<p>My son wants to play on a sports team and was only recruited at a small NESCAC college. He will not likely play this sport after college. His grades and scores give him a good chance at an Ivy League school if he forgoes the sport, or plays on a club team. What would you advise him, if he were your son?</p>
<p>Does the NESCAC school require an early commitment? If not, apply to both and see what shakes out.</p>
<p>The choice depends on many other factors (net cost, major, etc.) However, I would not assume a school is automatically “better” only because of the Ivy brand. For one of my own kids, I’d prefer several of the NESCAC schools to several of the Ivies (provided the LAC had a solid program in the intended major, cost was the same, and the sport was not an issue.)</p>
<p>Thanks for the thoughtful reply. The NESCAC school does require an early commitment, and cost and major are not big issues. </p>
<p>Depends on which NESCAC school. Of course what really matters is the fit for your child. I know many people that prefer some of the NESCAC schools to most or any of the Ivys. Williams, Amherst, Bowdoin and Middlebury are fantastic schools and some feel a better eduction with the size, focus on undergraduate and small classes. The other NESCACs are also excellent schools. If he likes the school, can see himself there and wants to play the sport in college I would strongly consider taking an excellent known option. If he is in love with the ivy label or really loves one of the Ivy schools as the best choice for him - and has the academics to be a reasonable admit he might wait. But there is a risk that you walk away from the best option. </p>
<p>Excellent advice, thank you!</p>
<p>How satisfied would your son be if he went to an Ivy didn’t get to play? </p>
<p>While there is an overlap in athletic ability and the kids that are recruited by both the NESCAC (one of the better D3 conferences) and Ivy League (a lower level D1 conference) so there is a chance he could still be able to be a part of the varsity team at an Ivy league school, being recruited by one does not mean you’ll enjoy being a part of the other.</p>
<p>If your son is being recruited for an NESCAC and likes the Ivy League schools then the UAA would be a great conference to look into. It shares a lot of the qualities of the Ivy League and the NESCAC schools. </p>
<p>I agree that fit is the most important thing in selecting a school. Go where you’ll be happy.</p>
<p>Thanks! What is a UAA? The sport is soccer, and he would prefer to be at a non-Ivy than not to play at all. I’m not sure how possible it is to play on a club team at an Ivy or a different (better academically) NESCAC school which did not recruit you?</p>
<p>The UAA is the University Athletic Association. <a href=“University Athletic Association - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Athletic_Association</a> It is the only athletic conference in the country (for all divisions) where every member of the conference is a member of the AAU (American Association of Universities) which are the top research schools in the country. (Yes, the AAU/UAA can be confusing.) </p>
<p>The NESCAC is the top soccer conference in D3. It is very competitive! The UAA is the second best conference in soccer. Both of these conferences rival a lot of lower and even mid level D1 conferences. As a result, it is important to know the difference in being invited to tryout for the team and really being recruited. If the coach expects your son to contribute right away then your son is likely a quality player that has many more options (even if he has not been identified as a prospect by other programs). But if your son is being given the chance to be a part of the program and the coach says he could develop into a good college player then he likely will just be a member of the team and see minimal time early in his career. Some of these guys will develop while many more will leave the team after a year or two due to the demands of the sport with minimal reward.</p>
<p>Since you didn’t list a Ivy that your son is considering, I would recommend not selecting an Ivy just because it is an Ivy. Find a school that your son loves. Maybe he loves and Ivy, maybe he doesn’t. </p>
<p>Without knowing your son, I would offer the same generic advice I offer most recruits that are not sure of their ability to compete as a collegiate athlete: go to the school you would be happy attending if you were not an athlete. A lot of the college success comes from being happy at school. I know a lot of people that have said they would only be happy if they were able to play a sport (note: not be a member of a team but see playing time). A lot of these students turned down more prestigious schools to go to lesser known schools where the they were a better athletic fit. In these instances, these students were often in the top of their class and near the top on the field. There is nothing a school likes more than a top performing student-athlete that they can hang their hat on. As a result, these students are given a lot of support by the school and perform just as well when they graduate as if they had attended a more prestigious school.</p>
<p>Thanks so much!</p>