<p>Momofwildchild, where do you get your info? There was a major controversy last year when the head of admissions at Dartmouth declared he thought the exceptions made for athletes was hurting the integrity of the college. Much was then written about how ivies handle recruits. It came out that Harvard clearly had the most athletes well below it's own standards. I should also note that many, many alum called for the admissions director to step down. Sports bring school spirit and alumni dollars. There was overwhelming support for the continuation of letting in good athletes at all cost. Bottom line, a great athlete that has a good enough record that they are deemed to be able to make it through to graduation will get in in sports important to the college.</p>
<p>having gone through this process, the idea of getting offers in your junior year is ridiculous. DON'T make a decision that early, the coach is trying to get you to commit and if he is making it sound like if you wait until senior year the spot will be gone, that is coercion and it isn't legal under ncaa rules. </p>
<p>anyways, if you are good enough for coaches to want to recruit you in their first wave of picks, you will be able to get recruited even RD senior year. don't think you have to make a decision that early, your best bet is where you apply early in your senior year.</p>
<p>my advice is talk to players and coaches at ivy schools as much as you can and get as much info as you can from them.</p>
<p>Here are the facts as relates to recruiting in women's soccer. A coach cannot initiate contact via email and letter UNTIL September of one's Junior year. A potential recruit can initiate contact with a coach in ANY form however at ANY time. The way a coach can actively recruit a sophmore and remain within NCAA regulations is quite easy. He simply calls the recruit's coach and expresses interest. He then gives the coach his cell phone number and requests that the recruit call him. The recruit then calls him. At that point they can discuss anything. The coach can invite the recruit out for a visit ...... as long as the recruit is paying for the transportation. </p>
<p>In soccer, EVERY ODP National team pool player and most ODP regional team players typically have offers by fall of their JUNIOR year. The offers are verbal. The recruiting process is EXTREMELY competitive and coaches are very agressive in landing the recruits they need. While the verbal offers are not binding, a coach would be committing recruiting suicide if herrecinded an offer. The word would spread like wildfire and he would be digging his own grave. </p>
<p>Typically, a coach will make an offer on October 1 of a prospect's Jr. year. He will then explain that the girl is his top prospect ... say as a goalkeeper ...
and he will need a goalkeeper in two years. HOWEVER, he is also talking to PROSPECT B. If Prospect A does not committ verbally by November, the offer is recinded and he will then recruit PROSPECT B. </p>
<p>While a prospect can recind a verbal acceptance, usually when a girl accepts an offer, the word is out and other coaches will stop recruiting her.</p>
<p>Suze-those articles about all the preferences given to athletes apply almost entirely to a few high-profile sports (commonly called the helmet sports- and maybe basketball at some schools). Women's soccer is not going to dip too low.<br>
Metoo- if you want to go to an Ivy as opposed to one of the soccer powerhouse schools, you will not be committing in your junior year.</p>
<p>metoo - I think you should resist the pressure to commit in your junior year and hold onto your dream of attending an elite university. Ask yourself, "What do I want my soccer to do for me?" You've worked hard and you deserve a reward that's meaningful to you. I bet you'll get into at least one of the Ivy's because your soccer achievements are incredible and your stats are good enough. Then you'll be on a decent team and have the education of your dreams. Remember, they won't admit you if they think you can't do the work. A good coach should be able to tell you if you are "admittable" probably by the end of your junior year.</p>
<p>By the way, I know several elite players who committed in their junior year and then felt bad when other less skillful players got offers from better schools much later. How would you feel if you committed to say Northwestern and then six months later a less skillful peer got a likely from Yale or Princeton? If you wouldn't mind, then commit now and get it off your mind. If not, hold out. It's a gamble, I know.</p>
<p>Good luck and congrats for your soccer achievements so far. Don't feel bad about having lower stats than other students at elite colleges. Your special talent is valued in our society and you've invested a lot to develop that talent. Go make us (and your future university) proud in the next olympics!!!</p>