Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 09:38     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
You need to be a top athlete, not just good. Top on your team, state honors, club team etc.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 09:36     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Ivy - you need to be a top athlete. Grades and test scores matter, but varies based on the sport.

NESCACs - you need the academics to get in without sports. You need to be good at your sport, but you don't need to be a top impact player.

D1 schools like Duke, Syracuse, UVA, etc. You need to be a top athlete. You can get in with grades and test scores a bit lower than average. It's a balance of how good of an athlete you are for how much the academics can slide.


Why do people write stuff like this? These are Power 4 ACC schools...you just need to meet NCAA minimums (which are very low) for sports like football, basketball and baseball if you are a Power 4 or Power 5 recruit.

Duke basketball considers it a win if you only spend 1 year at the school and then get drafted to the NBA. I think Cooper Flagg had OK stats...but I guarantee you Duke didn't give a shit what they were (as long as they were above the NCAA minimums).
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 09:10     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Ivy - you need to be a top athlete. Grades and test scores matter, but varies based on the sport.

NESCACs - you need the academics to get in without sports. You need to be good at your sport, but you don't need to be a top impact player.

D1 schools like Duke, Syracuse, UVA, etc. You need to be a top athlete. You can get in with grades and test scores a bit lower than average. It's a balance of how good of an athlete you are for how much the academics can slide.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 09:00     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
We were told 1250 SAT for football at an Ivy, but I believe that is inputted into a formula for the academic index. Even though the Ivies have a lot of flexibility with grades and test scores I don’t think that they will admit athletes that cannot succeed academically. That should probably tell you something about a lot of these schools as well: the academic floor for success is much lower than most want to admit.

Although 1250 seems low, I wouldn’t put too much stock in lower test scores for athletes. The one advantage for athletic recruitment is you are given a floor for test scores and their can be little incentive to exceed that floor.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 08:38     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
My kid is a swimmer so that is what I can speak to. It basically takes Olympic trials cuts to get into an Ivy, so def better than average. We were told you needed a 1400 SAT and Bc Calc as well unless you were Katie Ledecky level.

Also I think you are overestimating the number if slots. Each swim team takes maybe 5 new kids per year plus competing with transfer portal. There a many times that number All American swimmers with a near perfect SAT.

Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 08:26     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
We are at the end of this process with my son, who wants to play varsity baseball in college. You have to be better than "okay" to play at a top academic school, and that includes SLACs. There is no shortage of excellent athletes who are also excellent students . . . you have to do the work on both your sport and your academics to be an attractive recruit.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 08:25     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Or is a very strong student at a top high school plus a good but not tippity top club/varsity player enough? Are there many top athletes out there who also have the academic chops to hack it at these colleges? I am sure it depends on the sport, but how about for sports outside of football and basketball? If your SAT is in the 1550-1580 range, high rigor at a strong, nationally recognized HS, and let's say you are an ok lacrosse/volleyball/soccer/track athlete, what are the odds that you'd get recruited by a top academic institution? Obviously no chance at Duke, Stanford and the likes.

I am new to this site and process and curious how it all works.


Depends on the sport.

There are many athletes who are also excellent students. I have known multiple athletes recruited to CalTech and MIT in particular and they are all extremely smart and outstanding students.


MIT’s teams are much stronger than CalTech. Several of MIT’s teams were the D3 national champs last year.

Caltech barely wins. Basketball team hasn’t won a conference game since 2012 and won only 1 game last season. Baseball team was touting their best season in decades as they finished 10-30. They normally only win 5 games.

Caltech is in fact the closest you will get to rocket scientist who by the way can also dribble.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 07:06     Subject: Re:Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Ivies: yes, top athlete

MIT: not top, but it is not a typical hook, meaning you don’t have a preread and if you pass that then you’re pretty much in when you apply barring unusual circumstances. Instead, many still don’t get in when they apply even with coach support so lots of athletes commit elsewhere where their admission is virtually guaranteed.



This. Ivies want and get the stellar athletes. Grades are expected but secondary to athletic talent

NESCAC schools, MIT still want top athletic talent but grades and scores are very important factors as well and outweigh the athleticism.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 06:55     Subject: Re:Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ivies: yes, top athlete

MIT: not top, but it is not a typical hook, meaning you don’t have a preread and if you pass that then you’re pretty much in when you apply barring unusual circumstances. Instead, many still don’t get in when they apply even with coach support so lots of athletes commit elsewhere where their admission is virtually guaranteed.
40% acceptance rate at MIT is still insane - that's an 8x boost to your odds


Those odds are completely kid and coach dependent. It is coach dependent bc those who are there longer tend to be more accurate as to whether the kid will end up getting in based on years of experience. The issue is lots of good athletes/students don’t want to risk losing a spot at another good school for the risk of a maybe at MiT. Cal Tech is the same way.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 03:43     Subject: Re:Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Ivies: yes, top athlete

MIT: not top, but it is not a typical hook, meaning you don’t have a preread and if you pass that then you’re pretty much in when you apply barring unusual circumstances. Instead, many still don’t get in when they apply even with coach support so lots of athletes commit elsewhere where their admission is virtually guaranteed.
40% acceptance rate at MIT is still insane - that's an 8x boost to your odds
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 03:39     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Or is a very strong student at a top high school plus a good but not tippity top club/varsity player enough? Are there many top athletes out there who also have the academic chops to hack it at these colleges? I am sure it depends on the sport, but how about for sports outside of football and basketball? If your SAT is in the 1550-1580 range, high rigor at a strong, nationally recognized HS, and let's say you are an ok lacrosse/volleyball/soccer/track athlete, what are the odds that you'd get recruited by a top academic institution? Obviously no chance at Duke, Stanford and the likes.

I am new to this site and process and curious how it all works.


I’d say no chance. Why would they recruit an “ok” athlete?
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 01:34     Subject: Re:Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Ivies: yes, top athlete

MIT: not top, but it is not a typical hook, meaning you don’t have a preread and if you pass that then you’re pretty much in when you apply barring unusual circumstances. Instead, many still don’t get in when they apply even with coach support so lots of athletes commit elsewhere where their admission is virtually guaranteed.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 01:30     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Or is a very strong student at a top high school plus a good but not tippity top club/varsity player enough? Are there many top athletes out there who also have the academic chops to hack it at these colleges? I am sure it depends on the sport, but how about for sports outside of football and basketball? If your SAT is in the 1550-1580 range, high rigor at a strong, nationally recognized HS, and let's say you are an ok lacrosse/volleyball/soccer/track athlete, what are the odds that you'd get recruited by a top academic institution? Obviously no chance at Duke, Stanford and the likes.

I am new to this site and process and curious how it all works.


Depends on the sport.

There are many athletes who are also excellent students. I have known multiple athletes recruited to CalTech and MIT in particular and they are all extremely smart and outstanding students.
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 01:08     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Anonymous wrote:Or is a very strong student at a top high school plus a good but not tippity top club/varsity player enough? Are there many top athletes out there who also have the academic chops to hack it at these colleges? I am sure it depends on the sport, but how about for sports outside of football and basketball? If your SAT is in the 1550-1580 range, high rigor at a strong, nationally recognized HS, and let's say you are an ok lacrosse/volleyball/soccer/track athlete, what are the odds that you'd get recruited by a top academic institution? Obviously no chance at Duke, Stanford and the likes.

I am new to this site and process and curious how it all works.


Your question is a good one, but why don't you read the bios of athletes at the schools you mention? They'll give you a sense of the athletic level required. My DS plays soccer at a top academic college. The athletic level required is pretty high, even if the school is DIII. Most of the players have won athletic awards (county/state first team, etc.).
Anonymous
Post 10/17/2025 00:33     Subject: Do you have to be a top athlete to be recruited at SLACs, MIT (D3) and the Ivies?
Or is a very strong student at a top high school plus a good but not tippity top club/varsity player enough? Are there many top athletes out there who also have the academic chops to hack it at these colleges? I am sure it depends on the sport, but how about for sports outside of football and basketball? If your SAT is in the 1550-1580 range, high rigor at a strong, nationally recognized HS, and let's say you are an ok lacrosse/volleyball/soccer/track athlete, what are the odds that you'd get recruited by a top academic institution? Obviously no chance at Duke, Stanford and the likes.

I am new to this site and process and curious how it all works.