Hi, I’m a cross country recruit at UChicago and was wondering if being a student athlete had any perks such as early registration or special housing. I’m trying to decide between UChicago and NYU as far as running goes. I have a couple other options but those are my top 2 to run at. Thanks!
Did you do an official visit at each school? Those are pretty standard topics at official visits but vary by school. I’d contact the coach or one of your future teammates.
My parents didn’t want to pay for the flights until I got in. I’ll likely visit soon. I know NYU has some fat perks but idk about Chicago
I’ve asked those questions of coaches, it was at D1 level but they seemed to expect the questions.
I don’t think D3, such as Chicago and NYU, can give athletes benefits like early registration or special housing. I’d always understood (as parent of D3 athlete), that any benefits available to athletes had to be available to all students.
I think they can give non-monetary benefits, and to me that would include first crack at registration. Here is a list from Wooster of the things that can’t be given - almost all involve money:
The NCAA does not allow Division III student-athletes to receive “extra benefits” because they happen to participate on an athletic team. What is a non-permissible “extra benefit”?
An extra benefit includes any special arrangement by an employee of The College of Wooster or booster to provide student-athletes, their relatives or friends, a benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA. Examples of impermissible extra benefits include, but are not limited to:
Gifts or loans of clothing, stereo equipment, compact discs, food, beverages
Transportation
Use of an automobile
Low interest or interest-free loans, telephone cards, credit cards, charge accounts, etc.
Gifts of more than the allowable number of complimentary admissions
Special discounts on products or services
Special payment arrangements on personal purchases
**Material benefits that are not available to the general student body**
Now the team can provide some of these things (clothing, food, beverages) to everyone, and then has to report them. The NCAA makes everyone report everything. I also think that Wooster is being a little strict with the definitions. Boosters provide food and beverages to the teams all the time at tailgates, on the bus rides, paying for meals. The booster club can’t slip $100 bucks to a star player for ‘pizza and beer’ or a new shirt.
D1 and D2 students definitely get to register first, so why wouldn’t D3? It’s not a monetary benefit, doesn’t matter if the student is on scholarship or not. Many schools don’t have special tutors for athletes, just have tutors for students that athletes can use too.
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We recently went on a college visit to one of the schools the OP listed (for swimming, not track) and the coach said the athletes had registration priority. That school also had a coordinator assigned to the athletes who could assist with any student services kind of issue that may come up. Instead of going to student services, you dropped by this person’s office in the athletic center and she would coordinate what you needed, No comment at that school about housing priority.
We also went on another school visi today (again DIII) and no class registration priority and no specialized housing or housing priority at that school.
This is a question to ask to the coach directly, it will vary from school to school. Having questions like this for the coaches is a good excuse to be in regular contact with them.
I am visiting soon but they don’t do visits often before the RD deadline bc they cannot guarantee admissions decisions
Which school of you don’t mind me asking
At uchicago athletes don’t get “special” dorms, but preference is given based on how early you put in a housing deposit. Recruited athletes are eligible to put in a deposit as soon as they accept a verbal pre-read “offer” (usually by August), so the athletes end up in the best dorms.
That’s super helpful, thank you
Also be aware that UChicago has a 5-1 student faculty ratio, much smaller average classes, and much more flexibilty in getting into what you want to take than NYU does. If there is high demand for a class, they often just add another small section. NYU has 27,000 undergrads, and a very limited campus in which to educate them. So priority in registration is going to mean a lot at NYU, but it wouldn’t really change anything at UChicago.
Here is one benefit my son, a class of '22 UChicago T&F and XC athlete was able to benefit from. It’s not a big one and only if you get a likely letter from admissions. But you can accept your offer of admission when you get your likely letter and submit your housing deposit before ED1. Housing preferences are based on when you turn in your deposit. The earliest ED1 students could do that this year was 12/18. My son turned his on 11/22 which pretty much gives you your first choice dorm.
So far that is it, other than the preferential hook in admissions process to one of the best universities in the world.
Thank you very much and congrats to your son. I hope to be joining him next year