Anonymous
05/13/2026 16:13
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Ivy recruiting can get a little whacky. My kid attended a recruiting session run by the Harvard baseball coach. Kind of a gruff old guy who wasn’t afraid to be maybe too honest.
For a top recruit he wanted at least a 1350…he might go lower for a true Power 4 player who he honestly thought wanted Harvard (ie a dream recruit who is too good for Ivy play).
He mentioned that every now and then he will meet a recruit who is both a great player and a 1580 SAT super impressive candidate. In that situation he may get greedy and not select that kid as a top recruit because he is very confident the kid will get in his own…so he is getting a top player for “free”. He will use his top slots for the second best 1350 kid and the other kid gets an asterisk so admissions know the coach likes him, but the kid needs to get in on their own.
I’ve heard of this happening.
Also heard of some coaches being wary of the solid athlete who has very strong GPA/test scores. They would rather take the superior athlete with meh academic scores because they prefer the kid on their roster who will prioritize the sport over classes. Ivy coaches want to win.
This is sour grapes. If your kid has what they want athletically, they will recruit them to the team.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 16:03
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Ivy recruiting can get a little whacky. My kid attended a recruiting session run by the Harvard baseball coach. Kind of a gruff old guy who wasn’t afraid to be maybe too honest.
For a top recruit he wanted at least a 1350…he might go lower for a true Power 4 player who he honestly thought wanted Harvard (ie a dream recruit who is too good for Ivy play).
He mentioned that every now and then he will meet a recruit who is both a great player and a 1580 SAT super impressive candidate. In that situation he may get greedy and not select that kid as a top recruit because he is very confident the kid will get in his own…so he is getting a top player for “free”. He will use his top slots for the second best 1350 kid and the other kid gets an asterisk so admissions know the coach likes him, but the kid needs to get in on their own.
I’ve heard of this happening.
Also heard of some coaches being wary of the solid athlete who has very strong GPA/test scores. They would rather take the superior athlete with meh academic scores because they prefer the kid on their roster who will prioritize the sport over classes. Ivy coaches want to win.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 15:24
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Very difficult environment for male soccer players, most spots at elite schools go to international students.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 15:23
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Yes. I know two kids who did it for an Ivy. We did not allow our kid to do so. Sometimes they will tell you that you can do a gap year and then they’ll take you- that’s what he got. It’s pretty common.
I am confused about timing. It seems that many athletic recruits are identified during junior year and get official notification by early senior year. If a senior does not get recruited by senior year, what do they do after they graduate that can change the interest of the coaches/school? I am asking about soccer if anyone has insight. Thx.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 14:44
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Football has a different reality. There really aren't a lot of big boys playing football today that have the stats to be decent students at a selective college. And schools like Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Duke and a couple of other top schools with major D1 football programs will swoop down to pick them up.
But Yale and Dartmouth and Columbia and MIT also need offensive lineman and linebackers. It's a pretty big hook. The pool of big boys playing football who also have some academic talent is so, so small. Because most parents of smart kids don't allow their boys to play football because of the brain damage risks. The football players scoring 1300+ on the SAT can pretty much write their ticket to the Ivy League.
There is a shortage but not like you are implying. Thomas was easily good enough for the Ivy League but ended up at Middlebury because of insufficient HS competition. He was pre med and plays pro in Canada right now.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 14:03
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:These niche sports- fencing, sailing, squash, rowing are not the normal hyper competitive ones like baseball, football, basketball, cross country, volleyball, etc.
Too few engage in these esoteric sports to even matter. When you have millions and millions competing in particular sports that is far different than 200 in the entire country.
You may say they are esoteric sports but trying to get recruited in fencing or rowing yield better results than trying for baseball, or soccer, or football or basketball. First off, most of the Ivy/Ivy+ schools have the esoteric sport and there aren't a ton of kids in it because you're limited by geography and financial strain of what it takes to do the sport for 6+ years. Therefore the odds are in your favor in these sports than all the others.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 14:00
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Yes. I know two kids who did it for an Ivy. We did not allow our kid to do so. Sometimes they will tell you that you can do a gap year and then they’ll take you- that’s what he got. It’s pretty common.
Why would a gap year be better for the Ivy than taking the kid directly? Is it because they want older/stronger athletes?
Also, who is to say that you can compete with the following year's group of athletes who want to be recruited (if you couldn't make it in your own pool). You're better off trying to walk onto a team and see if there's any way to get over via the transfer portal. I think that would be a better plan.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 13:18
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Yes. I know two kids who did it for an Ivy. We did not allow our kid to do so. Sometimes they will tell you that you can do a gap year and then they’ll take you- that’s what he got. It’s pretty common.
Why would a gap year be better for the Ivy than taking the kid directly? Is it because they want older/stronger athletes?
Anonymous
05/13/2026 13:07
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Football has a different reality. There really aren't a lot of big boys playing football today that have the stats to be decent students at a selective college. And schools like Stanford, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Georgia Tech, Duke and a couple of other top schools with major D1 football programs will swoop down to pick them up.
But Yale and Dartmouth and Columbia and MIT also need offensive lineman and linebackers. It's a pretty big hook. The pool of big boys playing football who also have some academic talent is so, so small. Because most parents of smart kids don't allow their boys to play football because of the brain damage risks. The football players scoring 1300+ on the SAT can pretty much write their ticket to the Ivy League.
But Yale and Dartmouth and Columbia and MIT also need offensive lineman and linebackers. It's a pretty big hook. The pool of big boys playing football who also have some academic talent is so, so small. Because most parents of smart kids don't allow their boys to play football because of the brain damage risks. The football players scoring 1300+ on the SAT can pretty much write their ticket to the Ivy League.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:38
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Yes. I know two kids who did it for an Ivy. We did not allow our kid to do so. Sometimes they will tell you that you can do a gap year and then they’ll take you- that’s what he got. It’s pretty common.
PG year at an elite boarding school is usually better than a gap year. If you do that, and the boarding school thinks you have what it takes, you have very good odds.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:37
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:I would also like to point out that most athletic recruiting doesn't work out. My child was an incredible swimmer. Being recruited to top D3 but wanted an Ivy. Ended up at the Ivy (no recruiting) and cannot do the sport bc not good enough.
So yes I suppose sports *can* be the ticket but it is just so so so hard.
I don't mean to be trite, but life is hard. These kids compete.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 11:31
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:I would also like to point out that most athletic recruiting doesn't work out. My child was an incredible swimmer. Being recruited to top D3 but wanted an Ivy. Ended up at the Ivy (no recruiting) and cannot do the sport bc not good enough.
So yes I suppose sports *can* be the ticket but it is just so so so hard.
it worked out great for my kid. Top athlete who could have gone to a Power 4 conference but chose Ivy instead.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 08:01
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?
Yes. I know two kids who did it for an Ivy. We did not allow our kid to do so. Sometimes they will tell you that you can do a gap year and then they’ll take you- that’s what he got. It’s pretty common.
Anonymous
05/13/2026 07:50
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
Anonymous wrote:I would also like to point out that most athletic recruiting doesn't work out. My child was an incredible swimmer. Being recruited to top D3 but wanted an Ivy. Ended up at the Ivy (no recruiting) and cannot do the sport bc not good enough.
So yes I suppose sports *can* be the ticket but it is just so so so hard.
I'm sorry it didn't work out for your kid but the claim "most athletic recruiting doesn't work out" is not an accurate statement. I think you meant "most kids who want to be recruited to an Ivy are not successful" which may be true but Ivies have a clear recruiting process and you will know as soon as recruiting season opens (different for different sports) if you're in it or not.
Anonymous
05/12/2026 23:44
Subject: Ivy Athletic Recruiting Success Stories--Share What it Takes To Make It
If kid is a soccer player (male) and doesn't get recruited, anyone hear stories of kids taking a gap year and having success the following year?