sign the NLI either. Communicate frankly and clearly, and remember that you are in a great position right now.
I agree with what others have said on this, and the only other thing I would add is that your club coach and/or recruiting coordinator might be able to offer helpful perspective as you navigate through this. If you play at a club that has players continuing to college every year, there’s a good chance that your coach has seen the process unfold with a considerable number of players over the years.