fauve

ihs76- If the scores/GPA are in the 25-75thpercentile for MIT, with strong coach support, then yes, the student's chances are very good. Assuming, as coaches like to mention, that 'there are no skeletons in the closet' (character or recommendation problems, suspensions on record, etc.)

riverrunner

The CC Discussion homepage issued a welcome to the new MIT admissions rep lately. Maybe this would be a good question for him. At least we should welcome him to check on the athletics thread, since MIT comes up from time to time...

Welcome New MIT College Rep: mcgmit

ihs76

I read an adcom input on MIT board before about this. They try to keep it vague, saying "coaches don't have 'slots' but having said that, we do consult with the coaches. And of course, we don't lower our standards."

fogfog

One of the HYP coaches told DS that "we can't get ya in"...
AdComm has to like you, we have to like you, and you have to like us....

Hoping DSs grades and scores will be enough to be in the game and that the sport and ECs help sweeten the deal.

Do only the ivies use the Academic Index?

EMM1

"coaches don't have 'slots' but having said that, we do consult with the coaches. And of course, we don't lower our standards."

The weasel word (or phrase) here is "lower our standards." The reality is recruited athletes can be admitted with a less spectacular academic profile than those who are not recruited athletes.

glido

The Ivies don't lower their standards for recruited athletes - it's just that the majority of non-recruited athlete admits exceed the Ivy standards.

fogfog

Reading the ED/RD admit/deferred/denied postings...there are many qualified candidates...

Could it be that the athletes are equally qualified but the sport is a hook ONLY if thats what the school needs..

....as opposed to the oboe player...kwim?

fauve

Yes, it's important to find a school in need of your athlete's talent and specialty. Reading the current team rosters can reveal exactly which positions or events may need to be filled for the following year. (All the pole-vauters are seniors, for instance.)

mayhew

Fauve, After reading your comment, I checked the rosters of D's top 3 favorite colleges to see how many seniors graduating - specific positions are not listed (sport is crew) - some rosters reflect a relatively high number of graduating seniors (more than 10) - do you think that is how many "slots" these coaches are given permission to fill?

mayhew

Seems like a lot - but one can dream!!

beawinner

My understanding about the way schools can legitimately recruit athletes with less than stellar gpas is that the entire team has to meet a certain index. Therefore, if one or several athletes exceeds the index, another athlete whose stats are lower than the index can be accepted. Don't know how this matches up with the recruitment standards of the ivies though. Perhaps for them it's moot.

varska

In the Ivies, every athlete must meet a minimum AI (academic index). This minimum is one standard deviation from the mean AI of the general student body at each particular school. So, Harvard athletes, for example, must hit a higher AI than Cornell, because the student body as a whole has a higher AI. (Not hatin', just sayin'). Now you can't just bring in all kids who barely meet the minimum standard. There are different levels or 'bands' of AI and coaches have different numbers of openings available at each band.

fauve

Mayhew- In regards to the 10 crew slots you mentioned, I suspect some of those were walk-ons. However, if your D is a competitive HS rower, she will certainly have an advantage because there are never enough freshmen rowers to fill the boats. There is a large attrition rate in first year crew, especially when practices move in to the erg machines in winter, so the coaches need experienced, motivated rowers.

mayhew

Fauve, That is good to remember about walk-ons.....D is a competitive HS rower - obsessed with crew very tall, and has real affinity for this sport. Her 3 top schools have been very encouraging in regards to her ability, but still a long, long way to go, from junior fall to senior fall - ! It is so hard to know how legitimate very enthusiastic seeming coach interest is when there are so many potential candidates and such limited spaces on a team.

fauve

Mayhew- For now, you can only focus on keeping your D healthy, and on the right track academically. The year will indeed seem like eons, especially if you are already in contact with supportive coaches. My advice is to enjoy the high school years, and your closeness to D (assuming she lives at home).

Since your D has the athletic profile for crew (it's great that she's tall--coaches will likely want to recruit for the heavyweight/open team before the lightweights), your energy can be directed to the SAT I and SAT IIs (I assume she is interested in Ivies).

It is indeed impossible to know the true mindset of a coach, his/her neeeds and interest will shift many times before a real commitment. It's a time to be fatalistic, as the end result is truly out of your hands.

But be comforted, crew really needs qualified rowers, and there are not so many out there. If your daughter has mid-range stats for her target schools, she will be well-positioned.