<p>Coaches should come with subtitles for translating the BS. There are also the fine points. For example, a coach saying that he is "interested" means nothing but saying that he is "very interested" means a great deal. Anyway, I will be happy when this whole miserable process is over.</p>
<p>By the way, sending out apps is a good idea. the sooner the better.</p>
<p>BTW, don't assume that an invitation to a certain school automatically equals admission. My niece, a much-recruited athlete, was invited by several Ivys -- the school she was most interested in, and ended up attending, asked her to raise her SAT scores by a set number of points before she'd be 'guaranteed' admission.</p>
<p>Here are some good one-liners regarding recruiting I've heard over the years...</p>
<p>"A verbal committment is only as good as the paper it is written on."</p>
<p>"A likely letter is likely to let you down"</p>
<p>"NLI really means - No Longer In-doubt"</p>
<p>Getting back to the Likely Letter quote. Don't withdraw other applications after a Letter. Wait until the acceptance letter before withdrawing other applications! If you have a clear #1 choice (and are willing to pay the Ivy price based upon your profile numbers), go ED and get a quick and binding answer. EA (don't remember if any Ivies still have this) is always preferrable as it allows the student to change mind at the last minute.</p>
<p>We're in the same boat with our daughter having scheduled two trips to Ivys in the next month. My blood pressure just went through the roof, reading these posts! Thanks, all of you, for explaining coach code, or at least confirming my worry that we don't actually have anything to hang our hats on! </p>
<p>Here is a specific question: Can we send in applications to a couple of schools right away, that happen to offer ED or EA, but not ask for that. Then after trips, can we change one of the applications to early, by somehow notifying admissions at that school in late October? </p>
<p>And also pull down other apps as required without ruining relationships with those schools, just in case we've misread the coaches enthusiasm for a definite ACCEPT?</p>
<p>It's a roller coaster ride every time the phone rings, and I'm more of a merry go round person.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Specifically in the Ivy League, this year could be a little crazy, because of Harvard and Princeton abandoning early action/decision altogether. So, for a top athlete who is academically qualified for the Ivy League, you potentially have up to six different admissions structures to deal with: single-choice early action (Yale), no early action at all (Harvard, Princeton), early decision (the other 5 Ivies), single-choice early action plus athletic scholarships/NLIs (Stanford), early decision plus athletic scholarships/NLIs (Duke), and rolling admission or coach's prerogative plus athletic scholarships/NLIs (almost everywhere else).</p>
<p>Against that background, my guess is that a likely letter from Harvard or Princeton will be pretty darn likely. If they develop a reputation for unreliability with their likely letters, they can kiss athletic recruitment goodbye. I don't think they are about to let that happen.</p>
<p>riverrunner...you should do whatever is in you child's best interest. Apply to those schools that your daughter is doing officials at using their admission criteria. If you get a likely from your #1, you can always withdraw the others. Remember, we did not invent this game but are being asked to play within certain rules. Cover all your bets and do the best you can. That is what they are doing as well.</p>
<p>
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Against that background, my guess is that a likely letter from Harvard or Princeton will be pretty darn likely. If they develop a reputation for unreliability with their likely letters, they can kiss athletic recruitment goodbye. I don't think they are about to let that happen.
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</p>
<p>True enough. Getting a likely letter tends to mean that a coach can manage (if you have any AI issues) that students effect on their AI after running the student through admissions for clearance from what I've been told.</p>
<p>But usually those Likely Letters have stipulations (keeping such and such GPA, not dropping classes in 2nd term, etc.). These affect the coach's ability to maintain their AI. Many kids take that likely letter like a guarantee and forget about their side of the bargain. That is why Likely Letters are likely to disappoint.</p>
<p>"With 4-5 colleges in the hunt and with visits scheduled for late Sept and early Oct and everything likely to happen quickly soon thereafter, our plan is to send in applications to all those schools "</p>
<p>in general to all,</p>
<p>One thing to always remember is while it is great to be recruited and everything is very heady and wonderful... take a serious look at the schools with the critical eye of not playing for their team. Would you still go there?</p>
<p>Coming from a family of atheletes whom experienced D1,2,3 and jc sports recognize you are only valuable to a coach if your healthy and can contribute. Sometimes the difference between a professional athelete and a truck driver is the pro avoided injury. I know it is hard to think of not playing what you love, but your knee might feel differently someday and then what? Look at the school closely when you visit besides the team, what else fits?</p>
<p>Excellent advice in this thread.</p>
<p>Are the athletes asked for a verbal commitment during official visits?<br>
D is going on two Ivy visits in the next couple of weeks. She is concerned that the first coach might ask for a verbal commitment before she has a chance to go on the second visit. D is truly torn between the two schools at this time and needs both visits to make her decision.</p>
<p>Be careful about "falling in love" with a coach, too. They can be replaced quickly.</p>
<p>I'm skeptical that submitting applications by September 30 accomplishes much beyond getting them out of the way. Any serious recruit will have a complete academic file at the school that has been reviewed by admissions. If some visits aren't taking place until October, those visits could very well eliminate a school from the application list. EA? ED? A long discussion with a savvy college counselor may be a good idea to make sure all the ramifications are clear (and which school is doing what this year!).</p>
<p>Love the school, and be thankful to have a great hook that could very well open the door.</p>
<p>Getting applications out of way early eases the stress level of a senior year loaded with AP's, recruiting visits, competitions, etc. At the very least, essays should be done. While it is true that files are being kept by coaches on recruits,let's face it only a fully completed application with recommendations, secondary forms, etc can give admissions the final complete picture. My view is get them in as quickly as possible so coaches and admissions have the complete profile. Make it easy for them to give you a decision.</p>
<p>I could not disagree more strongly with dogwood23 (even though that is the conventional wisdom). Although applicants fall in love with schools all the time, aside from size and prestige they really can't find out anything important about a school based on a short visit. Whether an applicant will like a school in general after he gets there depends upon a large number of variables that are simply unknowable when he applies.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the coach will be the most important person in any athlete's life. Yes, a coach might be fired. But if you like the coach, there is a much better chance that your overall experience will be better. Of course, you shouldn't just trust your own impressions; talk to the players as well.</p>
<p>emm1, </p>
<p>I don't think dog's advice is all that bad. Having gone through the recruiting process and having a brother experience 4 head coaches in four years at a D1 football program. I would say loving the school ain't that bad of advice.</p>
<p>A thing to remember while being recruited, it's like dating in the begining. Everybody is on their best behavior. What a coach says during this romance can be alot different on day one of training. </p>
<p>p.s. I don't think your advice is all that wrong either. I think most points being made on this post are pretty valid.</p>
<p>LisaT, that is one of our worries. Our child has their first visit within the next week, then 1 or 2 more in Sept and possibly 1 in October. I think probably the first coach will look for a response pretty soon. For those with experience, will the coaches ask for guidance during the visit? How soon thereafter? Has anyone heard any stories of 24-48 hour deadlines, exploding offers and the such? How soon do coaches want to know something after a visit? Can you get away with saying that you want to wait a week or two or three and visit the other school(s)? They are all great schools, we'd like the opportunity to visit each and compare, but I'm not sure if we'll get that chance.</p>
<p>I think you can and should, when asked, say that your child is visiting other schools and will not be making any decision until he/she has seen all of them.
In my opinion, what a coach may want and what is best for my child are 2 different things. My child I care about, the coach? Not so much. Coaches come and go, hopefully the child finds a school they love for 4 years where they can play the sport they also love.</p>
<p>Imagine what a shock it is to really like a coach and coaching staff, sign a letter of intent, apply and be accepted ED and then POOF. That coach your son or daughter thought they would be playing for is suddenly gone. It's an unsettling feeling when this happens.</p>
<p>So I am a firm believer in making sure the applicant will be happy at the school with or without the sport. And I'm very thankful that is the approach we had during the whole process.</p>
<p>Out of 3 visits does one usually work out? Do all of the coaches know which kids are going to which schools for visits? I know that one of the ivies told us that they don't recruit as heavily and to call them if we end up available???</p>
<p>Verbal when you find the school you love. If you need to see other schools first, let the coach know. If you want to know where you are on the coaches list, ask him if they are recruiting anyone ahead of you at that position. In other words, they may be recruiting you as a plan B and if plan A verbals, you will be out of luck. Other plan B's may verbal before you and make your offer disappear. It's like a giant game of musical chairs sometimes so don't make the mistake of thinking every coach is sitting there waiting for only YOU to make YOUR decision. Other families may be determining whether the position/scholarship the school offered is still available. I cannot say this strongly enough or often enough: choose a coach you want to play for but choose the school, not the coach. And one more note: the recruiting relationship you are enjoying with the coach is a very attentive, enthusiastic, ego pumping, even loving relationship. The relationship you will have for the next four years will be different. Do not the mistake of thinking the coach who is hanging on your evey word and begging you to return his calls will be the guy you see in college. The roles will be reversed: you will be the one making sure the coach likes you, not the other way around.</p>
<p>EMMM1: I agree that recruits should pick a coach they want to play for, but most (non-athlete) kids are choosing colleges based on a short visit and they, too, will not really know whether they made the right choice until they arrive on campus. See above regarding coaches. Recruits do not really know how coaches will act for the next four years, as they are basing their decision on a recruiting relationship, which is not the relationship they will have in college.Your relationship will move to a more professional level once you are on campus.
For the poster who suggested asking players or their parents about the program: In college sports loyalty is key. No one involved in the program will say anything negative. That would be heresy and would get them in trouble with the coach. Their parents will not say anything negative. </p>
<p>Oh yeah, did I mention? Coaches get fired or leave all of the time!</p>