<p>I am currently being recruited to Stanford University for track and field. I reached out to the coach at the beginning of my junior year and stayed in touch with him and he apparently liked how I performed that season. I was offered an official visit at the end of my junior year and just went a couple weekends ago. I loved it there. I want it to be my school, but I don't want to get my hopes up yet.</p>
<p>I've applied REA and have all my scores and transcripts and letters of rec and everything in. I put my major as undeclared. The coach said he'd be supporting me through admissions, which I've heard helps a ton, I just don't know if it's enough. I've submitted a financial aid application to the school through my coach. I recently took part in an "optional alumni interview" in my city as well.</p>
<p>Here's some of my academics and extracurriculars so that you can tear me apart:
GPA: 3.91UW/4.05W
Class Rank: Top 5% in a class of about 385
ACT: 31 on state test, 32 on ACT Plus Writing (8 on writing portion)
AP classes taken before senior year: 3
Honors classes taken: 5
I am currently enrolled in 4 AP classes as a senior in math, science, English, and Spanish
I was in student government as a freshman and sophomore
I am currently in National Honor Society (11-12), Spanish National Honor Society (10-12), and Tri-M Music Honor Society (11-12) and held leadership positions in SNHS my junior and senior year
Marching band - woodwind section leader (11) and drum major (12) (leadership positions in marching band for those unfamiliar)
Track and field - 3 time state place-winner, 2 time national place-winner
I also have a college semester of math that I took one summer at a local community college</p>
<p>What are my odds? I think I'd be a half-decent candidate without the coach supporting me through admissions, but does anyone know how much influence college coaches have on admissions? By the way, my event is high jump, and the university currently has only one high jumper, and he only does high jump as a secondary event. Stanford is currently recruiting one other high jumper besides me. Will this make the coach want me more? Could I qualify for scholarships? Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>TL;DR: Basically, how much pull does a college coach have when supporting an athlete through admissions? Especially at top schools. What are my chances of getting in based on my profile above and the fact that I'm getting supported through admissions?</p>
<p>I’m not sure anyone in this forum is likely to really know – I’d guess that it is pretty influential, but the truth is that you’ll just have to wait and see. Good luck.</p>
<p>(Their is an athletic recruiting sub-forum on CC – you might find better info there.)</p>
<p>Sure support from the coach is a big deal. You should try the Athletic recruit forum, there are mostly only HS students here, what do you think they know about this?</p>
<p>Your chances are over the roof good; however, I am unclear as to what this “support” he is giving you. Did you receive a likely letter? Are you being recruited? If you are… then you should be out celebrating already :p</p>
<p>I don’t really know much about likely letters and never received one. I just applied early action on November 1st if the timing has anything to do with anything. He’s brought me out for an official visit and said he’d put my application in the “athletic pile”. Hopefully this helps a little more, and thanks for the info you’ve already given me! </p>
<p>NLIs are signed by athletes who will receive athletic money. The NLI is the golden ticket.</p>
<p>But, there are many recruited athletes at NLI schools who do not receive athletic money - the “recruited walkon.” In many NLI schools, the coach DOES get these athletes through admissions. While I have no direct knowledge of Stanford, I believe (based upon baseball and the way baseball athletic money is divided so that many members of the team get no athletic money) that the coach at Stanford gets those players through admissions. While the number of recruited walkon slots may be somewhat limited (as in less then an infinate number), the fact that the coach used a precious OV slot on you bodes well for you.</p>
<p>Please keep us posted so we can add to the board’s collective knowledge.</p>
<p>Stanford will give you financial aid if you are admitted and qualified for need. </p>
<p>Admission though is dependent on whether you can hack it once you get there. So coach can put in a good word, you got a visit out of it (did you meet any admissions people) and now you keep your fingers crossed until Dec 15th or whenever the results come.</p>
<p>I missed the early signing period because I didn’t get my application it on time. I plan on signing in February. Does that group of athletes still have a chance at scholarship money or is it all gone by that time? I won’t be a walk on. I’ve been recruited and will sign a couple months after I’m admitted. We haven’t discussed an NLI since I haven’t yet been admitted. </p>
<p>The possible athletic scholly - and the amount - should be discussed with the coach directly. It is not dished out on a "first signed, first served " basis. I’m really not familiar with track, the number of scholarships available and the coach’s ability to slice and dice those.</p>
<p>It’s my understanding that signing an official NLI carries with it some athletic money. Those not getting athletic money don’t sign an official NLI; hence the term recruited walkon (as distinguished from a true walkon). In this context, the difference is those receiving athletic money and those who are recruited but are receiving no athletic money. NLIs signed during the early signing period are, by definition, before the official acceptances are determined.</p>
<p>As others have recommended, ask the coach directly where you stand. You do not need to have an application pending or acceptance in hand to sign an NLI. But you will only sign an NLI if there is athletic money offered. </p>
<p>A current Stanford athlete that I know of, had stellar HS academics, and was nationally ranked in their event, but the “athletic scholarship” offered to them was admittance; all money received was on a need basis. This may be what the coach is offering you. If they have had you out for an official visit, I would consider you in good shape, they do not offer visits if they aren’t interested, but the only way to find out for certain is to ask the coach.</p>
<p>The NLI signings in Feb are not for track and field. If you didn’t sign for track by yesterday, you must wait until April. You don’t have to be accepted to the school to sign an early NLI. In fact, many schools have not accepted anyone yet, so those who signed may have just had a pre-read or somehow feel they will be accepted. If not accepted academically, the NLI is void and you can sign with another school.</p>
<p>Since you said you are applying for school issued financial aid, your coach may not want to spend any of his scholarship money on you. You can get athletic money OR school need based money, not both. You can take federal money (PELL), state financial aid or grants, merit money, private scholarships that aren’t tied to the school or sport with either, but only athletic OR need based FA from the school, not both.</p>
<p>To sign an NLI, the school needs to provide something, at the minimum ‘book money’ (I think about $750). At a school like Stanford, you really might do better to get school need based aid.</p>
<p>I can’t sign until April? I didn’t know that. I’ll be committing long before then. I didn’t have paperwork in by October 1st which is why I wasn’t able to take part in the November signing period. </p>
<p>Back to my main question though: Do my chances of admittance look good?</p>
<p>OP, of all the things you listed on your resume, I believe this is the most significant: Track and field - 2 time national place-winner</p>
<p>Your academics are fine with support. If the coach has told you, yes - you are one of my supported athletes, you should be in good shape, If it’s something more nebulous like, “I’ll write a letter of rec for you”, maybe not so much.</p>
<p>As for the money - as others have said, need-based aid is very good at Stanford. Probably better than you’d get as a track athlete unless you’re from a pretty wealthy family.</p>
<p>TheGFG is an occasional poster here - her D committed to Stanford for track (2010), signed the NLI and was told to decline the athletic money so she could be eligible for the need-based aid. </p>
<p>If you are a strong enough athlete, you do not need nearly the level of academic qualifications that you already have… Top athletes regularly get into Stanford (and Harvard and everywhere else) with much lower scores and credentials than you have. It sounds like you may be one of those elite athletes, in which case the only real bar is how much the coach wants you vis a vis other athletes he is recruiting. Because if he wants you and has a slot for you, you could have test scores significantly lower and you would slide through. </p>
<p>It’s difficult to read “coach speak,” and I don’t know what the coach really is saying to you. Only you heard those conversations. Why not call him and ask him for clarification?</p>
<p>On the other hand, take heart. If for some reason you don’t get admitted into Stanford, the track coaches at the Ivies, or the D3 schools like UChicago, MIT, Amherst or Williams will take you in a heartbeat and shepherd you through admissions. You are in an enviable position. </p>