<p>^^Yes, 'rent, that sounds exactly right. It's a win-win for the school and the coach, to admit A student/athletes.</p>
<p>If we patch together enough experiences we might eventually know what this puzzle actually looks like. </p>
<p>And mods, where oh where is our dedicated forum???? We keep answering the same questions over and over again. My lawn is not going to mow itself today.</p>
<p>father05 - Among the 9 or 10 students who went on recruiting visits to my kid's new school in her sport, many of the students who ended up applying and actually attending the school did use ED, but some were in the RD cycle and that worked out fine for them. I don't know for sure, but it seems like there must be a way to let the coach know that the kid has to apply RD to feel safe about financial aid offers, but they can still express how interested they are in the school.</p>
<p>At what point in the timeline is best to send in the prospective athlete form? After the Junior Year season? D is in a first semester sport, so would (hopefully) have better stats after her Senior year season.</p>
<p>Aftter junior year season would be typical. Your D could always send it in just to get into the coach's computer, and then send updates after her senior season. It's a good idea to start that dialogue a least by summer of junior year, though. Depending on the strength of the college team, there are plenty of coaches who are also looking for potential as well as fully realized talent. </p>
<p>My S filled out the online recruiting forms, but also followed that up with a letter to the coaches at the schools he was interested in (he'd researched the teams first, so he knew where he'd fit), and he included a letter of recommendation from his club team coach basically saying that he had a lot of potential and a great work ethic and attitude, etc. He made that contact with a few schools in the spring of junior year, and then the rest during the summer after junior year. He followed that up by campus visits and coach meetings at several strong contenders. But, while he falls into the catagory of "recruited athlete" because his name was put on the coach's list that went to admissions, in actual fact he kind of recruited himself. ;) There were some coaches actively recruiting him, but not so much for the schools he was most interested in. He sort of recruited himself into his #1 choice... but it all worked out okay. That was really because he did have the grades and scores anyway, and also because he was willing to apply ED.</p>
<p>It's a different formula for each kid. You kind of navigate your way through it bit by bit.</p>
<p>Thanks so much.</p>
<p>'rent, your son handled this so well. I'm always surprised when student/athletes perceive a school "off limits" if the coach hasn't contacted them. In truth, I think those coaches are thrilled when an athlete who is a match for them steps forward and expresses interest. This is a win-win.</p>
<p>Yeah, he found coaches at some really wonderful schools were very open to hearing from him. He just showed up, but he had the grades, etc., to be an easy get for them as far as admissions goes.</p>
<p>And for his part, he was trying to get himself on a team that was good enough that he wasn't going to be on the top of the coach's list. He had had a frustrating experience here at home because his sport is not very populer in this area, and the teams aren't developed, the coaching isn't here. The high school had a small team, but he was by far the strongest athlete on it. That's nice, but he's very dedicated to this sport and he knew he wasn't performing on a level yet that he <em>should</em> be the strongest member of the team.</p>
<p>In other words, he'd done the big fish/small pond thing for four years and he wasn't interested in doing it again in college. He wanted a bigger pond where he was a smaller fish (although not so small he was just bait for the bigger fish ;) ), and where he could grow as an athlete over four years. So he was, very intentionally, trying to get onto a team where he would be playing catch-up. Also he just wanted to be at an amazing school and he had done the academic work to be there.</p>
<p>So, it really did work out the very best it could have for him. I think he'll probably be doing this sport in one venue or another for most of his life. He'll find ways to stay involved after college, but in the meantime it's as central a part of his college experience as the academic opportunities are. I think his sport and his good grades/scores worked to each other's benefit, in the end.</p>
<p>DD also had a less common sport, she emailed coaches at various schools ranked on the top 20, cutting it down to less than 10 based on academics there, too. Almost every coach she emailed with was responsive; one at a USNWR top LAC rearranged his meeting schedule to attend a meeting in our area (west coast vs east coast) and went to significant effort to come and meet her and talk to her; every one toured her, and they were very honest about the ability to give a tip or not, find out likelihood of admissions or not.</p>
<p>She was a top academic kid at her HS, so met the minimum standards at all the schools though with many schools only 1/10 of the qualified applicants get in, and she still did not get into one of them, even with coaching/athletic director tipp. Ironically, her entire list was based on highest academic schools with strong teams in her sport, but she chose the school based on location and not coach, and she has not really enjoyed the team there :( and will probably not play this year due to med school shadowing, etc. and because it is not fun on that team. I will admit that it was theright choice for her to stay on the west coast, she needed visits home and people visiting her periodically and that would not have happened at her eastern choices, so it was right for her. There is a strong adult league in her sport, she can keep playing if she wants to do that.</p>
<p>We're on the west coast, too, somemom. I would have liked for S to be on this side of the country, and I think he would LOVE to be able to come home for Thanksgiving and spring break, and have us visit him from time to time... but there just wasn't a school here that fit quite right because of the sport piece of the puzzle. There were great schools with teams so powerful that he'd be irrelevant (like Stanford), and a great school with a team weak enough that he'd be a major asset (Pomona). As far as types of schools go, he got very clear early on that he preferred the LAC environment to a larger university, but he wanted a team where he could get to NCAA nationals at some point, even if it's DIII nationals... which realistically is the right target for him. Anyway, there just wasn't the right school/team for him out here, and so back east he is. He's a very family-oriented guy, so I know it's not easy, but he knows he's at an amazingly wonderful school, and that it's his job to make the most of this opportunity. But, WAAAA! I miss him. :(</p>
<p>^^I'm missing D today, too. Same thought process as yours, 'rent. She wanted to be at the bottom of varsity and work her way up, in a competitive academic environment. So we're in the west and she's in the east. Dang.<br>
She's competing as I write this, and it makes me sad not to see her in her college uniform. We had a good talk this morning, and she knows I'm there in spirit. It's the best place for her, but man, I wish there had been a fit for her on this side of the continent. We had the same thoughts about Stanford and Pomona :)</p>
<p>Awwwwwww....... riverrunner, I totally get that feeling you're having of wishing you could see your D playing in college uniform! Oh golly.......</p>
<p>My S is in a winter season sport, so they aren't properly speaking into training and competition season yet. But it will be so strange to hear about it all in phone calls or emails and not be able to see any of it. I spent 4 years driving him to practice, driving him to weekend competitions far and wide, spending money we couldn't afford, hearing all the ruminations, frustrations, good moments and bad... finally toward the end of it all, I was REALLY ready to be done with being sports mom... but of course there are parts of it now that I do miss. :o</p>
<p>DD picked a west coast school and there were a few alternatives, they were pretty much all big schools. She would have done well in a smaller school, esp in preparing for med school, but she wanted to try to stay with her sport and she really felt in her gut she needed to be closer to home (4 year long distance BF, so I guess it has worked) than NY or VA or even TX. </p>
<p>DD was actually very relevant on her team, freshman starter, all american, went to nationals and she also did a study abroad and got to be a starter on that varsity team.</p>
<p>Her coach is very nice and a successful coach, very involved at the national level, but it is just that the team was not fun and the coaching style did not mesh, no complaints, no problems, but it was not fun, that's all she can tell me- she plays for the love of the game and if it is not fun, why play. It is sad the school she did not get into is west coast, great academically and has a coach with the perfect style for her.</p>
<p>That being said she has played the past three years, one abroad, but has not decided for this term as she is doing internships and doctor shadowing, etc and sport is 6 days a week. Her sport is NCAA emerging varsity, so some schools varsity, some club and most of the club teams are better than the varsity at this point.</p>
<p>I have not minded at all that she is close enough for me to visit at least once a year plus she is close enough to go visit friends within a days drive and have friends visit her.</p>
<p>BTW- it is really really tough to make that transition from HS, going to every game, knowing the team, etc. to just hearing about it. I encourage any and all of you to try to go whenever possible.</p>
<p>We actually got to take the grandparents 500 miles to watch a tournament, they had not seen her play in HS as her college is closer to them than her HS. It was very meaningful to them, and I love to watch my kid play, love it.</p>
<p>Somemom, as much as I cursed the "I have to be at school at 6am to get the bus for the meet" and the "guess what Mom, we're driving to Alabama on Thanksgiving so I can run for 17 minutes and then we'll drive home" (10 hours each way), not to mention the dirty laundry and the team drama...I am going through some serious withdrawal with DS now 6 hours away at college.</p>
<p>He calls after each meet with his results, and he loves the school and the team, so we are happy for him. We (mom, dad and little bro) just weren't prepared to miss him and his busy life so much.</p>
<p>Re: post #16-- Some coaches who are very interested in a particular recruit, but who's family will be needing financial aid, will offer an early evaluation of financial aid eligibility by their FA office. D is an '09 recruit to an Ivy which has a special application form for this purpose specifically designed for prospective student-athletes. This can be handled up front, once the coach has identified your D as a short list candidate, and even before D would be eligible for the admissions early-read of her academic file per the NCAA timetable. The form is submitted directly to the coach who then delivers to his/her contact in the FA office. Answers are provided within a couple of weeks so you should be able to get a good picture of affordability well before ED application time.</p>
<p>Thanks GBAM, something we need to look into for D's top choice.</p>
<p>GoBlueAlumMom, when are athletes "eligible for the admissions early-read of (their) academic file(s) per the NCAA timetable"?. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>'rent - only 4 years of driving!! mine played all three seasons - two for 10 years, one for 5. went from putting 22+K per year on car to less than 10! and the stuff i learned carpooling - they seem to forget you're there when you're driving.</p>
<p>3x - depends on division and sometimes on league - go to the NCAA site and the site of the league the school is in</p>
<p>D's file was submitted by the head coach to admissions on July 1st (summer after junior year). Coach told us this was the first day she was allowed to submit academic files for early-reads. Different sports and different divisions fall under different recruiting dates/rules per NCAA, and there are additional rules/formulas within the Ivy League that determine eligibility as well.</p>
<p>It also depends whether it's DI or DIII. Most LACS are DIII. There is far less NCAA regulation over DIII, because there are (techinically, at least) no athletic scholarships on offer.</p>
<p>The Ivy's are DI, things work somewhat differently there than in the DIII LACs, even though they don't techinically offer athletic scholarships either. It's helpful if the parents with questions can be clear about which division they're dealing with.</p>