These selective D3 schools, did they give merit for being recruited even though DC applied ED?

It depends how much the coach wants her and how much sway the coach has with the admissions office.

My DD applied ED1 to one of the WASP LACs where she'd talked to the coach, was told he'd be happy to have her if she got in ED on her own but he wasn't using one of recruiting slots for her. If she didn't get in there ED1 she was planning on applying to another SLAC ED2 where the coach was heavily recruiting her and she felt confident she'd get in. She ended up getting in ED1 to the WASP school.

I know another kid who was being recruited by a WASP school but the family didn't want to apply ED because they needed a lot of financial aid and they weren't sure they'd get. They were very upfront with the coach and kept in touch with him throughout. So that kid applied RD and got in.

Anonymous wrote:What sport?

Track.

Anonymous wrote:The coach will communicate with you if you're getting one of their "slots" where they can put in a word with admissions and you would be expected to apply ED if that was the case. Otherwise they will move on to some other kid for the team. They are giving your kid a huge admissions boost and in return you are committing to the team and school early. They fill their team slots through ED at D3 schools. So your chance to use it as leverage in admission will be done after ED.

Pretty much this + might be able to walk on if admitted in RD. But once you pass up on ED, the athlete will rarely, rarely get a second chance.

What sport?

Anonymous wrote:DD is a pretty decent D3-level athlete. However, many of her top choice schools are (mostly) larger D1 schools for where she wouldn't be able to be recruited (in that case hopefully she'd be able to play Club). However, there are a few D3s that are on her list, but her number one dream school is not a school where she would be recruited. I'd say choices #2, 4, and 7 are recruitment potentials.

My question relates to timing. It seems when you are D3 recruited, you're expected to ED to a school (assuming you have the coach's support). But what if you want to ED a school to which you are not being recruited for, but you would still like to pursue recruitment for D3 schools (in EA or RD) if the ED falls through? Is this feasible?

For context, the schools in question are all highly selective or selective. Also, she's had conversations with a few D3 coaches and there is interest.

Looking for guidance and advice from parents who've traveled down the D3 recruitment vs non-recruitment path and how to keep all options on the table. Thanks!

Sometimes you have to make choices.

DC was heavily recruited by D3 schools for their sport. But wanted to study engineering. And the very selective schools they were interested in were all D1. And that wasn't going to happen as an athletic recruit.

Ultimately chose the T20 D1 school, which they got into bc of academics, test scores, and other ECs besides their sport. But they reached out to the coach. And has been training with the team freshman year, mostly with the athletes coming back from injuries and a few other promising freshmen. Will have a spot sophomore year.

Worked out for them.

Gets the top education at the school of their choice. Gets the training for a very competitive D1 program. And will compete sophomore year.

In my DC case none of the D3 schools “promised” DC a slot as folks are suggesting here… they just gave a pre read of the app then gave feedback that the child was very likely to be accepted. These included top 25 schools. All stated same info provided by AO, that ED is the strongest option but none required ED or made the feedback contingent on the application cycle. DC did ED to their first choice, a high reach, and EA to multiple others, keeping in close contact with multiple coaches, but certainly NOT telling the coaches that they were pursuing multiple school. When accepted ED, DC immediately reached out to the other coaches and let them know, and they congratulated DC and thanked DC for being so respectful to promptly them know.

My DC's experience in a T-20: Academic pre-read and ED. DC felt that it was the best option (although there may have been a bit of buyer's remorse).

DC knew coach would support admission if applied ED. Many others on the team did not apply ED-1. Some were ED-2 when the Ivies fell through. Several were RD and a few walk ons. I'd be upfront - if your DC is good enough, coach will want him/her either way but may not be able to influence the admissions process as much after ED.

DC is currently heavily involved in the recruiting process - lots of interaction with recruits the coach is interested in. Many of these recruits did not apply ED-1 or ED-2 but are really good so the coach is still interested.

DC had a friend who applied to a SLAC with an 8% acceptance rate. Coach said - you are in and friend was rejected - friend was a good but not great addition to the team so I feel like coach support was not there or he did not have the pull other coaches have.

Ask the coach - of the recruits you put forward and who received a positive pre-read, how many have been rejected and why. Also - is your DC reaching (admission questionable) or DC has the status but the sport is just what makes him/her a good fit for the school (admission more likely).

DC was upfront with coach - not applying ED without a pre-read and positive feedback from admissions. That said - DC had top stats and probably should have applied to an Ivy or a higher rated school ED-1 but wanted to play the sport and could not do so at the D1 level at a school with the academic rigor DC wanted.

Good luck -

I think she needs to be up-front with the coaches, but there's a chance that the D3 schools would be willing to give her support at ED2 or RD. Some of it may depend on the sport and who else they're looking at, and how competitive she is in terms of SAT/GPA. If she is such a strong student that the coach doesn't need to use a "slot" (i.e., light support would be enough to get her in) then the coach may be willing to let her apply RD. FWIW, my kid ED'd to a D3 school in the 30-50 range, and after his academic pre-read the coach basically said he could apply ED1, ED2 or RD and it wouldn't be an issue. Maybe it's different when you're talking about Williams or Amherst, but the only way you can find out is by having frank discussions with the coach.

I think this is your main question, right?

But what if you want to ED a school to which you are not being recruited for, but you would still like to pursue recruitment for D3 schools (in EA or RD) if the ED falls through? Is this feasible?

This is definitely feasible. EA and RD aren't binding, for academics or sports. If she is having deep conversations with coaches at her 2nd, 4th, 7th, choices of schools, it would be very noble for her to say that she will be applying ED somewhere else. The gamble is that they might lose a little interest in her.

I think she first needs to decide how important is it to her to play the sport in college. Navigating a recruited path simultaneously with non-recruited seems like a total nightmare to me.

A couple of questions:

1.) Has she communicated at all with the coach at her first-choice school?

2.) Would her second choice, with the recruited student's boost, be a more likely ED yes than her first?

The kids I know who took this path were specifically asked to apply ED. They had gotten their pre-read and were confident of admission, though nothing was offical until they were accepted.

Agree with the PP, but also remember that in many D3 sports you don’t have to be a recruit to make the team. It varies by school and sport, but if she’s truly good enough to play at the D3 level of those schools and ends up committing to one in April, then she can contact the coach at that time to see what’s possible.

The coach will communicate with you if you're getting one of their "slots" where they can put in a word with admissions and you would be expected to apply ED if that was the case. Otherwise they will move on to some other kid for the team. They are giving your kid a huge admissions boost and in return you are committing to the team and school early. They fill their team slots through ED at D3 schools. So your chance to use it as leverage in admission will be done after ED.

DD is a pretty decent D3-level athlete. However, many of her top choice schools are (mostly) larger D1 schools for where she wouldn't be able to be recruited (in that case hopefully she'd be able to play Club). However, there are a few D3s that are on her list, but her number one dream school is not a school where she would be recruited. I'd say choices #2, 4, and 7 are recruitment potentials.

My question relates to timing. It seems when you are D3 recruited, you're expected to ED to a school (assuming you have the coach's support). But what if you want to ED a school to which you are not being recruited for, but you would still like to pursue recruitment for D3 schools (in EA or RD) if the ED falls through? Is this feasible?

For context, the schools in question are all highly selective or selective. Also, she's had conversations with a few D3 coaches and there is interest.

Looking for guidance and advice from parents who've traveled down the D3 recruitment vs non-recruitment path and how to keep all options on the table. Thanks!