Hello! I would like some help understanding the recruitment process for my S. My S is a senior at a prep school in NE and is on the football team there. He’s a varsity starter this year as a senior and contributed last year as a junior. He had an extremely hard adjustment in high school and then we figured out that there was a learning disability prior to his junior year. His change in school after was drastic going from a 2.8 to a 3.3 and he tested really well in the SAT with a score that was more than enough. Going into the summer he had interest from all the NESCAC schools but most of it faded away because pre-reads were very unfavorable even though he was a top recruit. We did, however, go to a bigger camp that a NESCAC school, that had told S his pre-read didn’t come back favorable, was in attendance and saw him play. They loved him and pulled him after the camp and told him that he had an offer of support from them and that they were going to attempt to make things work with admissions.
To attempt to make things work with admissions, my husband and I took our S up to the campus for an interview at the end of summer. S seemed like he did really well in the interview and we followed up with the admissions liaison that was talking to athletes that day and this is where it all begins. That admissions liaison told us that if the coach wants you, he could get you. We were ecstatic! This was an amazing place and we believed that it would be a great place for S. Everything goes great throughout the rest of the summer and S heads off to school to begin the football season and his senior year. S knows that he has to work incredibly hard in the classroom to make sure he can go ED1 and is getting all As and Bs so far while kicking butt on the field. We think that everything is good and then out of the blue, we hear from admissions that they cannot work anything out and that’s the end of the story. We immediately start trying to figure things with the coaches and admissions and the coach tells us, “I’m going to go talk to admissions to see what I can do because you’re (S) our #1 guy and you have our support.” We heard back from the coach saying that they wouldn’t consider S for ED1 or ED2 but would consider him for RD.
I’m most concerned that he will not get be able to get any support during RD even though the coaches want him bad and that through talking with friends that have gone through the athletic recruitment process, that this NESCAC is notorious for screwing athletes over and having poor communication with coaches. As well, I’m puzzled at how this whole process works, the coaches have continuously said “S is our #1 guy, we love him” but admissions keeps pushing back. In general, I want to understand how much support can S get from the coaches to help get him in and how can he make himself a better applicant to admissions?
P.S. I’m sorry that this is so long but I want to lay almost everything out
The admission decision is ALWAYS with the admissions office, not with the coach.
Many students who are pulling up grades do wait to go RD so that those first semester grades can be reviewed.
If you have other options, you may want to go with those and not wait for the NESCAC schools.
Have you considered doing a PG year? If his grades are going up, the PG year may make the gpa high enough for the school he really wants to go to.
Sports really do help with admissions, but grades and scores are important to and the coaches can’t get every player they want. The stats have to be there.
The instinct with many adcoms is that lower grades and high board scores suggest a kid is lazy (I understand that this is not the case here), so that’s always a tough go of it. And if they have applicants with high grades and high board scores, again, it could be a tough go.
Most slots at NESCACs go in the early decision round, as almost a prerequisite. That is why it is unusual for a coach to ask a kid to apply RD. I would ask the coach why he recommends applying RD.
You have nothing to lose by applying RD except the application fee, but I wouldn’t put all my hopes and dreams behind being admitted. Admissions has not given a green light with the pre-read. That fact speaks volumes.
The NESCAC is a great league, but it is not the only great league. Although it is late, I would reach out to other schools. You never know what will happen.
@gointhruaphase From our conversations, it seems that they’re having a tough year recruiting so far so they’re going to attempt to keep that C Band Slot open for RD for S, only because he’s their #1. As well, the RD recommendation stems from Admissions wanting to see more positive production from S in the classroom. We understand that there’s more great leagues other than the NESCAC but we want S to get the best education possible and it’s hard to compete with that. We do understand that not everything is guaranteed as of right now and we’ve started to reach out to other places, but we would really like this to work out.
You know, I think I’d go for a school that wants him for who he is now, with his lower (but rising) gpa. Sure, apply for the NESCAC in the RD round, but have back ups ready to go including somewhere where he wants to play football. He might like a division 2 school too. The PA schools like West Chester, Indiana U of PA (IUP), Bloomsburg are all really nice.
If he has another school where he’d like to go E1, do that. It is getting close to the deadline to get a pre-read and I wouldn’t go E1 to a high ranked school without getting a positive pre-read.
@twoinanddone we want him to get the best education possible so we would like to stay away from D2 schools. It is much later in the process so we don’t know if he’s in love with a place at this point now to ED there. For backups we were thinking Liberty League schools.
Well, I infer you think D2 schools are a lesser education, and I will disagree since my daughter went to and played at one, and I think she got a fine education.
You can hold out hope for admission to one of the NESCAC schools but if a few of them have said ‘no’ on the pre-reads, I think that’s your answer.
You’re getting good advice so far. As to your initial question about how much coach support can help, I think events have made that clear. If your son is truly their #1 recruit they would pull every string possible to lock him in during ED. Sounds like admissions is not having it. Maybe the liaison you spoke with was having an off day, but all other indications are that the admissions folks don’t feel your son is a great fit for the school. I would ask the coach very directly what his confidence level is with RD admission. But even if he says it’s a slam dunk I’d be looking elsewhere. There are plenty of good schools out there.
It’s funny. “Getting the best education possible” has many possible meanings. I suggest reading Gladwell’s “David and Goliath.” You don’t need to agree with it, but it does provide a different perspective on education (e.g., small class sizes may not be best, the impact of going to an Ivy on run of the mill extremely intelligent science geeks). It may be invaluable to you.
If your son isn’t acing every class AP in high school, at some of the elite NESCACs, the vast majority of other students did. Chances are, even if he tries his hardest, he won’t be at the top of his class. Gladwell suggests that this can negatively affect outcomes. Even if he gets a degree from for example Amherst, lower grades may foreclose or limit post-grad education opportunities.
You will figure out the “right” thing to do, and most likely he will be able to select the “right” school for him. And, you are probably right that this NESCAC school will provide the best education (believe me, I am a NESCAC fan), but do keep an open mind. Don’t let your kid start college thinking he failed because he didn’t get into the right school. Nine times out of ten, kids not only adapt to the “lesser” schools they did get into, they flourish with better outcomes.
I am sorry that you are in the stressful situation. Posters have given you some good advice so far.
Even though it’s getting late I would continue to look at other schools/leagues, maybe things will work out at the NESCAC, maybe not…but you can’t count on it. What is the plan B and plan C?
Looking at Liberty league schools could make sense, but what about DI Patriot league or CAA? At many of these schools football recruiting will not be wrapped up in the ED round at the schools that have it…so you aren’t necessarily too late. Lots of schools in those leagues where one can get a great education.
I know you don’t like the idea of a PG year…but there are many older freshman at the NESCACS…especially the hockey players who often play juniors for a year or two post high school age.
Time is of the essence in terms of your son’s recruitment this Fall. I’m sorry to read this has been stressful and confusing.
I would reach out to other coaches at schools of interest right now. Like today. Other leagues, such as Liberty league. There may be more wiggle room with grades/scores/overall transcripts than in the Nescac league. Your son can definitely find places where he’d do well both academically and athletically. Nescac league isn’t the only worthwhile and competitive league out there, it’d definitely not a great fit for many kids.
I would be extremely cautious in putting all of your eggs, in one basket without having some back up plans in place. There are definitely athletes that get in during RD round, but I don’t think the coach is going to have a lot of fully supported “slots” left come RD decision time. He might have one or two, depending on his ED recruiting progress. Nescac schools definitely fill their rosters out in RD rounds, but many times those athletes are high quality student athletes with top grades/scores.
Your son very well may get in during the RD with his newly improved transcript and some coach help, but he also has a decent chance of being denied. There have been many stories written about this happening. So, apply RD if you want, and hope for the best. But have a back up plan, a place where your S can get into and hopefully play in case he doesn’t get into the Nescac school.
I would not hold out for RD NESCAC by any means. Without a tip from athletics he will be lumped in with other students whose academics quite frankly are above his from what you have reported. No disrespect intended. You need a realistic back up plan.
Look at Liberty League schools. Some of our prep school Football guys who haven’t been NESCAC were recruited by Union. You need to set that recruiting look in motion as soon as possible as nothing is guaranteed. Liberty League schools are also excellent academically though not quite the par of NESCAC. Contact Union’s coach and go for a visit.
The NESCACs are tough, but by no means the only way to get a great education. My DS is a 2021 hopeful recruited athlete (different sport), and his club coach (who has tons of NESCAC contacts) emphasizes with the kids that grades/academics are absolutely first priority — there may be one absolute superstar in a recruiting class who is below the average band, but it’s academics first. Also, the recruiting coordinators aren’t always the best or most reliable communicators, and circumstances can change fast.
I went to a top NESCAC school (a million years ago) and honestly, I think there are plenty of other good D3 options. Have you pursued schools in PA or OH, for example? Dickinson, Gettysburg, F&M, Kenyon, Wooster, Denison, OH Wesleyan…plus Union. We have been very impressed with some schools that aren’t the most prestigious names. Good luck to your son — he sounds like a hard worker.
Most athletes for D3 are admitted during ED1. One NESCAC coach told us most of the athletes they support are admitted in ED1. If the pre-reads did not come back positive then there is virtually nothing the coach can do. The coach told us the ultimate decision is with admissions. I moved my son from our state high school to a boarding prep school in Massachusetts. His grades were okay-ish but were not good enough to get him into a good college. He was advised to repeat his junior year at the boarding school. My son worked very hard to get his grades up and started talking to a NESCAC coach. We were surprised that he was invited to visit the College. He was asked for his grades and the pre-reads came back positive. After the positive pre-read, he was asked to do an overnight. The morning after the overnight the Coaching team told him he had a spot for him on the team and will give him all their support with admissions but the final decision rested with admissions. The key to this is you need to have a positive pre-read and if you don’t the chances of getting admitted during RD are very slim. I suggest he should try other colleges which are not in the NESCAC league. I know two kids who wanted to go to the NESCAC, one ended up at Kenyon and the other one went to Haverford.