<p>This is all new to us and I have a question about a situation--but will be careful to not disclose personal info </p>
<p>a student-athlete who is a Sr...has been pursuing schools and coaches have responded. The schools include a few ivies.
The parent tells me they are now discussing what the offers are for the schools and that they are asking for everything in writing...and about the 4 yrs of aid etc etc.</p>
<p>Is this typical?
We aren't talking recruiting a NFL player--and signing a mega contract. This is a college student without a national ranking.</p>
<p>Do schools make offers of financial aid for the full 4 yrs?
What happens if the athlete has an injury during that 4 yr period?
Doesn't some of this get predicated on grades in college etc.?</p>
<p>Is this parent telling it to me straight?
I asked if the student had gotten the likely letters and didn't get a straight answer. I do know the student went on official visits (unless the parent didnt tell the truth about that--but am pretty sure that was the truth)</p>
<p>We have been friends with this family about a yr and we're trying to learn what we need to know since our student is a jr.</p>
<p>Any ideas how the money gets played out? And what is reasonable for a coach to provide since a financial package doesn't arrive til Jan? Woudl that mean for an athlete that a parent should expect to have completed all the FAFSA etc stuff mid summer before sr yr for a student athlete?</p>
<p>In my experience, admissions called first. A few days later the “official” likely, in writing, arrived. After that, I was sent a packet of information on FA, and I was asked to complete and return it for an “estimate” of the FA I would be receiving. Mailed that off a few days ago, and I assume they’ll compile something to give my family an idea of what type of FA we’ll receive after completing the official forms.</p>
<p>Thanks
I don’t quite understand what the parent of this student was saying–and can’t imagine an ivy committing to finances for 4 yrs for an athlete…because they re-eval the finances yearly right, and ability to play is an issue…
Odd
Thanks for sharing your exp.</p>
<p>Since all Ivies only give financial aid based on need, and not athletic scholarships, your friends may be misinformed or exaggerating. The aid would not be dependent on ability to play at Ivies, only at schools giving athletic scholarships.</p>
<p>If your friends know they are and will be below the $60K income level, then they could depend on a full financial aid at Princeton and Harvard, all four years.</p>
<p>What Fauve said. And . . . if your friend is talking about a college that can give athletic scholarships, those are typically contingent on the player being able to play, and staying eligible grade-wise. At any other college, if athletic scholarships are not given, there might be some sort of guaranteed “merit aid” that requires a minimum GPA. Otherwise, it would be need-based aid, which is something that the family must apply for every year. Need-based aid is not dependent on the player staying on the team. None of the Ivies give athletic scholarships.</p>
<p>Not a negotiable issue as far as “Athletic Scholarships” are concerned. NCAA states that all scholarship offers can only be for 1 year.</p>
<p>Now you can ask the athletic department what their policy is with regard to renewing scholarships. Most will renew scholarships for all athletes who either maintain their position on the team (coach does not cut due to performanc or other issues) or are injured or have another health issue that keeps them from participating.</p>
<p>Most coaches will not bait and switch (lower a scholarship after 1 year) as this gets around very quickly and kills future recruiting.</p>
<p>I can tell you our experience but I would guess it varies somewhat by sport and school.</p>
<p>My son scheduled 3 official visits. 2 ivies, one LAC, all who only have need based aid, no athletic or merit money. All three schools required an academic pre-read before the visits. (unofficial transcripts and test scores. one ivy required an essay as well) Before he went on the trips, we requested a FA pre-read as there was no way he could go without help and we did not want to waste our time or a trip or the schools’ time and money. The coaches sent us the FA forms and we returned them to the coach, who takes them to FA. We got official pre-read documents from each FA office, though only one mentioned that you need to apply every year, if everything remained the same, you could expect a similar award year to year. The other schools have something similar on their websites.</p>
<p>As far as a likely letter, from what I have seen in my son’s sport, those are only given once you commit to the school. My son committed to a school and the coach said we should receive the LL in late Nov or early Dec.</p>
<p>Kate in FL: I didn’t mean to be rude or too direct with my question! I am just so curious as to the timing of everything, which made me wonder whether it was an ivy or LAC letter he is waiting for. Did the verbal agreement come across strongly enough to put you at ease? The timing of everything is such a dance/game it seems, and I find it fascinating and terrifying…!</p>
<p>My D’s experience is the same as Kate in FL. </p>
<p>No school can give you a scholarship or FA offer for more than one year. They may make a good faith promise about the future but it is not legally binding.</p>
<p>Mayhew–
Your questions are fine. I had to take a crash course in the ivy process myself. We took our son to visit ~10 schools over the last year from large state schools to small privates, but no ivies. I thought that even if he got in, we could never afford it but both ivies offered us generous need-based aid. </p>
<p>He did give a verbal commitment to the ivy he wants to attend. And no, the verbal agreement does not put me at ease, lol! My son is fine with it though. (I heard him on the phone joking with the coach about LL and his parents.) He did write very nice emails to the coaches of the other schools. (the two he visited and 3 other state schools that had extended visit invites) All assured him that if this did not work out they would welcome a call from him.</p>
<p>Kate in FL: Thank you for your answers! My junior D is most interested in the Ivies and a few other top-tier D1 schools (no state universities though - too big for her, she felt), and I know that her ability for her sport is going to play a big part of whether or not she gets accepted to any of her top choice schools. The whole timing of the letters is really interesting to me, as I wonder what you do when a non-Ivy is able to “seal the deal” way before an Ivy. I guess the verbal commitment must be taken very seriously by the coach, not just the recruit. That is a relief! Congratulations on your son getting a commitment to a school of his choice - how great to be putting this process behind you :)</p>
<p>So do the athlete’s get pushed to commit before they hear from all schools, or as recruits are they looking at it all at the same time?</p>
<p>My friend made it sound like they would counter the offer made a school based on other schools offers. I worry that they may push schools/coaches too far and jeopardize their student’s slot/offer. But I have no clue in these matters.</p>
<p>Seems no one here is saying that negotiating happens…perhaps the friend mis-stated …</p>
<p>Fog- I think the recruit’s ability to negotiate offers depends largely on how desirable the recruit is to the coaches. </p>
<p>I’m sure top level recruits may be able to wait and get multiple offers to make a decision - an athlete did just that the year our S was recruited and didn’t make a final commitment until spring of senior year. However, I think that’s the exception rather than the rule. </p>
<p>For our S, a more mid-level recruit, we did worry about jeopardizing offers by waiting to see if we would be able to negotiate based on other offers. He was not so desirable that he could not have been replaced. One coach told us, “My job is to fill my roster. If the position is still open, I’m working each week to fill it.” We know of another recruit who had several offers, but was waiting to see if her first choice (a reach both academically & athletically) would make her an offer. Though that first choice school had sounded encouraging, they eventually got a more preferred recruit. By then the girl we knew had lost the opportunities at her number 2 and 3 choice schools. </p>
<p>Mayhew, since your D is interested in Ivy schools, I recommend that you get ahold of a book that explains the Ivy and NESCAC recruiting processes really well: Playing the Game, by Chris Lincoln. Even if you don’t get the book, you are sure to have fun piecing together information from all the great posts on this forum. </p>
<p>FYI, I’m pretty sure that true Likely Letters come only from Ivies, and not LACs or other universities.</p>
<p>Thank you for helping me understand the whole letter process - I suppose the timing of it all works itself out in some way…</p>
<p>FauxNom: Thank you for the book recommendation - a funny coincidence as I had it shipped to me today! </p>
<p>These athletic recruiting threads are so helpful and informative - it is like another world in regards to college admissions, and a whole other experience, it seems. I told my D that I feel as if we are in the HOV lane in relation to college … at least I hope that it continues in the same spirit that is has begun for her - positive and encouraging. Not that I want to accelerate time, but I do look forward to a year from now, her senior fall, just in terms of my curiosity in how it will all end up for her…fingers crossed!</p>
<p>Well-the update is our friend’s student chose a non ivy over the ivy…
Comparing what schools could offer and what the requirements were to maintain aid etc…they felt more comfortable with the non ivy.
All the schools in the hunt were excellent. The student will be happy. The result surprised us because the parents had said the student had pretty much decided on one of the ivy schools …the fin aid thing was the deciding factor.</p>
<p>I found Playing the Game to be really interesting. Although it does focus on mostly revenue oriented sports, a lot of the information could be applied across the board. Doing all this “due dilligence” makes me feel somewhat useful as this process is not about us parents, and is so beyond our control - !</p>