<p>My son was told by an Ivy league coach that he is one of two to receive a likely letter. It seems that the other candidate has near perfect grades and near perfect SAT scores. My son has perfect grades and great scores. It seems that my son't academic index is in the low 220s and obviously I don't know the numbers of the other candidate.</p>
<p>My son has received national recognition and has won many awardsk, again both nationally and locally. The other candidate is more of an average athlete, doesn't start for high school etc.</p>
<p>My question is, due to the Academic Index difference, which trumps the other? My son seems to be in the top band but below the other candidate. What do you think? My son loved the school and wants to go there. He will be very disappointed if he's not the one to get the likely letter. </p>
<p>So the coach is saying only one of the two will get a letter? Yikes! If I were the coach, I’d be asking for your son, because the coach’s job is to build the best team possible from the small pool of academically qualified athletes. I don’t know how admissions will see this…my perception, limited as it is, is that HYP admissions is somewhat more selective about this than the rest of the Ivies. Don’t get me wrong: they all place an extremely high value on academic quality, but HYP seem to scrutinize a bit harder.</p>
<p>AI in the 220’s is excellent, I think. The only scenario might be if the coach has a low AI super athlete that he wants to bring on board and needs a higher AI elsewhere to balance that. I think the entire team AI has to meet certain criteria relative to the schools AI.</p>
<p>Wow, tough position. Can’t believe the coach would say that out front but maybe I’m naive.</p>
<p>He has been very honest. The only thing he’s told us is that my son is in competition. I am basing the calculations from informtion I’ve received as it relates to calculating the AI. But I do know the other kid has perfect scores and grades. I’m just glad he’s in the final two. We’ll see how it goes.</p>
<p>It’s not a high profile sport. My son has a 31 ACT and 770 and 720 on his Subject Tests. Has a 4.25/4.00 GPA as his school doens’t have a 5 point scale on Honors classes. His school doesn’t rank. He will have taken seven AP classes by graduation and 6 honors classes. Hopefully his athletic skills will be enough to be the choice. He is one of two for his position that will be offered a likely letter. The overall team gets a few more.</p>
<p>If your son is clearly the better athlete, I’d wager that he gets the likely letter despite the lower AI. His AI is great anyway, and the coach wants to build a competitive team with the best athletes. The rule now about AI’s is that they look at the athletes as a cohort, not by team. Gone are the days of taking the highest AI just to balance lower AI’s on the same team.</p>
<p>Congrats on getting this far, and keep us posted!</p>
<p>I agree with FauxNom, the coach will likely choose the better athlete (your son.) The coach will also weigh how the two candidates blended socially with the team and the “coachability” (i.e. cooperativeness) of the student. Best of luck to your son!!</p>
<p>Thanks. Will know soon. A D3 school is recruiting both boys as well. The D3 coach said my son is his #1 overall recruit. So that is encouraging. At least the process is almost finished.</p>
<p>I agree with the other posters that the coach will want the better athlete, not a slightly higher AI. Hearing he is coach’s overall #1 recruit is great news. Those words are golden.
Good luck to your son and hang in there.</p>
I do not believe the IVY deals with athletic recruits using an AI “average”. My understanding is each school is given a number or athletic recruit slots in AI bands away from typcial admits (essentially standard deviations from the mean) … more slots near the mean and less slots far away … the school then decides how to use these AI slots across the sports it offers. The AIs pretty far below average are used for impact players in high profile sports (think FB QB or basketball team center … as opposed to the 4th miler on the track team). Recruiting a low AI athlete uses a slot … bringing in a higher AI athlete does not balance out the recruit using a slot. </p>
<p>For the OP the only scenario where AIs would affect the situation I could think of is where their son might need a AI slot below average and the other student did not … but their son is such a good student (high AI) that doesn’t seem to be the case.</p>
<p>…Strangely enough, I get the feeling that I would be the “other” person the OP is talking about haha. I’m a somewhat above-average athlete in a low-profile men’s sport, good enough to get by at the collegiate level, but not a star recruit. High AI; I’m talking with an ivy league and one other D3. At the D3, i know that the other player who plays my position is the #1 overall recruit. The other guy also happens to be from San Diego…as implied by the OP’s name.</p>
<p>Please let us know result of outcome for Ivy league recruiting that involves athletic and academic weight. I am always wondering which is one more favorable for other at Ivy or D1? </p>
<p>I did a little research about your posts. I can see different between two on AI is not much different. Both are very good students and capable. If I was a coach I should select your son. </p>
<p>The reason I am interested is that my son has a case like your’s but oppose way. So he never considers an Ivy or D1 team which I believe athletic is over other one when two come to so close.</p>
<p>Maybe I am wrong but I really like to know the result? It will be benefit for other CC viewers to understand how Ivy league recruiting.</p>
<p>The coach actually got back to us this week and he chose the other kid. We were a little surprised. We actually just had a match against the other candidate and he didn’t play against my son’s team. The other part is many coaches had my son rated higher, but it all came down to the other one had a 2350 SAT and my son had a 31 ACT. The other candidate doesn’t start for his high school team. My son has played in the national championships for two years, named All-American and won CIF two years in a row. Surprised but when it comes down to Ivy it has to come down to grades. </p>
<p>Both boys were applying to the same schools so that leaves a lot of options for my son. Bummer as this school was his first choice.</p>
<p>I am very sorry to hear that. I am very surprised too. I can not believe that academic is over athletic at Ivy league since two candidates are pretty close and away above average SAT/ACT scores. I am speechless. </p>
<p>Thanks for let’s know. It does help my son that he could consider to try other D1 or Ivy teams. Again both of players are well qualified but… Good luck for both.</p>