Hi. In our town we have two HS juniors receiving “likely letters” from Ivy schools. It surprised me they received them so early in the school year. Have the Ivy’s moved up their recruitment calendars relative to say ten years ago? Just curious.
They may have verbally committed, but have not received likely letters. LLs only go out once the student has sent in their application (at Ivies)
There is no such thing as a Likely Letter without submitting an application. Period. End of story. Ivy League rules prohibit.
A student may have received positive feedback (get XYZ on SAT and a 3.xy GPA, and you could have a future hear), but that is not a new phenomenon.
Thx for the replies.
I don’t know if they received an official Likely Letter, that’s why I put it in quotes in the OP. Is it common to receive a positive pre-read before the beginning of the athletes junior year in HS? I would think you would need to be a top-ranked athlete to receive such a positive pre-read that you think it’s a given you will be accepted if/when you apply.
I doubt they received an admissions pre-read either, but that is possible. More likely is that the coach looked at the transcript/test scores and knows it’s good enough to satisfy admissions.
Student athletes in most sports can verbally commit to Ivies at any point during HS, but some commits fall out because they can’t keep their grades up (or hit a certain test score in pre-covid times). Verbal commits are not binding on either party.
When it comes time for the committed student athlete to apply in fall of senior year they have probably received a positive pre-read from admissions, and then it is highly likely they will receive a likely letter prior to admission decision day, and an acceptance on decision day. But nothing is certain until the acceptance letter is in hand (or in the portal, lol).
They didn’t. It ranks right up there with “My kid got a full athletic scholarship to Harvard.” Sometimes it’s easier to smile and nod.
A formal pre-read is generally done the summer after junior year. Pre-COVID, it would also require SAT or ACT scores, which a new junior likely does not have. I have no idea what they are using for pre-read with tests being cancellef, but Ivy rules regulate how early they can be done.
My guess is the student is female and had received some type of support assuming grades remain where they are. But admissions has they final say. Nothing is set in stone until the student receives a LL, which cannot happen until 10/1 of senior year.
Is it possible they received marketing mailing and misinterpreted?!
@compmom - that’s what I first thought but the dad was on a national champion sports team and his brother was on the cover of a national magazine for his sport. I would think they know how the athlete recruitment process works and would recognize a marketing mailing for what it is.
Agree that it was probably a verbal exchange. But I have only seen those things pan out, not get back-tracked. In fact, I know two girls who were just sophomores in high school when they—whatever word you want to use—-committed? Agreed to attend?—one to Harvard and one to Princeton. And those are the schools they currently attend. Of course if they committed a crime or had completely bombed the rest of high school, they would not be there, but in my experience those “offers” are only made when things look like they absolutely should happen. I have never seen that stuff rescinded, although of course it’s possible.
The Ivies call verbally committing “commiting to the process”.
I have seen many Ivy verbal commitments work out, a handful not…usually because of too low an AI (so low grades and/or low test score) come pre-read time in summer before senior year.
IME It’s the earlier commits that are more likely to ultimately fall out, because there isn’t as good handle on academic strength frosh/soph years.
When my son was a sophomore in high school he told me of a kid in town in his grade that already knew he was going to Harvard to play his main sport. This kid was a phenomenal athlete that was playing several grades up in a couple sports. I don’t know what type of communication was involved, but this kid is currently a sophomore at Harvard and on the team.
Ivy league coaches can start reaching out to students as early of July 1 between junior/senior year. The process involves a review of grades/scores and a completed application. The admissions office is the one that hands out likely letters.
October is pretty early for a LL, but certainly possible. Academic based LL are sent later in the year (I believe February/March?).
According to the Ivy League Joint Statement of Admissions (which is why all of the Ivies have Ivy Day, no merit scholarships etc:) “As determined by each institution, admissions offices may choose to advise certain applicants in writing of the probability of admission (e.g., likely, possible, unlikely), no earlier than October 1 of the prospect’s senior year in high school.”
They may have received interest, but cannot be formally admitted until their senior year/the year they are applying to college.
Admissions Statement: https://admission.brown.edu/apply/how-apply/ivy-league-joint-statement-admissions
Ivy league coaches can speak on the phone with potential recruits anytime during HS, but the recruit must call the coach (typically call is set up by an intermediary, such as HS or club coach).
Coaches and potential recruits can generally begin meeting in person, on or off campus, for most sports between summer before and Sept 1 of Junior year. Official visits can start Sept 1 of junior year.
Recruits can verbally commit anytime during HS (again, there are a few exceptions).
Pre-reads with admissions will generally happen summer before senior year, and into the fall. As pikachu linked to, Ivies can’t give out LLs until Oct 1 of senior year, and after a student has submitted their application. Academic LLs can go out in early rounds as well as RD.
They can, but they don’t.
I have seen it with my own eyes and will leave it at that.