I desperately need something someone to chance me for The University of Texas at Dallas! It would be so appreciated! Here are my stats:
ACT Composite- 24
GPA- 4.0/4/0 (but I’m homeschooled, so this doesn’t hold much weight…)
College GPA- 3.39 (This GPA is from the 47 hours I have under my belt as a Collin College dual credit student. This past semester was rough… I got 2 B’s, an A, and a C and it REALLY hurt my GPA… should I even bother sending in my college transcript? Should I leave it out of the picture, since my GPA is so bad?)
Letters of Rec- 10/10
Achievements-
-Chosen out of hundreds of applicants through an application process consisting of essays, recommendation letters, and interviews to travel to remote Tanzania alongside Shawn Askinosie, CEO and founder of Askinosie Chocolate Factory to participate in cocoa bean inspection and profit sharing meetings, and witness firsthand the benefits of the company’s Direct Trade relationship with the cocoa farmers
-Spent one week on the campus of Drury University to be coached in a crash course of direct trade methods, cacao agronomy, Tanzanian culture, and the Swahili language
-Purchased premium Kyela rice harvested by the PTA of Mwaya Secondary School in the Kyela district of Tanzania, sold the rice, and then returned 100% of the profits to the PTA so they could provide lunches for each of its 1,000 students
-Raised $6,125 in six months to build a new classroom for 1,400-student Mabubu Elementary School in Tanzania
-Lead discussions with the Empowered Girls club at the Mayawa School in the Kyela district of Tanzania with the aim to increase the retention and graduation rate of female students
-Led the implementation and maintenance of a Khan Academy video-learning program on laptops and projectors throughout schools in Tanzania and funded the school’s first computer teacher to manage the new video-learning curriculum
-Featured on Huffington Post for work done in Tanzania, for finding new ways to raise funds in order to support the African community, and for making a bar of chocolate more than something to be savored
-Selected to attend Yale Young Global Scholars, a very selective leadership-development program for high school students from around the world, to study technology, innovation and entrepreneurship on the campus of Yale University
E/Cs-
-Debate (state and national qualifier)
-Committed to play soccer at The University of Texas at Dallas (will this help me get in, will an admissions counselor be impressed with this?)
-Have run my own business since age 13 through eBay and Poshmark, brought in over $40,000; $10,000 of which I have donated to local causes…
You might want to post some more details about your interactions with the coach. In your thread on the chances forum you mentioned that the coach gave you a verbal commitment.
There are lots here on this sub who have lots of experience interpreting coach speak.
The coach came and saw me play. We emailed for a while, he said to give him a call. During the call he said, “We would love to have you on the team. You fill a spot we desperately need in the center mid.” He relayed some details on ACT scores needed to receive academic scholarships. He never posed any concern about me having problems getting into the school. He spoke about some girls already on the team who saw me play and were impressed. He said I would fit in very well with the team. Then, he finished by asking what my timeline looks like and when I want to commit to a school. He knew I had other offers, and said he hoped I’d chose UT-Dallas. He said to give him a call when I’d made a decision. A couple days later, I called and committed. He was elated, said I’d receive something in the mail in a few days. I received a letter that basically gave me his “promise” to uphold his offer- that is, a spot on the team. Thanks for your help I just am wondering if me being committed will impress admissions and give me an edge against other students. I know UTD doesn’t really care about sports nearly as much as academics, but I still bring something to the table that most applicants don’t. Really, really appreciate your help with this!!
The athletic commitment will only help you get into the school if the coach contacts admissions and asks for that consideration. The admissions office is not going to know that you and the coach have an agreement. Call the coach and ask ‘What’s next? what do I do? Will you contact admissions for me?’ It’s okay to ask.
I just don’t want him to think I need his pull to get into the school… like I’m under the admissions requirement. Which, I’m not, I’m just average unfortunately. On my resume, I have an extracurricular section where I have a section for soccer, which includes details like “varsity team captain”, “state champions”, “#7 regional ranking”, etc. What if I put “committed to UT-Dallas” in this section, then admissions could see this? Do you think that would give me any “edge” against other applicants? I just feel like, if the coach was going to put a word in for me, he’d have told me already, right? Maybe I’m just overthinking everything… thank you for your reply!!!
You want an edge, but you don’t want to ask the coach if he is providing you one. Did you know that in many, if not most, cases the coach is helping a recruit get admitted who is not below the admissions requirements? Asking the coach if he or she is helping you does not show weakness on your part. It is very easy to tell the coach you are excited about the process and ask what you should expect next. Good luck to you!
What if they never read the little box where you’ve written ‘committed to UT’? You don’t want it to be a footnote, you want the coach waving his arms, shouting ‘Pick her’. In D3, that’s really all the coach has to help you, admissions h3lp. That’s his job to h3lp students get in. All he can say is that he can’t help with admissions.
You could also say ‘I’m about to submit my application. Is there anything I need to do to indicate I’ve committed to your team?’ He should get the hint.
The coach has already contacted admissions, basically they tell admissions they want you and an af goes on your file “athletic factor”. If you’re average for the school…well you’re getting in 100%. If you’re above average…You’re getting in.
The only time it might be iffy is if the team is really weak and the coach has less pull. and only if youre below the 20th percentile.
I am confused by your post. I am not sure why you would verbally “commit” to a school without some idea of whether the school was going to admit you. Although there is no set definition for “commitment” in D3 athletics, by “committing” in theory you would be giving up other athletic “offers” that you had on the table. At the same time, you say, “I just don’t want him to think I need his pull to get into the school.” Most recruits want and expect coach support through admissions. Without it, you aren’t a recruit.
Grudemonk and twoinanddone know what they are talking about. You should never leave anything to chance.
There are plenty of folks who have believed that they were admitted through coach support, only to learn that things did not work out as they thought it would. In recruiting, it is a “trust but verify” game. If you have not received the results of an admissions pre-read, you definitely should send an email asking the coach if he or she has given or will support to your application through admissions. Believe me, most of the other recruits have sent the same email. The coach will neither be surprised nor put off by the question, and he or she is the only one who can foretell with any degree of accuracy how admissions will treat your application.
@gointhruaphase Thank you very much for the advice. It has been taken to heart. Appreciate your help and everyone else’s! Grateful for this community!!!
I just am wondering if me being committed will impress admissions and give me an edge against other students. I know UTD doesn’t really care about sports nearly as much as academics, but I still bring something to the table that most applicants don’t. Really, really appreciate your help with this!!