<p>I learned over the summer that I had received a "green light" from a few Ivy pre-reads. If I am able to secure a spot on the coach's list, how likely would it be for admissions to issue a likely letter? In other words, is a likely letter the natural corollary to a pre-read "green light," or is the standard higher for a likely letter than for a pre-read?</p>
<p>I think it likely that you get your LL. The fact that you went thru admin pre-read and coach told you that you were green lighted leads me to believe you are an important recruit. That said, I doubt it’s a perfect correlation. I’d consider asking the coach. Have you been to an official OV or is one planned for the near future? Good luck.</p>
<p>As i understand it, it is one long process. First comes the formal pre read (after July 1 preceding senior year). In my son’s case, no school offered to support him for a likely letter until after he passed the pre read. Not all schools who took him through the pre read process have to this point offered to support him for a likely letter. Of the schools that have offered support, it came in a very specific conversation. We are now in a holding pattern where my son has submitted his application to one school and he is awaiting a decision from the AdCom which can not be published until after October 1. Given where my son is in the band system, I have been told there is no rational reason to fear the decision of the AdCom. For recruits closer to the specific band thresholds, or in lower bands it may be a closer question. But to my personal knowledge, I do not know of any athlete who has been specifically promised support for a likely letter after a pre read who did not ultimately receive one. Admittedly, that is a pretty small sample size, but it is what it is. </p>
<p>You should have a frank discussion with the coach, as we did in our daughter’s case, that asks directly if he/she ever has had a recruit with a similar profile as yours not receive a LL after having been given a green light after the pre-read. In our daughter’s case the answer was no, and thankfully and happily she is now at Yale. Also, you should be honest with yourself about whether your full application will contain any red flags that would not have been surfaced in a preread (disciplinary history, crappy essay, poor teacher recs). If the answers to all that are no, then you should be in very good shape. </p>
<p>All good advice above. Think of it this way - the pre-read green light means there is nothing in your transcripts or test scores that would automatically bar you from admission, If coach supports you for a LL, admission will review the whole application - recs, essays, ECs, etc. Chances are you’ll get the LL.
When we were in the middle of this stuff a coach did say, "every coach has a story about a kid they thought was golden, only to have admissions come back and say - you’re getting 6 of your 7. " </p>
<p>Didn’t exactly make the wait any easier.</p>
<p>But really, once you get past the pre-read, and a coach puts you up for a LL - barring a really damaging rec out of left field, you’re in good shape.</p>
<p>Ian123, I like the way you’ve phrased your question. It shows you understand the process well.
At this point you’ve cleared a major academic hurdle. The next step is securing a spot on the coach’s list. If you can do that your odds of getting a LL and an acceptance are very strong. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thank you all for your advice! </p>
<p>When it comes time to commit, what should/can I do to boost my chances of getting a Likely Letter? Will I be expected to immediately submit a completed app with recommendations and all? Will first quarter senior year grades be expected?</p>
<p>I would think that whether an ad com looks at first quarter grades depends on when the offer of support for a likely letter is extended, and when you get your application in. In my son’s circumstance, his application is already in and we are hopeful of a formal decision from the ad com shortly after October 1, which is a couple weeks before his first quarter grades will be in. If you are down to a few schools, I would try and get your common app and supplements in “filing shape”, make sure your teachers are in line with recommendations, etc, so that you can get an application in as soon as you come to agreement with a particular school. You are going to have to do a lot of that work anyway, might as well get it done as soon as you can.</p>
<p>If you have any doubts about your academic qualifications for the Ivies in question then at this point your Common App should be done, your recommendations should be uploaded (if done electronically) or mailed out, test scores submitted and your supplements for your top choices should be ready to go. If you commit to the more demanding academic Ivy you would want to be able to submit your application right away so you would have you LL in the first half of October. This will give you time to recommit if there are any issues with your application.
Obviously if your academics are clearly in the Ivy athletic range (SAT 2100+, GPA 3.75+, rigorous curriculum) then it is less critical. Nobody will ask you about first quarter grades unless you are a marginal academic recruit and your LL is dependent on them.</p>
<p>Could you provide your definition of a ‘marginal academic recruit?’ </p>
<p>I have around a 3.6 UW GPA (3.85 W, top 25%ish, no grade lower than a B), with a 2250 SAT and SAT IIs of 770, 730, and 700 (Bio E, US History, Lit). I have/will have taken 8 APs by graduation, and I got 4s and 5s on all the AP Tests I took. What worries me are my grades, which are a bit on the low side for these types of schools. I have positive pre-reads from 4 ivies, but I’m afraid that when it comes time for the whole adcom to review my app, they’ll balk at the GPA.</p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Marginal is SAT <1950, GPA<3.6, SATIIs<600, <2APs - may or may not work for some of them.
I think you are fine for any of them. What is your GPA without Freshman year?</p>
<p>As you do not have an offer yet you are a second tier recruit. Some of the first tier recruits are sitting on multiple offers at this time. You just have to wait until the dust settles. Use this time to prep your app.
I take back my advice to mail recommendations - if you get and accept an offer you may get some custom instructions what to do.</p>
<p>Sorry, I should have mentioned that I HAVE received an offer from an ivy. My question is just whether my chances of admission are high at that school if I decide to go that route.</p>
<p>If you are a really good athlete, you will be fine. Your academic qualifications put you way, way up on the Academic Index with a 230 score. You would be above average on any Ivy team in any sport. Admissions will never have a problem with a recruit like that, provided that they are an athletic recruit that the team wants.</p>
<p>If anything is holding you back, it is because the coaches aren’t that interested in you as an athlete. Academics will not be the problem.</p>
<p>Ian, </p>
<p>First, I think your AI looks fine.</p>
<p>Second, a bit confused here.<br>
You state, “I HAVE received an offer from an ivy.”
Did you submit your application already to the IVY that offered you a spot?</p>
<p>Charles</p>