<p>Anyone know how Harvard actually goes about the recruitment process? I know they tell potential athletes to apply early, but from there, what happens? Anyone have any personal experience?</p>
<p>Someone told me that unlike most other schools, coaches are not given a number of "tips" that almost guarantee admission. Instead, if a candidate who plays sports is a marginal or questionable admit, the coach will be contacted, and if the student-athlete would be a good gain for the team, they are admitted.</p>
<p>Here's my understanding, as explained by a track coach from a different ivy when my son was applying a few years ago.</p>
<p>Most of the Ivy coaches have a set number of pushes for their team, say 10. The coach is given overall academic guidelines that cover minimum standards for individual athletes as well as an average academic standard that the sum of the recruits must meet. As long as the 10 recruits that the coach wants fit the academic guidelines, they are essentially in, pushed past or through the admissions process. Examples are Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia. Princeton is like this too I think, but occasionally the admissions office throws a curve ball, a few well known examples of recruited ed candidates were rejected in recent years. (Pure speculation -- maybe the kid blew off his application essay or something)</p>
<p>The Harvard coaches (except in some exceptional cases) don't have these absolute pushes, the adcoms still want to closely look at all the recruits, in the same way all candidates are looked at. But, if you are one of the Harvard coach's recruits you will get a big boost. How big? I think he has a ranked list, but it may be more fluid than that. He is definitely still working within some strict academic guidelines. So if you are a strong candidate for admission without the boost, and at the top of the recruit list, your chances of admission are very, very high. Same candidate at the bottom of the list, may help distinguish you from other strong candidates. Weak candidate at the top of the list, probably a tough negotiation for the coach, he will go to bat for you, try to convince his admissions liaison that you are right for Harvard. etc, etc. Weak academic candidates probably not found towards the bottom of Harvard coach's list. What I say here is informed conjecture based on my recent experience with a Harvard coach. The coach has recently given strong indication that my daughter will be accepted, but no guaranty until the admissions decision on December 15. (Daughter is very strong academically, at or above the median Harvard AI).</p>
<p>Talk to the coach, good communication will help through this pressure packed time. But you should have a good feel by now how strong the coach's support is.</p>
<p>That's actually very helpful. Which coach has your daughter been in contact, Tribecamom? I've been going through Coach Turner, and it's been hard to gauge where my support is. When I met with Turner, he sounded very optimistic though. Interestingly enough, he had a slip of the tongue when talking about Harvard legacies. He said, "When you're accepted (ahem) IF you're accepted, your children will have that boost from legacy, too." I guess I read into that whatever I will. Any suggestions on how to gauge support, though? I'm a sprinter by the way.</p>
<p>Daughter is not a track athlete, I'd like to just leave it at that for now.</p>
<p>How did your official visit go? Did you feel comfortable with the other track guys? What kind of feedback on the visit from the coach?</p>
<p>I know something of track recruitment from son's experience, but nothing specific to Harvard. The coach is new? Probably makes it harder to get a read.</p>
<p>I'll have to say, Harvard athletic recruiting was totally confusing to me until very recently, still not entirely sure I understand.</p>
<p>I actually went down to meet with the coach in late August, so it was just my parents, the coach, and myself. I actually think it went very well. He sounded optimistic about my chances, but I certainly wouldn't expect an accurate admissions gauge from the coach. </p>
<p>Later, he told me that what basically happens is once everyone expresses interest in running, the coaches submit "a list of names to admission, and then admissions decides from there". That's pretty vague, and I don't know any more than that. He said they normally pick up around 15 athletes each year for the track/xc program.</p>
<p>So beyond that I'm a bit unclear. I'm wondering if the list is ranked, most desirable to least desirable. I guess all I can do is sit tight until the 15th.</p>
<p>The coach whom I've talked with told me that he submits a ranked list of recruits. What I'm curious about is if the majority of athletic recruits receive likely letters. If you don't receive a likely letter as an athletic recruit, does that indicate that you have a lower chance of admission against other recruits?</p>
<p>Harvard does not seem to give many likely letters for SCEA athletes, although apparently there is some number greater than zero.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the sport, how desperate the coach is to lock up the athlete.</p>
<p>My son got a likely letter from different ivy, never seemed a possibility for daughter at Harvard though she is great student, probably more "recruitable" athlete than son. Who knows.</p>
<p>Obviously you have a lower chance of admission against athletes that get likely letters (they are all but in), but as I said they don't appear to be plentiful.</p>
<p>Time for me to back off CC, let things play out as they will.</p>
<p>How difficult is varsity athletics in college? My dad doesn't want me to participate in them at all, he says because the athletes are always tired and they miss classes traveling to compete and classes are hard enough. I'd like to think there can be a greater balance between academics and athletics, but I'd like to hear what anyone with more information has to say about that.</p>
<p>bump...bump</p>
<p>I have two classmates (out of a class of 71 students) who have committed to Harvard already for athletics. One for hockey, one for crew. For the hockey player, he was contacted by the coach during his junior year and he verbally committed. He then signed something, sent his app in and received a likely letter. Our counselor says that a likely letter usually indicates 99% chance of getting in, unless he does something really stupid, like a suspension, plagiarism, or bomb the essays. For the crew guy, he was also contacted by the coach and he received a likely letter in October. Now, these classmates are exceptional athletes; the hockey player got drafted into the NHL during the summer and the rower is nationally ranked.</p>
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How difficult is varsity athletics in college?
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<p><a href="http://www.johntreed.com/matsdad.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.johntreed.com/matsdad.html</a> </p>
<p>(good description of Ivy sports that I learned about from another CC participant)</p>
<p>the coach has a lot of weight but ot all. I no a very good friend on mine who got in to harvard this year, 2 months ago. He plays football and was recruited. But he also had a 3.9 or 4.0 GPA and a 31 on the ACT. O the other hand the school quarterback had low scores and not as good a GPA and wasnt even asked!!! So score well and play well too!</p>
<p>Oh and he ist like totally amazing or national ...but he is fast as hell and state champion at track too</p>