Ivy Likely Letter Process

I recently committed to an Ivy league program and when the coach explained the process to me it seemed very unclear whether I should be expecting to receive a likely letter or not. I am one of 4 recruits for this sport and he said he had “a spot” on the team for me. When I committed he told me to submit my application through the commonapp and he would tell admissions about my status as an athlete. Is it normal to submit an application before receiving a likely letter or is this maybe because it is so close to the november 1st deadline. Either way, should I be expecting a likely letter?

The likely letter comes after the app is submitted. Whether or not you’ll get one depends on whether the coach is supporting your application. Ideally this would have been part of the conversation you had before committing. Most coaches will make this clear. Did the coach indicate she was using a slot for you, mention a likely letter, explain the admissions process for supported athletes? Some coaches can be vague even when they’re supporting a recruit but more often it’s a sign that the recruit isn’t getting support but can join the team if admitted.

ETA: there have also been posts here on CC from athletes who were supported and admitted but did not request or receive a likely letter. In my experience that’s somewhat rare, especially if an athlete has other options. After all, you aren’t bound by any commitment to an Ivy, and the NLI period is approaching soon.

Or put more simply, there will be no likely letter until an application is submitted. It is"normal" for recruits to submit apps in September, well before the deadline. Different sports might have different expectations, but the coach should have communicated when you should submit the applications. The LL comes from admissions, and they have the final say.

Assuming you had a positive preread, and the coach is optimistic, then in all probability you will receive a LL

Likely letter is a notification from the admissions committee after a full review of your completed application. It is not from the coach or the athletic department. It is not the same as the NLI, which is not from the admissions office, but from the athletic department. Once an Ivy coach commits a slot to you, you are told to submit a EA or ED application asap, usually around mid September. Many of the Ivy adcom have a Likely Letter meeting, the first of several beginning at the end of September. They will then vote whether to accept you or not. If yes, then a week later you will receive a Likely Letter. This is almost as good, in fact, just as good as an acceptance letter to that school.

Everybody is correct that 1)you need to submit a complete application before you will be reviewed for a likely letter and 2)the likely letter will come from admissions, not the AD’s office. I think the timing of when you need to submit the application and how long the review takes vary by sport, school and cycle. For example, my son (who was one of the earliest commits in his class) submitted his app in mid September but didn’t receive his likely letter until late November. It is really hard to draw straight lines situation to situation on those things.

Being the cynic that I am, I would ask the coach point blank whether he is supporting you for a likely letter (as opposed to just holding a roster slot for you) before I submitted the app. That should be a very easy question for the coach to answer.

While @Ohiodad51 is correct, that does not mean that the coach will give you a straight answer.

I’m new to this process as S20 is now getting recruited by an Ivy. What happens if the Likely Letter comes back negative (“unlikely”?). Can you then withdraw your REA and apply early elsewhere? This is assuming you have a reply before Nov 1.

To the best of my knowledge it doesnt really work that way: You get a letter or you dont. There is no unlikely. And yes you can withdraw and apply elsewhere.

Even before the application is submitted, admissions does a preread. They will communicate if an admissions offer just ain’t gonna happen, in which case, don’t both applying. But once the application is submitted, you either get a likely letter, or you don’t. And yes, for some colleges, there is such a thing as an unlikely letter (really more of a “set your expectations” letter sometimes sent to legacy applicants/parents) , but I’ve never seen it used in the context of athletic recruiting.

I think if a coach dances and prances around a question like “are you supporting me for a likely letter”, then you have your answer.

Once your application is submitted, you should continue following up with the coach. S/he should know when to expect a likely letter and if, for some reason (maybe bad quarter grades) one is not forthcoming. Timing could be really tight though to withdraw app and apply elsewhere for ED1/Rea.

I did not know this! Do Ivies use this? It would make sense to have an unlikely letter whether athlete or not, as non-athletes can also receive likely letters, at least at the Ivies.

Update: I spoke with the coach tonight. He said to clarify that he is giving me full support and that he will request a likely letter but since I’m applying right at the ED deadline he can’t guarantee that admissions will get around to sending one before the deadline. Either way I feel pretty confident that with his support I won’t have a problem. Thanks for the advice and I hope this helps someone else in this situation

@helpwithchoice Depending on the schools, there will be several likely letter admissions committee meetings in Sept to Nov. Most schools, the Likely Letter will be announced approximately 1 week after the meeting. But as long as the admin preread was positive, I wouldn’t worried.