<p>So pretty recently I fell in love with a school while attending its camp. I also performed well at that camp - well enough that at the end of camp, the head coach of that school came up to me and told me he wanted me and was definitely recruiting me and would go through the whole process for the likely letter once he received my word that I wanted to go there. He told me that he would give me time for this decision to look at other programs but that he was confident in what he had to offer me with his program. I told him in return it was my top choice, and that I still wanted to see a few other schools but that it was hard for me to imagine myself anywhere else.</p>
<p>A week and change later, after a few visits to other schools, my mind and heart remain the same on the matter. I still have one more visit to make with a coach, but after that, unless something about this final school really blows me away, I'll be done with my visits and still have the same answer. So after this visit is it pretty much okay for me to pull the trigger and commit to this school (an Ivy)? The coach told me that academically I'm pretty much a sure bet (my AI is ~238) and my parents are financially committed to paying for my education. On top of that, I almost worry, even though it could be a bit of an irrational fear, that if I hold out too long they might start looking in another direction. Plus, I want some closure on the matter! In the meantime, if I wait until the fall I have some OVs to go through and perhaps get a fuller perspective on each of my final choices...but I personally feel like I know enough about every school I'm considering to not need another look at each one. So, anything that should cause hesitation at this point? Or does it sound like I'm ready? And if I'm ready to do so, how soon after this last visit should I wait to make the decision (and start calling coaches and letting them know that I've committed)?</p>
<p>Sounds like you have a great perspective and have thought this all through. Remember there is great value in having things all decided and a decision made that lets you enjoy your senior year. Provided you are sure, and you parents agree with giving the go ahead to the school you like, it seems like the right thing to do. Plus, what would someone have to do to beat the school you like best, and is that possible, or likely to happen. </p>
<p>I dont think your fear is irrational about the coach looking in a different direction, that happens all the time and CC is full of would’ve, could’ve should’ve stories. The real question to ask yourself, is… if the athletics fell through (injuries or any other reason) would you still want to go to the school. If the answer is yes, and your parents agree, and understand the cost of an IVY, with NO merit aid… Then I would tell my child yes, do it. Really, how can you lose at ANY IVY that you love.</p>
<p>In fact my son choose to apply ED last year for much the same reason, favorite school, coach wanted him and we understood the cost. </p>
<p>I’m very happy for you. My two cents…GO FOR IT, and get the LL! </p>
<p>You are at the same spot my son was at last (early) Sept. He leaves this Thurs for his Ivy experience. It was his favorite school, and coach as well. Our decision making was exactly as JG in CT describes above…</p>
<p>Question: what happens if you can’t play baseball for whatever reason?<br>
Answer: you continue your education at an awesome school. </p>
<p>Isn’t it a great feeling knowing you have done your due diligence, and it is a great fit? Again, I’m very excited for you. Please keep us updated on what you finally decide.</p>
<p>I’m going to sound a note of caution here and suggest that your recruiting process should not end until you have the likely letter in hand. Until then, keep all your irons in the fire.</p>
<p>^ If, worst-case scenario, something were to go wrong with this school and I couldn’t get a LL, I could always let other schools know and resume the recruiting process all the way to January, no? </p>
<p>Thanks for the responses folks! fenwaysouth, if I go with this school I could be squaring off against your son 4x a year. :p</p>
<p>Congrats. I remember a long time ago your first(?) brash post about anticipating a perfect SAT score and wondering whether that could actually work against you. (Of course you backed up that post with a perfect score!)</p>
<p>Now a year later, you worked hard on baseball and have earned the right to make your decision.</p>
<p>I would counsel you to meet the team a campus in a summer camp is a different perspective from the team which plays ball on that campus. I am sure the coach offered you an OV, so take that OV the first weekend you can. If financials are in the mix get your parents to get that in for an immediate read (if financials are no matter that is just one less variable for you to worry about).</p>
<p>The OV will probably solidify your impression but when my S began his OVs he found (surprisingly) he didnt like some of the teams (one comment was and I apologize if I offend some people: theyre not great ball players and not great students. He wanted more from his future teammates. I am sure that another prospective recruit would have found the players to be great students and ball players – that is for you to decide.)</p>
<p>All coaches will press you to make a decision its their job and its not personal. But, if you are a top recruit, they will give you some time (time enough to do some OVs if the OVs are on consecutive weekends). That having been said, your gut is the way to go you have reached the goal you set for yourself! </p>
<p>One of the most disconcerting moments for us, the parents (not my S), was when S told coaches no thanks. We really sweated the four weeks it took to get the LL and I encourage you to get the completed app in ASAP. If there is a disaster, you will have time to recover and find another place but your AI is high enough to get the LL assuming the coach is seeking one on your behalf.</p>
<p>So you have 1 D1 offer (I’m assuming you would have mentioned any of Ivy offers if you had more) and your wondering if you should commit to your 1 offer and you’re a senior? Of course you should commit, what else are you going to do? Hold out and hope a D3 swoops you off your feet?</p>
<p>Unless Cornell just offered you and you think you’ll get a Harvard offer after an OV, seems obvious to me. You’ll feel dumb if when you commit the offer isn’t there anymore.</p>
<p>You’ve been doing your homework on this for a long time. You’ve thought about it enough to know your options and which of those options is best for you. Your story reminds me of my son’s, except that he was a lowly 236. He too did his homework early, also knew in his “mind and heart” where he wanted to go early in the game, commited to the coach in August, got on the application in in September, had his LL in October, and never looked back.</p>
<p>"^ If, worst-case scenario, something were to go wrong with this school and I couldn’t get a LL, I could always let other schools know and resume the recruiting process all the way to January, no? "</p>
<p>Yes, but then you would have tipped your hand that any other school is less than your top choice. Coaches are only human and no one likes to feel second best. Additionally, once one has has been (heaven forbid!) passed on by another coach, one might lose some of one’s luster - like a house on the market whose price has dropped.</p>
<p>By all means commit and a)if you get your LL in hand immediately, then b)tell all the other coaches and c)celebrate. I just don’t think it is a good idea to do b) and c) before a).</p>
<p>What a great position to be in. Congratulations.</p>
<p>But don’t I have to commit before I even work on the application, get it in, wait for 4-6 weeks, and then finally get my LL? Seems unrealistic for me to get a LL very shortly after making a commitment. Plus I understand that there is caution that needs to be exercised but I feel like I would have to mess up really really badly at this point for things not to work out - in which case I would probably mess up my chances with other schools anyways.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice and the congrats guys!</p>
<p>My point is only that a coach saying he would like to get you a likely is not the same as you getting a likely. </p>
<p>You do not have to commit in order to apply. My S applied via Common App to multiple schools RD and told the coach at his #1 choice that he would change his app to ED when he had his likely in his hand. You lose a LOT of the power you now hold the minute you make a commitment and drop other schools.</p>
<p>You can work on the application and get it in before you commit. You can say to the coach, “if I get a likely letter before X date (giving yourself enough time to get back in touch with other schools), I will come to your school.” It should not take them 4 - 6 weeks to get you a likely. As long as Admissions officers are in the office and available to read your application you should be able to get an answer from them very quickly. If they want you badly enough, they should do that for you. If they won’t do that for you, they might not want you that badly.</p>
<p>At minimum, I would say to the coach, “I am ready to commit to you but need to know exactly how the process will work vis a vis me getting my likely letter, including the timing of each step that I can expect along the way.”</p>
<p>3xboys brings up a great point and timeline. Specifically… “I am ready to commit to you but need to know exactly how the process will work vis a vis me getting my likely letter, including the timing of each step that I can expect along the way.” …is the way I would approach it as well. You are telling the coach you’re ready, and “how do WE get this done” with Admissions. I like 3xboys approach of changing common app from RD to ED when LL is in hand. Hopefully, your school takes common app.</p>
<p>Under no circumstances should you let up with the other schools, until your LL is in hand. Keep your foot on the gas.</p>
<p>Also, Stemit asked if it an ED school. That is an important question, and could affect the process a little bit. Also, you could be facing Stemit’s son 4x per year as well. You could be pitching against a couple of future “aces” for a few years. I’m hoping to see you on the mound soon. ;-)</p>
<p>You can commit and still keep your other options open man, unlike football, baseball doesn’t really have a scout or a rivals that everyone reports their offers and commitments too. Therefore, you verbal would pretty much be silent, leaving your other options open.</p>
<p>My D took all 5 of her official visits even though she had visited those schools unofficially and had talked at length with the coaches. She felt it was important to meet her prospective teammmates and observe how they get along with each other, how they interacted with the coach, and how they socialize off the field. Frankly, those visits changed her ideas about the schools and she made some telling observations. So I’d agree with stemit on this one. If you want, tell the coach of your current #1 school that on paper, his school is your first choice but that you’d still like to take your official visits before making a final decision. However, if you don’t have any other pans on the fire right now, then by all means jump on this chance aggressively.</p>
<p>I’m with stemit and others who suggest you go ahead and take the OV at your first choice school while you’re in the process of getting your likely letter approval. I can’t think of a reason you wouldn’t take one more good look at everything before your commit. Congratulations, by the way! You sound like a great match for this league…</p>
<p>^ I agree. That’s basically what DS did. His first choice was Princeton, which has no ED, so is very tuned in to the LL process, because without assurances of LLs, many recruits would opt for ED schools to be “one and done” rather than wait for April. DS and P coach mutually committed in August and scheduled an OV for October. DS submitted admission application in September, but coach seemed to be in no rush to push for an early LL. </p>
<p>DS wanted LL in hand (or LL denial, so he could move on) well before Stanford and Yale SCEA deadlines, so that if LL request was denied he’d have time to submit a SCEA app to S or Y. Turned out that coach needed to do a write-up on each LL candidate and submit his letter to admission in order to trigger the LL approval process. Coach liked to submit his support letters in batches, and we figured out, after the fact, that coach was holding off on submitting DS’s support letter in order to submit it with a group that might have included some more academically marginal recruits. Essentially, we surmised, he was using DS as a “booster” for some more marginal candidates. </p>
<p>Mid-October DS explained the importance of getting his LL before the S and Y SCEA deadlines to P coach; coach got the message that without LL in hand, DS might look elsewhere. Coach then submitted support letter to admissions right away. DS enjoyed his OV, it confirmed to him that P was the correct choice, and two days after returning from OV he got a congratulatory call from admissions telling him LL was on its way. LL followed a day or two later.</p>
<p>I think I wrote that too fast. I hope it made sense.</p>
<p>So, Monstor, Id advise you to push for the LL at 1st choice school but keep your other options open until you have LL in hand. And remember, the LL isnt binding on the student. If you have a major change of heart you could still apply elsewhere RD.</p>
<p>^^Sherpa, That made perfect sense, no matter your typing speed!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for sharing your son’s experience. The timing of the LL clearly is a major component of the whole experience. It is good that your son talked to the coach about the need for speed regarding this process, certainly after 1st October! I didn’t know that admissions would ever call with good news regarding LL - that is a nice way to reduce the stress for at least a few days while you are haunting the mailbox!</p>
<p>3xboys ^^^ even better! It would be a huge relief to actually be holding tangible evidence of what was coming in the mail - and to celebrate the end of this journey!</p>