Not disputing this but I read (maybe heard) somewhere that Ivy coaches like to balance the team academics. Meaning, they will recruit that 1600 good athlete so that they can also recruit the 1250 amazing athlete. Is that narrative not true?
More meaningful for teams like football with large recruiting classes.
Regardless, the coach isn’t going to recruit a 1600 without the candidate filling a specific athletic need
1 Like
[quote=“stressismyname, post:141, topic:3623592”]
Is that narrative not true?
[/quote
From what I am seeing that is only true in theory now. Academic Index is a lot murkier in the test optional environment.
1 Like
Thanks for your collective feedback, regarding Liberty and NEWMAC, we will look at a few schools that would be nice additions to her list.
Whilst she would love to swim in college, the objective of college remains academic excellence and the ability to study her subject of interest. In that sense, D24 ruled out dedicated engineering schools like MIT, WPI, RPI, RIT and women’s schools such as Smith, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, and many schools which are academically weaker. She will likely apply to Berkeley/UCLA/Stanford/UVA if she’s not recruited/admitted in ED, simply because these schools offer exceptional academic programs for her intended major, though she will have zero chance to join their swim teams.
Regarding the possibility of walk-ons: this issue is minimally relevant, because if she isn’t recruited/ED, she will choose where to go first and foremost based on academics, ie Stanford without swimming D1 will outrank Amherst with an opportunity to walk-on.
All of this schools are near Impossible to get into, particularly as an international student. She is going to need a more well developed list with some targets and likelies if she is serious about coming to study in the US.
1 Like
as mentioned earlier in the thread, her list includes universities with a high probability of admission:
-
top Canadian Universities (which are way cheaper!), strictly look at academics for admissions, where her grades hit the mark, and have solid swim teams
-
Swim School safeties where she would be in the top 25% in swimming and grades
** US universities are very expensive for foreign students who mostly have to pay full tuition. as such, D24 is also seeking a high level of academic excellence commensurate with her high school grades (3.95+)
On top of this, certain sports will have much higher AI targets than others as the AI requirement is applicable to all recruited athletes. So the football coach is going to likely have an overall lower team AI than 1 standard deviation below the school average, and with a much larger recruit class, it means several other sports will have to make up for this.
To each their own, but I would not diss Amherst if prestige and academic chops are what you are after.
If she’d rather go to Stanford than take a walk on spot at another school on her list is the motivation simply for the guarantee of admissions? I am genuinely curious.
4 Likes
The narrative is not quite true.
-
test optional policies have totally changed how AI works and none of us really know anymore
-
it’s likely that the AI targets aren’t as high as parents like to hope/assume
-
the kids I’ve seen recruited who were touted as exceptional academically were scoring 1400 on the SAT - just an example of how those of us with 1600 kids thought the 1600 would matter but a coach need only hit 1400 as their high and still get a better athlete
2 Likes
I would not diss Amherst either (top academic school, nice college type town, etc.) though a college experience at Stanford would be very different than at Amherst. Which type of school would be the best fit should certainly be an important part of the decision, if they were fortunate enough to have both schools on their short list.
2 Likes
Agreed, but why seek coach support if not a good fit?
1 Like
Agree, especially as you move along in the recruiting process.
Initially a student may not know, or may think they do not want to attend a small school like an Amherst/NESCAC, but may visit and get a different feeling.
Side note from this topic regarding Amherst, among the NESCAC Amherst does benefit a bit sharing a college town with a large state university. A few of the NESCAC are quite remote, and in the winter it may feel even more remote.
1 Like
There is no intention to diss any school in particular. D24 built a long list of swimming schools/coaches where she is actively pursuing the athlete track and would love to attend. However, if that coach support/recruit track doesn’t materialize for her, then she will be considered a regular applicant, and choose the school/program she likes the most.
No school offers guaranteed walk-on spots; D24 has a former teammate who got turned down last fall after meeting with a university coach (this was a swimmer recruited by another top academic school/ coach).
The previous comment was just comparing an imaginary case of having to choose between certainty to study at Stanford with a stronger academic department in her field of study and no walk-on vs certainty of studying at Amherst with maybe a walk-on. in that case, she would choose Stanford hands down, and continue to enjoy off squad swimming.
While not guaranteed this can usually be squared away before final decision. Coaches can, and do, offer roster spots to already accepted kids. Many D3 teams need more athletes than the number of slots they are allowed. This process works particularly well with swimming since it’s based on times and tryouts aren’t needed.
I’m curious to hear about her friends experience. Can you share the schools involved and at what point they Troyes to walk on?
Also, in the hypothetical, I think it would be more likely that the choice would be between an Amherst, with coach support, and a lower ranked school (say, Boston College, for example) without coach support. Both excellent schools, of course. But if you are trying for highly rejective schools, using an athletic recruit spot makes a tremendous difference. Therefore in the OP’s case, I would focus on getting that coach support.
2 Likes
I don’t disagree with what you said. Was simply reacting to the statement
“Regarding the possibility of walk-ons: this issue is minimally relevant, because if she isn’t recruited/ED, she will choose where to go first and foremost based on academics, ie Stanfordwithout swimming D1 will outrank Amherst with an opportunity to walk-on.”
I know lots of people do it, but I don’t see the point in pursuing recruitment simply to get in. IMO you should try to get recruited at schools you genuinely would like to attend.
3 Likes
Oh, I know, I wasn’t responding to your post 
2 Likes
The walk-on request took place at the start of freshman year. Cannot disclose the school.
Another teammate’s roommate walked-on into Princeton swimming, so D24 understand every coach/team is different.
They should have reached out to the coach as soon as acceptance was received. This case is not walk I was speaking of when I mentioned the walk on possibility.
it is a case where the applicant chose preferred academic school with maybe walk-on, over lesser fit school with guaranteed swimming team slot. that’s a respectable and understandable decision
2 Likes