Can anyone share their experiences with NESCAC or top tier academic football recruiting? My son was invited to a bunch of Junior Day zoom calls for some NESCACs, Chicago and W&L, but there were a ton of kids on the calls - upwards 150. What happens from here? Can anyone share their experience. Is the next step an academic screen at the end of Junior year?
You may want to ask @Ohiodad51. His son went Ivy, but he also was recruited by NESCACs.
No the biggest thing going forward is they will want him to attend a camp in person. The academic is simply a checklist that he meets the basic criteria to go farther in the process. Now the better the academics/testing the better it is for them but it will still come down to football talent.
Thanks! @Ohiodad51, any insight would be great!!!
Thanks. So if I am following, the next step is the academic screen in June and that will weed kids out. Then do they invite you to one of their are camps? Is that in the summer or Fall? Any insight would be great.
You can go onto teams pages and fill out a questionnaire for the academics. There should also be a place to attach film. Next check to see when/if they are doing camps. Typically June and July are the dates. The most important aspect is being at the camps to get seen in person. Camps are open to anyone but you have to pay for camp and travel.
We have already done all that and down that path with phone calls and emails from coaches expressing interest with invitations to the Junior day zoom meetings. We just did not know what happens after these junior days. I think it is the pre-read step where we formally submit transcript, test scores and senior class schedule.
Feeling very fortunate in that my son - Class of '23 - just received offers of support through the admissions process from the head football coaches at Bowdoin and Middlebury. We have 2 questions: 1)We have heard that if an athlete with this type of offer applies ED1, they will not be required to submit any supplemental essays. Is that true? 2)Other than the standard conditions around these offers - i.e. do what you have been doing, maintain your grades, no arrests, no trouble, etc - what are the risks with these offers? If - God forbid - my son gets injured in his senior year, can the offer be pulled?
Congrats. We have a Midd lacrosse player that also had a supported slot. He was told to apply ED1 but did the one common app essay. I believe Midd does not have additional supplemental essays outside of the common app one, but he will have to submit one off of the main essay prompt suggestions. I have not heard of any scenario where you skip the common app essay and leave blank. Keep grades up and all should be fine! I can’t imagine a coach would pull an offer because of an injury. That would not look good on the coaches part or the school and for that, I would think when a supported slot is given, it is honored. Congrats!!!
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Congrats to your S on the offers.
You have to complete all required essays. I encourage your S to also complete any optional essays. Your S should talk to the coach about application specifics.
There are always some risks. It’s not common that a coach would pull support because of an injury. But they can, and it’s happened….less so in D3. There’s also risk that the coach leaves to take another job. At this point unlikely for the admissions season, but not unheard of. Coach could potentially leave before next year as well. I’m sure your S knows playing time must be earned, regardless who the coach is.
Good luck making the final decision and thru the admission process.
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Your son will have to submit whatever is required of any ED applicant. He can probably skip any optional essays. I would recommend he still put his best foot forward in the app as the AO, not the coach, has the final say.
Your child is not “in” until he gets an official acceptance letter from the AO, completes his senior year without any academic or personal issues triggering a rescission. Interesting question on injury. I think there is more of a risk if he gets injured prior to receiving an official acceptance, assuming he otherwise would not have gotten in without the athletic hook. If he gets injured after getting accepted, I don’t think there is grounds for rescission.
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For the recruits: I am sure you are aware, but just to be sure, your son cannot apply ED1 to both Bowdoin and Middlebury. He will have to choose one.
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Once you have coach’s support, the student athlete is looking for singles and walks, not home runs, in the essays.
If an injury happens to occur between the commitment and the acceptance, I would be maybe a little slow to report to the coach. Once the application goes in with coach’s support, that will count as one of their limited number of supports. Pulling that support probably wouldn’t get the coach an extra recruit. Its not in the (D3) college’s overall best interest to play like that. Still, I would slow-walk an injury discussion at this point.
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Thank you. That’s really helpful. Hope you Midd lax player is enjoying his college experience!
Thanks. Appreciate the insights and quick response!
Thank you. Agreed on all points. We appreciate the information and advice.
Yes, understood. Thank you.
Got it. Thanks!
Congrats on the offers…two excellent schools!
The advice I gave to my son was to approach his application as if he did not have any support from the coaching staff and to make sure he was putting his best foot forward, and to put in the time and effort into his application to make the coaching staff look good for recruiting him and to reaffirm the positive pre read from the admissions office.
The whole process can be nerve wracking, but definitely exciting as well!
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Great advice! Thanks!