Parents with athletes admitted ED to D3 schools - did sports help?

[Anonymous]

My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

[Anonymous]

I have a child that went to a high academic D3. The coaches get a certain number of slots with admissions and if your kid gets one you will know. Your child will apply ED and your kid will get in. It's very transparent. This is of course if you meet the academic requirements. But yes, it helps a lot if your kid is academically qualified.

[Anonymous]

I have a D3 athlete. It really depends on the school, the sport and the coach. In our case the coach had been there for years, could easily tell which kids would get in academically and which ones would need his "help". And this coach most certainly did help with some of the kids. Be thankful the extra COVID years are going to finally end - it screwed up recruiting so much. The transfer portal though appears to be here to stay.

Two other things - check the rosters to see how many kids stayed with the team all four years. And most importantly, make sure the school passes the broken leg test. Your kid is one injury away from never playing again.

[Anonymous]

My kid was a D3 recruit at a high academic. My sense is that the coach has a couple (as in 2) spots where student could be below academic averages (but only by a certain amount). Then for kids who hit academic averages the coach could also offer support. This was same level of support. Amherst college has an article that explains process for their school but I understand it’s similar at other NESCAC schools. My kid SAT was anvoce the average SAT for the schools they were looking at and they had high grades, plenty of APs with 5s. So in range for D3s and did a few prereads (passed them), got some offers and accepted offer from school she thought was a great fit. Applied ED and accepted. I would recommend googling around and finding the Amherst article as it helped me understand process at the NESCAC schools and likely similar at other high academic schools.

[Anonymous]

Re number and types of APs recommended by D3 high academic coaches — can anyone please provide some detail on that?

Ie is a there a minimum number of APs for junior year that would keep a kid in the running for high academics?

Do they expect a certain number of APs in core subjects (English,History, Math, Science)?

DD (sophomore) is getting interest from high academic D3s but attends a HS where this is not a common path. I’m feeling surprisingly ignorant at this point. Not sure if it would be weird to ask recruiting coaches about this stuff.

Thanks!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Re number and types of APs recommended by D3 high academic coaches — can anyone please provide some detail on that?

Ie is a there a minimum number of APs for junior year that would keep a kid in the running for high academics?

Do they expect a certain number of APs in core subjects (English,History, Math, Science)?

DD (sophomore) is getting interest from high academic D3s but attends a HS where this is not a common path. I’m feeling surprisingly ignorant at this point. Not sure if it would be weird to ask recruiting coaches about this stuff.

Thanks!!!!

I would ask the coaches. The coaches that my DC talked to were all very helpful and straightforward with what DC needed. I got the impression that there wasn't a set number of APs, but it depended on what was offered at your HS. Just my two cents, but depending on major, I recommend a minimum of AP Eng, AP Science, and AP calc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but if you're being told by a coach that your kids needs near perfect grades, then either your kids is a very low priority for the coach, or the college truly doesn't support the sport.
My kid is at a D3 top academic college and got in with the coach's support during ED, despite significantly below average (for this college) stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but if you're being told by a coach that your kids needs near perfect grades, then either your kids is a very low priority for the coach, or the college truly doesn't support the sport.
My kid is at a D3 top academic college and got in with the coach's support during ED, despite significantly below average (for this college) stats.

You sound like one. A d3 high academic school my kid is interested in, sent the (high) stats needed for academics before the kid could be considered as a recruit. Men’s swimming, Emory. And, you can’t even get those stats until you email the swim coach your swim stats and if you’re in their ballpark, they release the academic stats to you.

Lower level academic d3 schools haven’t done anything like this even though they are hard to get into. I’m talking too 25 school versus a 40 and up school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but if you're being told by a coach that your kids needs near perfect grades, then either your kids is a very low priority for the coach, or the college truly doesn't support the sport.
My kid is at a D3 top academic college and got in with the coach's support during ED, despite significantly below average (for this college) stats.

You sound like one. A d3 high academic school my kid is interested in, sent the (high) stats needed for academics before the kid could be considered as a recruit. Men’s swimming, Emory. And, you can’t even get those stats until you email the swim coach your swim stats and if you’re in their ballpark, they release the academic stats to you.

Lower level academic d3 schools haven’t done anything like this even though they are hard to get into. I’m talking too 25 school versus a 40 and up school.

OK call me a jerk, but my kid is in a top 10 SLAC (usually top 5) with hs grades well below average (fwiw, he's getting good college grades). That's what D3 recruitment means if a coach wants your kid and the sport means something to the school.

I don't know much about Emory, but it does seem that a university with 15,000 students that has chosen to be in Division III is making clear that it doesn't give a sh@t about athletics.

[Anonymous]

Hi! For the D3 athleyic pre-reads, do colleges require test scores even when when they have temporary or permanent test-optional policies? Like Pomona? Trying to save my kid the anxiety and the time suck of test prep. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but if you're being told by a coach that your kids needs near perfect grades, then either your kids is a very low priority for the coach, or the college truly doesn't support the sport.
My kid is at a D3 top academic college and got in with the coach's support during ED, despite significantly below average (for this college) stats.

You sound like one. A d3 high academic school my kid is interested in, sent the (high) stats needed for academics before the kid could be considered as a recruit. Men’s swimming, Emory. And, you can’t even get those stats until you email the swim coach your swim stats and if you’re in their ballpark, they release the academic stats to you.

Lower level academic d3 schools haven’t done anything like this even though they are hard to get into. I’m talking too 25 school versus a 40 and up school.

OK call me a jerk, but my kid is in a top 10 SLAC (usually top 5) with hs grades well below average (fwiw, he's getting good college grades). That's what D3 recruitment means if a coach wants your kid and the sport means something to the school.

I don't know much about Emory, but it does seem that a university with 15,000 students that has chosen to be in Division III is making clear that it doesn't give a sh@t about athletics.[/quote]

Emory has fewer than 8,000 undergraduates and about 12,000 students when including both grad & undergrads. Nevertheless,athletics are not a big deal at Emory.

[Anonymous]

tests are certainly coming back for some schools, but not the NESCACs folks

[Anonymous]

Would an athlete that has a 35 ACT but a lower than average unweighted gpa due to high rigor be likely to be given a bump due to the high score, assuming the coach was interested in the first place. Niche position. Curious how much the test would help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would an athlete that has a 35 ACT but a lower than average unweighted gpa due to high rigor be likely to be given a bump due to the high score, assuming the coach was interested in the first place. Niche position. Curious how much the test would help?

This is very school-dependent. But yes, it would certainly help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is talking to some high academic D3s. Their teams could beat many of the D1s, and most of the athletes they’re recruiting also have D1 interest. My impression is that the coach wanting you can help you get through test optional. However, the coaches have been very specific about the number and type of APs she would need. She would also need nearly perfect grades.

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but if you're being told by a coach that your kids needs near perfect grades, then either your kids is a very low priority for the coach, or the college truly doesn't support the sport.
My kid is at a D3 top academic college and got in with the coach's support during ED, despite significantly below average (for this college) stats.

This is what I’ve seen in experiences however small my experiences are. I know a student who was way below Boston College’s usual stats but he was probably on his way to professional so they took him. He did go pro. Also I have a family member who went to Princeton as a nationally ranked Lacrosse player who was a B student. It’s weird they recruit Lacrosse players. that sport failed so badly in the professional league. Future football and basketball professionals will get passes over a failed class or some Cs. They have proven that they excel at a specific sport and will add more value to the school than just another AP stem student.