What would you advise your kid (recruited athlete or roll the dice)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high stats kid (jr) who is being recruited. An offer just came pending a pre read approval. Kid will pass the pre read and then a second one after junior year, which kid should also pass. Counselor said kid could likely get into many top schools bc kid has a great profile: arts, national awards, sport, rigor, good gpa and sat, leadership, excellent ECs, and recs should be good. Counselor at school is very experienced and knowledgeable.

Would you encourage a jr to accept a spot at a #20 school but give up trying for a better one? Kid wants school first and sport second but kid likely won’t be recruitable at a school ranked less than #20.

Kid likes the school (and is actively recruited by other good schools) but loved an ivy we visited.

Bird in the hand? Kid is asking what we think.

Why don't you reach out to coaches at the Ivies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When does Coach want an answer?

Is kid in contact with the Ivy coaches? What is their interest level?

With the roster cuts and new ncaa rules and the stress of both recruiting and college admissions, I’d take the offer if the kid likes the school and the coach.

The reality is that OP's kid can say yes, and change their mind later. They can't do the opposite. So, they should say yes, and then take some time to look at all the options and figure out how highly this school ranks on their own list, and then decide.

This is the best advice. No true commitment until an ED application. There’s switching around at the last minute for all teams.

[Anonymous]

Just say yes to the #20 now and apply to better schools later. I know one kid who committed officially to a T10 D3 recruitment and changed mind after the RD round for a better ranked school. The D3 might stop recruiting from the same high school in the following years, but not much else can be done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When does Coach want an answer?

Is kid in contact with the Ivy coaches? What is their interest level?

With the roster cuts and new ncaa rules and the stress of both recruiting and college admissions, I’d take the offer if the kid likes the school and the coach.

The reality is that OP's kid can say yes, and change their mind later. They can't do the opposite. So, they should say yes, and then take some time to look at all the options and figure out how highly this school ranks on their own list, and then decide.

I'd be very cautious with this approach. While there is no legal commitment, it is frowned upon, and coaches talk. They also move around. If the #20 coach hears that the kid is talking to other coaches/visiting other schools, they may rescind the offer. And if those other coaches know the kid committed to another school, they may not want to talk to them. For now, I would try to squeeze out as much time for a decision to the #20 as possible, in order to afford time to talk to other coaches. Being that kid is a junior and it's November, it's reasonable that they're looking at multiple schools. #20 coach should not be pressuring for an offer right now unless they're top for their sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high stats kid (jr) who is being recruited. An offer just came pending a pre read approval. Kid will pass the pre read and then a second one after junior year, which kid should also pass. Counselor said kid could likely get into many top schools bc kid has a great profile: arts, national awards, sport, rigor, good gpa and sat, leadership, excellent ECs, and recs should be good. Counselor at school is very experienced and knowledgeable.

Would you encourage a jr to accept a spot at a #20 school but give up trying for a better one? Kid wants school first and sport second but kid likely won’t be recruitable at a school ranked less than #20.

Kid likes the school (and is actively recruited by other good schools) but loved an ivy we visited.

Bird in the hand? Kid is asking what we think.

Did that bird fly in with money?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just say yes to the #20 now and apply to better schools later. I know one kid who committed officially to a T10 D3 recruitment and changed mind after the RD round for a better ranked school. The D3 might stop recruiting from the same high school in the following years, but not much else can be done.

This sounds odd to me as every top D3 school has said if you don’t apply ED then you are on your own for acceptance and we will try to give your roster spot to someone else.

Doesn’t mean you won’t get accepted on your own, however the coach would be pissed you didn’t raise your hand and tell them prior to the ED deadline.

[Anonymous]

We prioritized academics. This sport gives pretty much peanuts if anything for males.

My kid was a straight A, high score kid. We told him to find the best school for academics first. He could get injured. He could barely see the field. He could not like the coach.

We are going to school to get a degree and a job.

My kid had some pretty low academic schools after him. Think T200+.

He got into an Ivy on his own. Played club and eventually got on the varsity team. Had a great time and doesn’t ha e that imposter syndrome that he only got in due to a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We prioritized academics. This sport gives pretty much peanuts if anything for males.

My kid was a straight A, high score kid. We told him to find the best school for academics first. He could get injured. He could barely see the field. He could not like the coach.

We are going to school to get a degree and a job.

My kid had some pretty low academic schools after him. Think T200+.

He got into an Ivy on his own. Played club and eventually got on the varsity team. Had a great time and doesn’t ha e that imposter syndrome that he only got in due to a sport.

This is not the same. The kid is looking at giving up a likely guaranteed top academic school to try to a tippy top academic school. No one is looking at a top 20 school thinking a kid didn’t prioritize academics by electing to go there. For example, if a high stats athlete chose to take a guaranteed spot at Rice versus trying to get into Yale, no one would think the kid is only focused on sports.

your child’s case (sports at a top 200 school versus trying to a better one) is not what this post is about. It is shocking, though, bc to be an athlete in the ivy league - even a walk on- you need to be an excellent athlete. I don’t know why other top schools weren’t pursuing him.

[Anonymous]

My kids weren’t recruited athletes but this is why we didn’t do ED. They wanted to know all the options before deciding. It’s tough. Just have your son go with his gut. If he’s not ready, he shouldn’t feel pressured. He might look back and wonder what-if’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We prioritized academics. This sport gives pretty much peanuts if anything for males.

My kid was a straight A, high score kid. We told him to find the best school for academics first. He could get injured. He could barely see the field. He could not like the coach.

We are going to school to get a degree and a job.

My kid had some pretty low academic schools after him. Think T200+.

He got into an Ivy on his own. Played club and eventually got on the varsity team. Had a great time and doesn’t ha e that imposter syndrome that he only got in due to a sport.

This is not the same. The kid is looking at giving up a likely guaranteed top academic school to try to a tippy top academic school. No one is looking at a top 20 school thinking a kid didn’t prioritize academics by electing to go there. For example, if a high stats athlete chose to take a guaranteed spot at Rice versus trying to get into Yale, no one would think the kid is only focused on sports.

your child’s case (sports at a top 200 school versus trying to a better one) is not what this post is about. It is shocking, though, bc to be an athlete in the ivy league - even a walk on- you need to be an excellent athlete. I don’t know why other top schools weren’t pursuing him.

He was injured the entire junior year and part of Senior. He could have played at Hopkins or NYU as well. But - they offered no $ of course and are D3. The Ivy was a better fit and it was D1.

[Anonymous]

OP is the recruitment a full ride? What does the money mean to you?

[Anonymous]

My DS was in a similar situation a few years ago. If your kid is not getting a recruiting slot at the Ivy and has no other hook, the chances of getting in are very slim. I don't care what your counselor says. Your kid should take the current offer. That said, you have to tell your kid that it's his decision, not yours. You don't want him blaming you for a bad decision for the rest of his life.

[Anonymous]

^this. Our family lived this situation. Take the sure thing.
One thing that has not been mentioned is that athletes who shift to a pure academic track rarely have a complete set of ECs relative to kids who have always been on a purely academic track.

[Anonymous]

With the transfer portal and roster limits, loyalty is dead on both sides. He can verbally commit and continue to focus on grades and test scores. During fall of senior year, he can re-evaluate. If his resume still looks good for an Ivy, he can decommit and apply ED to the Ivy. That may sound harsh, but the T20 school can also drop him just as easily if he gets injured or has a bad season. Verbal commitments aren’t worth much these days.

[Anonymous]

Go for the academically best school. Kid is an athlete at a t20 , may have imposter syndrome they didn’t get in on academics, will wonder if could have. Apply to all t30s that are a fit, sounds like they have a good shot at at least one T20 on their own.