I’m a junior being recruited at UChicago and wanted to hear about some of the experiences previous recruits may have gone through at UChicago.
If we assume, the recruit is a top recruit (meaning if the recruit commits, they are offered full support by coach) and decides to commit to UChicago, how much of a pull would that give?
This is also assuming if pre-reads go well (not sure if there are pre-reads at UChicago?) and the recruit applies early decision.
Would it be close to 100% guarantee for the recruit to be accepted into UChicago, or do coaches have much less pull than I think they do and do full supported recruits often get rejected from UChicago?
Thanks for your advice and experience from any sports at UChicago will be much appreciated.
Also wanted to add on about “early write” (I believe they are the same as likely letters at ivys) at UChicago, and do coaches offer recruits for this opportunity or do recruits ask coaches for an “early write”?
Wouldn’t this be a great question to ask the coach, since you are in conversations with him? It would be most helpful/valuable to hear this info direct from the source. You can ask, “Coach, can you tell me where you are in the recruiting process?” and, “Can you walk me through how recruiting works at Chicago? Is it similar to the NESCAC process?”
Agree with the above…ask the coach
UChicago does send likely letters to some applicants, both athletic recruits and non. Likely letters are not a formal offer of acceptance, but say something like ‘you are likely to receive good news when we release admissions decisions’.
Early writes are formal offers of admission, before the general admission decision release date. I am not sure if UChicago does early writes.
Thanks for the replies.
I’ve actually asked my coach for the whole process and he explained most of it I think. He did mention he could do a ‘pre-read’ with test scores and GPA and see if the feedback is positive. But this is only once the recruit decides to commit and apply early. So I wanted to know if others had gone through the same scenario and if they were ultimately accepted.
About early writes, I recently saw on another CC post that early writes are done at Chicago but not too sure on that since the coach didn’t mention that. Thanks to Mwfan for the clarification on likely letters and early writes. I didn’t really know the difference.
One thing on pre reads, is it common that coaches do pre reads only once they commit? I felt it was kind of unusual after reading some other forums on pre reads
I think it is unusual to expect an athlete to commit before doing a preread. The Middlebury soccer coach outlined the process for him: he gets 50 prereads. He submits about 25 as soon as he can, which is July 1. He uses the rest of his prereads through the summer and fall. Of the kids who pass the preread he makes offers. He has 7 spots to support, so once 7 kids have accepted his offer and agreed to apply ED he is done. Since he’s been head coach none of his picks have been denied.
Obviously, different school and different sport.
I know the college advisor at my son’s school has said Chicago recruiting is on a slower timetable than NESCACs – i.e. a NESCAC school could make an offer the summer before senior year, but Chicago tends to wait until the fall.
I agree that it’s unusual to expect a commit before a pre-read, is there a chance you misunderstood? Did the coach say which application round you would be expected to apply? EDI? EA?
Fundamentally, asking a recruit to commit without having any sense of how admissions would view the applicant is too risky to stop the recruiting process with other schools/coaches. You need to have another discussion with the coach and ask these questions…it’s fair and reasonable to raise these issues. Beyond a pre-read before committing, you also need a sense of the proportion of athletes accepted (and not) that the coach has supported.
Lastly, will you be applying for financial aid? If so, make sure to run U Chicago’s net price calcuator to get an estimate of your COA. Some schools will also do financial aid pre-reads for athletic recruits, not sure about U Chicago.
Thoughts @politeperson?
Wow, the Middlebury coach was really specific. The Chicago coach was much more vague and did not tell very specific numbers.
I’ve talked with the coach about financial aid and we got that part fully covered. He did say recruits could apply early action and the admissions could give an acceptance earlier than usual and then switch to early decision.
I reconfirmed with him couple times but might send another email confirming the situation one last time and will ask about percentage of supported athletes accepted then.
Are you being recruited elsewhere, or intend to reach out to more coaches?
I would hesitate to commit without a pre-read. It is ok to have a parent join a call (when recruiting gets down to the nitty gritty a call is best, not email IMO) when discussing these type of details.
I’m being recruited at several other D3 competitive schools as well as some D1. But if I can get in Chicago, I’ll definitely want to go there.
Maybe I’ll send an email to set up call soon.
Yes, the specificity of the Middlebury coach is unusual. He made his remarks during the 15 minute parent conference at an ID clinic last summer. When I asked the Bates coach if he could be similarly specific, he said he could not as his dealings with Admissions were much more in a gray area. So even within the same sport, schools’ processes vary.
I agree that it is VERY odd for the athlete to commit before the school does. It is as if the athlete is making the offer instead of the school.
I wish more schools were specific, it’s so much stress not knowing if a recruit is actually offered a spot.
Does anyone know people who have gone through the “athletes making offers” situation? Or like when recruits committed to an academically competitive D3 school without a pre read?
I don’t know anyone who has committed without a pre-read…in the context we are talking about here which is selective DIIIs and Ivies.
@cinnamon1212 Don’t want to sidetrack this but – Bates Coach is only in his 3rd year or so at Bates so doesn’t have a track record of experience with Admissions. Feel free to PM me if you’d like to talk about him, we were very impressed with him and were thrilled when he got the Bates job (although too late for my son, since he was already in college).
@midwestmomofboys that’s exactly what the Bates coach said! 
We are also impressed by him, but note his HUGE roster.
If you commit without a pre-read, what happens if you aren’t admitted? Sort of a one-sided commitment since the coach can’t offer you anything.
Yeah, it’s a really hard choice. Either I take Chicago and don’t know if I’ll get in or I take my chances at a different school where academics is not as strong.
I agree it’s unusual to expect a recruit to commit prior to a pre read, unless they don’t do pre reads. I’d weigh the options
I think the coach was saying once they know you are serious about U Chicago they will do a pre read. If U Chicago is your top school and you would apply binding ED1, then I would tell the coach that and ask if you can get a pre read.
From what you’ve heard or experienced, do recruits that commit to schools that does not allow pre reads still tend to have a good shot at getting in?
@AlwaysMoving
I’ll most likely wait a little more to hear back from some other schools and make a decision around summer. Hopefully if I commit, the pre read results are good… If not, it’s going to be tough afterwards