<p>I know someone who says he "signed" with Harvard for soccer. I know he just submitted his SCEA application over the weekend. Can someone tell me if admission based on athletic recruitment is that much of a "slam dunk"? If someone has been recruited for soccer (or any other non-football sport!), will admissions notify him/her immediately like they apparently did with this student? Or is he jumping the gun a little bit? Thanks!</p>
<p>Ivy League schools can issue Likely Letters anytime after Oct. 1st. Many recruited athletes have already receive their Ivy League Likely Letters. However, all application materials need to be in before a Likely Letter can be issued.</p>
<p>thanks for the info! Sounds like he is expecting a “likely letter”. He must be pretty confident!</p>
<p>My S. now a freshman, was recruited last year as an athlete. Once the coach affirmed that he would support him and had received approval from the Admission Committee based on his grades, test scores and teacher recs, he was invited to come in for an interview. His interviewer called him a few days later to say that we would be receiving his likley letter within the week.</p>
<p>It’s very believable that your friend would have gotten a likely letter recently. The point of the likely letters for athletes is to keep them from signing a letter of intent with another college, or submitting an ED application to a college that has an ED program. Many Harvard recruits may also be getting recruited by other Ivies or selective Division III colleges. So the ED application deadline date is important in the likely-letter process (and if someone had requested and received a likely letter, submitting an SCEA application would probably be part of the deal).</p>
<p>thanks for the info guys!</p>
<p>The “signing” language is misleading. Scholarship athletes sign National Letters of Intent (NLIs) but there isn’t anything for an Ivy League athlete to “sign”, as Ivies don’t offer athletic scholarships.</p>
<p>Your acquaintance may well be on track for a LL, but it won’t be issued until his/her full application has been received and reviewed.</p>