Can someone fill me in on the relevance of an official visit at an Ivy? Do the coaches evaluate you at an official visit? How many students get official visits vs. the number of spots available? Do the coaches give you a sense of where you stand after the visit? My S has OVs scheduled and we are trying to figure out what it means. The schools have already asked for his transcript and scores. If you don’t get a likely letter, are you out or is there a softer support process as an alternative?Any thoughts much appreciated.
My D went through the process last year. She only had two OVs, as her second was her first choice school, and she committed at the end of that visit. At the first Ivy OV, the visit ended without individual meetings with the coach. The girls were all told that the school would be in touch, or that they should follow up with questions. It was the first week allowed for OVs, and it seemed that the school wanted to see more girls before making any final decisions. This was a relatively new school to her list and she did not expect to have an offer from them at that point. At the second Ivy, the coach sat down individually with each girl at the end of the visit. Offers for likely letters were made to several girls.
I think that my D had a pretty good sense going in what would happen, there were no surprises. Most of the coaches she had been communicating with had promised likely letters even before OVs, and she got an offer where she expected one. Some had academic hurdles to overcome, but they all worked out in the end. I would try to have your S ask questions of the coaches even before his visits. Assuming he has developed ‘relationships’ with the coaches, I think it is reasonable to ask where he stands from an academic and rowing standpoint.
My D would say that she didn’t really feel as if the coaches were evaluating her during her visits, rather that they wanted to ensure that the girls would fit in and feel comfortable with the team. I think that the number of offers versus spots available varies by team. As a VERY general rule, it seemed that coaches who were making offers during the visits, tried to set up early OVs for rowers they were most interested in. The likely letter is the only reliable support. But early on some coaches did discuss alternate ‘support’ with admissions if they could not offer a likely.
This is helpful. I guess the best advice is not to get hopes up as you go through this process as most OVs do not turn into offers
M94
Did you daughter actually commit verbally at the end of her second visit?
My S has two OV (Cornell and Yale) and I’m wondering how much pressure coaches exert to get an answer. I’d like for my S to have the opportunity to really experience both schools.
How often do offers come out of official visits? Is it fair to assume that about 20-30 percent of official visits turn into offers? If the school has nine slots, for example, would they invite 27-30 kids on official visits?
Each athlete can take up to 5 OV so not all offers are accepted. I would estimate that at least 50% of OV turn into offers.
If she wants to know where she stands before the OV, she should ask the coach directly where she stands as a recruit. In our family’s experience, coaches are honest when asked specific questions.
I second @classicalmama. Specific questions yield specific answers. Particularly at the stage where OV’s are being offered and considered.
@tonymom even if an offer comes at the end of an official visit, the coach will not (or should not) ask the student to commit immediately. They should expect them to think it over. If your son gets one at his first ov, and he is not absolutely sure that he wants to attend, he will be able to say that he would like to explore all of his options in order to make a really informed decision.
My son received an offer of full support, admissions list, and likely letter from one of his top choice schools. Are offers like this pretty reliable? I know the Ivies say that only the admissions office can make the decision, but if the admissions office has already cleared him, is he in good shape for admissions? I hear a number of kids going public with their commitments to Ivies and posting their choices on their recruiting pages, but isn’t that premature?
Novicemom26
My son is in the same boat (no pun intended 
He has committed to an Ivy for rowing with coach support and LL. still I will feel a whole lot better when we have the LL in hand and he gets that finalized admissions letter in December. I find myself hesitant to even share his great news with relatives.
As an aside the coaches told him not to sweat it to much about the essay…
Meanwhile mom is on him to get it done and do his best…
Good luck!
There’s nothing more to do except relax and wait for a likely letter. I’m relying on the fact that he would be a strong applicant even without the commitment and that the coach seems experienced. I know the vast majority of kids who commit to Ivies are ultimately accepted, but there are obviously no guarantees.
is it possible for a school to offer you an official visit, yet not do a pre read? seems like they would have done the pre read before giving you an official visit?
Usually the pre read comes before the timeline, but it’s not an absolute.