Can anyone share recent experiences with Tufts recruiting in a non-helmet sport. Do coaches submit lists of recruits to admissions? Do they use a tip and slot system? D/S has grades and test scores well within admission range.
My son was a swim recruit with good grades and test scores towards the top of the admission range. They do use a tip/slot system, but those terms were never used. My son was not a top recruit (slot worthy), but when he told the coach Tufts was his top school he was offered help with admissions (a tip). When asked, the coach told him that in prior years this level of support yielded better than an 80% chance of admission. Those exact words were not used, but that was the gist of it.
ReallyOk, Tufts is in the NESCAC and they do use tips and slots, although that moniker is really just a label. I have heard NESCAC coaches use those terms and I have heard the band system referred to. You may or may not hear the coach refer to tips and slots.
Really, all a slot means is that each team has a couple (usually 2) places on their list of recruits where the athlete is valuable enough to the program that they will dip down in academic prowess. So, if there is an imaginary average of 31 ACT for Tufts, a coach could dip down to, say, a 28 (I am NOT saying that these are the magic numbers for Tufts – it is just an example). Tips are folks who could get in on their own, but with coach support, will not get lost in the sea of similar applicants. It sounds like this is the case for yours. Honestly, as GrudeMonk suggests, no one cares if you are a tip or a slot. All that matters is whether you get in and are playing your sport. The answer is yes, the coach does give his list of recruits to admissions. In order to secure coach support, you should apply early decision.
If you go back through the posts on this site, however, you will find a group of folks who had a very good experience and some who had a few glitches. It is very important that you ask the questions of the coach to ensure that you are not one falling into the glitch category. Ask: 1) will my kid get get in? 2) how many recruits are on the list that you send to admissions 3) where is my kid on the list of recruits 4) is my kid guaranteed a roster spot 5) do you cut recruits (this is really a spin on the prior question) 6) what happens if my kid gets injured.
It is just me, but I like the idea of asking about coach support via email. Usually, this happens during communications about the preread. Getting coach support in writing doesn’t bind anyone to anything, but its just a little tougher to back away from.
Thanks a lot for the info. This is what I was hoping for. I’m pretty sure my kid is being offered a tip. Since he/she has high grades and an ACT score above the median at Tufts, hopefully it means it will all work out with admissions.