<p>Alright, so I am currently a sophomore... I play on a competitive soccer team, and am extremely interested in attending a high- caliber academic university, such as the ivy leagues. Academics: 2300 SAT, 4.0 unweighted, rigorous class schedule</p>
<p>So my team recently attended a college showcase, and many of the coaches I have been in contact with attended my games. The Harvard coach talked with my club coach and told him he was impressed with my play, and was interested in me. What is the next step for me in this process? I have been told I should call the coach and ask questions about the program and begin to develop a good relationship... Does anyone have any knowledge about the type of questions I should ask and if this is the correct way to approach this? I would greatly appreciate any help whatsoever.
Thank you!</p>
<p>First, realize that Ivy’s don’t give athletic scholarships. Second, as a sophomore, the coaches are very limited in the contact they can have with you. You can call them but they can’t call you back until after your junior year. You could email them but they can’t email you back until after September 1st of your junior year. I would still send an email thanking the coach for his interest, send him some information about your GPA, test scores (you took the SAT already ?), courses, etc. so he knows if you are capable of getting into an Ivy. </p>
<p>If you place a call to the coach, leave a message but don’t expect a call back. Keep trying him at different times to see if you actually can catch him in his office but I still think an email at this time is fine too.</p>
<p>Yes, I am aware that ivies don’t offer athletic scholarships. But, if I am a recruited athlete, with my academics, I think I will have a much, much higher chance of getting in. Yeah, I took the SAT early because I’ve already taken the math classes necessary for it and I felt prepared. Thank you for the advice! I’ve emailed them before with playing schedules, my GPA and player resume, etc, I have been told a phone call would show greater interest while also enabling me to learn more about the program at one time than just emails. Do you have any ideas about questions I could ask to get a better idea of the extent of their interest in me?</p>
<p>Ostruck, if possible you might want to consider taking some unofficial visits to the ivies that interest you the most. My daughter visited four during her sophomore easter break. At all but one (Yale), she met with the soccer coach, toured the campus and facilities and had plenty of time to ask questions. She had previously sent the coaches an introductory letter with a player profile with academic and sports specific information. She did keep them updated by email regarding tournaments her team was attending. Since the coaches could not contact her directly, her club coach helped set up the visits. These visits were very informative and she will be attending one of these schools in the fall.</p>
<p>We also visited other schools, meeting with the soccer coaches over the summer before junior year.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help! Did your daughter attend any camps at these schools?</p>
<p>With respect to questions, do YOU have any, or do your parents? I would look at their web site, some have FAQ, to make sure not to ask what’s easily available information. You could ask some general question: What does the training schedule look like in season? out of season? What makes a successful student-athlete at the school? What position is the coach looking to fill? Where would you fit in? Do freshmen get to play? And yes, if you can, a visit, preferably when school is in session, would be a good opportunity to get a feel for the campus and the program.</p>
<p>@beenthere2, thank you so much for the help! I’ve been compiling a list of questions I have and added some of yours to it(:</p>