Luckily the injury should be controlled, and she’s “working through it”. It is another lesson on physical training she needs to be attentive to, like all athletes. Hopes to be fully recovered and ready for her next 2 pre-summer meets, to hopefully deliver the PBs she’s been training for.
Tough part is reporting a meet to recruiting coaches without PB. hey thoughts is a short pre start clip next to the world record holder! Joke aside, any insight appreciated.
Sorry about the injury. It is a part of sports, but bad timing.
I continue to think there must be a quality academic school that has a swimming program that your daughter’s current times would be additive to that program. Why not try to get an offer?
An offer is just that, an offer. You don’t have to accept it. But what it will give your child is confidence that someone wants her, which will affect the way she comes across in coaches calls for schools you may want more. Also, college coaches are not immune to wanting someone that others want.
In our sports recruitment odyssey, our son was focused on D1 programs, however got verbal offers from some D3 programs (very high academics) early in the process that gave our son confidence that someone wanted him, and gave his parent’s confidence that there was a backstop to the process. Knowing he had firm alternatives really helped in the way he presented himself when the D1 coaches calls really counted.
Based on what the OP has told us about the interest from Canadian schools, I am not sure I interpret them as safe backups or done deals. Do the Canadian coaches still have to support you or are all the swimmers on the team walk ons?
Look at this injury as a blessing and still have some time to focus on more schools.
Stance on Canada is that admission requirements will be fulfilled, and whilst D24 is currently in range to be recruited, there is no absolute guarantee for that outcome, except further accelerating her times.
She’s got two US-based target swim schools in sight for which she should be in a very comfortable position on paper (fastest in couple events), and is awaiting their respective feedback for a zoom call. That includes the slower NESCAC school whose coach has told her they’re done with 2024 recruiting, and she’s awaiting their confirmation.
As previously stated, once schools positively drop out of her list (too fast, already full, any other reason), she will mechanically draw additional schools from a list of additional potential schools that’s already very thin.
This will naturally play out in the coming week, once coaches confirm whether those 2 zoom calls proceed.
There isn’t just one way to pursue recruiting, of course. Your daughter’s way, of only contacting a new school once another school is no longer a possibility, runs the risk of the new school being done with recruiting. In other words, if contacted earlier, the new school might have been interested in your daughter but now is done.
Upthread you said it is a lot of work – and it is! But that’s what most kids pursuing recruiting do. And, at the beginning stages a parent can definitely help. I kept a spreadsheet tracking school/coach communication, drafted initial emails (that my son then edited), got coach contact info etc. Once coach communication graduated to phone/text my role diminished. But at the initial outreach stage, you can do most of the work if your daughter is swamped.
I know some kids manage the whole process by themselves. In our case my son was 14, and at a boarding school with very very little free time, so this is what worked for us.
somehow we switched topic to MIT, which along with Caltech are D3 but way off D24’s list.
but in the topic of pre-read, academically competitive NESCAC seem to consistently seek 1500+ SAT, possibly because coaches want to have the flexibility to recruit an athlete as either slot or tip.
one recent coach was very specific about recruiting 6 men and 6 women every year, that the pre-read was a must, and they finalize their list after pre-read, and seek ED1 (rather than ED2) in 99% of the case, and managed to get all of their 6+6 recruited ED1 in the past 2 years. D24 was assured to get a pre-read in July, which may take up to 2 weeks because over 40% of the class are athletes
No, he was 14 when he began coach outreach in 9th grade.
We have a student going to MIT next year for sports. This student would not have a 1500 or a 34. Zero chance. He’s not in advanced English or social studies - in fact, in lower level of those classes. But lucky him, going to MIT.
You don’t need to be in advanced English to do well in the SAT and the English bar doesn’t appear to be particularly high. Maybe he has a perfect math score. Maybe he is a “lazy” student and amazing test taker. My DC opted out of APUSH because there are so many hours in the day and the STEM load was very heavy.
I doubt it’s a hard and fast rule, but one that most who have dealt with recruiting at MIT think is there.
Here’s a quote from the track coach a few years ago:
“ We have no picks, slots, or likely letter possibilities. We do not even have legacy options. With that said, admissions does try to help, but only when the academic criteria is met. No, a 3.5 and 1350 would have a zero chance of admission. The minimum standards I will successfully recruit are 3.9 unweighted with all A’s in math and science while taking at least AP Calc and AP Physics and the most rigorous curriculum available. Scores would have to be 770 or higher for math and 720 or higher for reading/writing with subject test scores of 780 or higher for math and 760 or higher for science. Because we have no early reads and no slots we have to recruit high volume to hope and get a reasonable number when all is said and done. Hundreds of emails, texts and at least 200 phone calls a month are what it takes to get the job done, and I am not sure that is enough. We still lose quite a few to the Ivies with their early likely letters.”
Hmmmm….I don’t think this is why MIT loses recruits, it’s more likely because during recruiting MIT coaches typically say the best odds they can give the recruit are 50/50 they get in (and some coaches give a lower probability). That’s when the game is over for some potential recruits who can have a near certainty of getting in at Ivies and NESCACs etc after a positive pre-read and verbal offer of full coach support. Earliest Ivy likely letters come out are first few days of Oct.
I do think that at MIT certain sports give a bit more on the stats and rigor, but I have no idea what the real floor is…for sure not even close to the floor at the Ivies.
I agree. Regardless, I think we agree that recruits need to be competitive in their own right.
Can we move off from discussing MIT recruiting? The OP was clear MIT isn’t an option.
I am glad to hear that your daughter’s injury is not severe and that it is not a major setback. However, it must be challenging to deal with on top of everything else. Hope she gets well soon.
I would caution you to not generalize about
“but in the topic of pre-read, academically competitive NESCAC seem to consistently seek 1500+ SAT, possibly because coaches want to have the flexibility to recruit an athlete as either slot or tip”
This was not the feedback my kid received last year but I will leave room for the possibility that things have changed with regards to the increasing academic standards for athletic recruits.
One thing that I have noticed is that you tend to devise/set standards and rules to a process that is very fuzzy. I can understand the desire to do so but it is ultimately not helpful as many posters have indicated this over the course of this thread.
D24 was obviously very frustrated with her injury, but luckily it’s a manageable one and she’s a “let’s learn, move on and look forward” girl.
Luckily for her, she’s just had good first call (notice she’s adding schools!!) with a NESCAC coach who liked her, confirmed she was in the right zip code, and was very clear on their recruiting process, timeline, and standards. It’s a school that consistently recruits 6 men + 6 women each year, requires passing July pre-reads for all (her follow up email will indeed ask him specifics about grades/SAT), and had a 100% record of recruiting athletes who got pred-read & full support in the past 2 years. Her times are in the Top6, but of course thing can evolve quickly with additional recruits/swimmers improving times, and their pre-read covers ~15-20 women swimmers
D24 is still looking at adding schools. A surprising answer came back from Colby’s coach (NESCAC #7) confirming their 2024 recruiting was done. April seemed surprisingly early compared to every other D3, and D24 is wondering whether coaches tell the swimmers (both those recruited and those who aren’t) when they are “done” with their recruiting?
A coach from another conference confirmed D24 would be given pre-read and should pass.
Target list of 12 schools remains unchanged, with 1 possible addition
Great to hear your daughter has received some positive feedback and is expanding her list.
I think your surprise at the response from Colby indicates that just looking at the swim times of the team is not sufficient to know where your daughter would fit as a recruit.
Colby is becoming very popular to apply to and also built a $250m athletic center with a state of the art aquatic facility so that may be a draw for fast recruits
Is the list of 10 or 12 schools to apply to set by your HS or is it arbitrary?
Ultimately, if you are recruited, you will only apply to one school (early) and that will be it.
That being said, until that recruiting commitment comes, I would continue to pursue any/all schools that fit your athletic/academic perameters. As stated by many, it is late in the game and many programs are likely done with their processes (like Colby).
Until you have a commitment, you should be working in parallel, not serially.
OP has indicated set by school.
If the OP ends up applying to 10-12 schools, it will mean his daughter was not recruited.
Maybe true.
But many, many verbally committed athletes (especially at schools where recruits don’t sign NLIs) apply to a back up school or two even if they apply ED to their committed school…because it’s prudent to have a Plan B. Always. (not that all recruits follow that advice)
In OP’s case I would encourage them to at least apply to the UCs, because their deadline occurs before mid Dec (when most ED decisions come out). They might also get in any other allowed EA apps.
Other recruits might choose to apply to a rolling admit or EA schools, again, just in case things go south in mid-Dec. And things go south every year for some (not many) verbally committed athletes. Sometimes even NLI athletes.
apologies for the typo, the school which confirmed it’s 2024 recruiting season closed was Middlebury, not Colby.
clarification: the 12-school list represents her current list of schools where D24 is engaged in recruiting conversations:
indeed if D24 isn’t recruited, she will apply to a somewhat different list of schools (tbc after summer visits) consisting of 10 applications