<p>Epeemom’s right, it varies a lot by school. At some schools (MIT, Caltech) a coach’s recommendation is nearly worthless. At most academically competitive schools with fencing teams, being on the coach’s short list of supported applicants will mean a lot in admissions. First, the applicant needs to have the requisite grades and test scores. Without those, there’s virtually no chance. But assuming you have the academic stats, if the coach supports you through the process, you’re likely to be accepted.</p>
<p>Here’s what I know about coach’s pull at the schools you mentioned:</p>
<p>Stanford - If anything, the coach under-promises and over-delivers.
Duke - A lot of pull for strong students, but pull drops quickly as academics drop.
JHU - Definite pull, but I don’t directly know how much.
Brown - If you have the stats and the coach wants you, I believe you’re in.
Boston College - I don’t know.
UNC - I don’t know.
Haverford - The coach has pull for qualified applicants; at least three spots per year.</p>