Likely letter

Athletic Recruits
1

<p>When is the best time to discuss about possibility of the Likely letter?
My D has clear top choice where she got OV invitiation on September.</p>

<p>Do we need to wait until after the OV or even before the OV-- which is now?
Coach just invited her to OV without mentioning about LL.
We were thinking that we should wait for coach's decision and assumed that it will only happen after the OV. </p>

<p>Do you think it would be better to talk LL now and tell coach that we are more than willing to commit and drop other options? My D already told coach that school is her top choice for now.</p>

<p>Please help me to understand this process.
Thanks!!!</p>

2

<p>I would think that the best time to discuss a Likely Letter is when your daughter is offered a roster spot. This could happen prior to, at or after the official visit.</p>

3

<p>I would think to wait as well. It will make her seem more sincere and grounded, as she will have experienced the school and the team at that point, and they will have experienced her as well. Good luck!</p>

4

<p>I think the discussion of a LL is appropriate once mutual interest has been established, whether that is during junior year on an unofficial visit (UOV, a new acronym?), after July 1st following junior year during open recruiting season, or just before, during, or right after an OV.</p>

<p>It will depend on the school, the sport, the athlete, and the coach. In DS’s case (sorry to make it all about DS, but it’s the case I know best) he had detailed discussions with P coach about LLs junior year during both student initiated phone calls and on an on-campus UOV. So for him, the LL offer was on the table long before the time for apps. He ended up taking an OV there, but the LL was already in the works by that time.</p>

<p>As for your daughter, if she has been invited to an OV by her 1st choice, that tells me that they have probably already seen her transcript and test scores and think she is probably admittable. As I recall, transcripts and scores had to be submitted before an OV could be arranged. So if the coach likes her enough to offer an OV, her academic stats are up to par, and she has expressed to coach that this is top choice school, it seems to me that the LL discussion should begin now.</p>

<p>The variable would be if the coach needs the OV to determine if she wants to support DD’s application. People on CC talk that way a lot, but I’ve never understood that. The prospective student isn’t allowed to practice with the team, so there isn’t a skill test. I’ve always though that OVs were more designed for the coach/team/school to impress the prospective student than the other way around. But I might be wrong about that. I really don’t know.</p>

<p>The tougher question is how to bring up the LL topic with the coach without sounding pushy or presumptive. To me, the key is communicating openly, honestly, and directly. Since DD has already expressed the love to coach, maybe follow up with a direct “where do we go from here, how does it work” dialogue. If it is an ED school, coach may encourage ED app with no talk of LL. If it is a non-ED school, coach may bring up LL. If coach is unsure of offering support, coach might level with DD, might play her a little as coach courts other applicants, or anything else.</p>

<p>One thing we learned from the process was that most coaches are fairly honest, and appreciate and reciprocate honest communication.</p>

<p>Your daughter is lucky to have you helping her through this. Keep asking questions.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

5

<p>Timing of the likely letter conversation is tricky, IMO. If your everyone’s top choice, if you ask for an LL at any time in the process, the coach will probably act quickly to make sure admissions have everything they need to be able to offer one up. </p>

<p>If you are below the top few on his list, this becomes more of a chess game. If you are a pretty good recruit and indicate willingness to commit, he may have a “bird in the hand” moment, and offer to start the likely letter process. If you aren’t quite in the lofty part of the list, asking for a likely letter may be perceived as forcing the coach to give you the answer you don’t want to hear. </p>

<p>I guess I’d rather see athletes go on the OV, give everything a good, hard look, and then to listen very closely when the coach has the chance to speak with you privately about your plans for next year. As sherpa says, it’s fine to be very direct about your love for a particular school and wishes to attend, but the student should also be very clear that they need a LL to be assured that they should put a stop to the process at the other schools.</p>

<p>Most coaches at Ivies bring the strongest athletes they can to the OVs, knowing that some are going to be borderline for passing admissions, but hoping that the application will somehow come together to allow the admit. We’ve said it a million times on CC, but asking for an LL, saying you will attend, and having the coach say he would love to give you an LL are only the preliminary round leading up to admissions who can grant or deny the letter.</p>

<p>Best wishes.</p>