<p>The most important fact for an individual applicant is the opinion of the coach. All of this AI stuff only matters for those athletes whom the coaches are actively recruiting. If you are not getting an enthusiastic read from the coach about his interest in you, then you may not be an athletic recruit at all. If that is the case, then you should look at the overall Dartmouth admission figures, not the athletic figures. Unless the coach is crazy or incompetent, he is not going to let one of his top recruits wonder about his interest. Few athletes are accepted in the low bands of AI, and all of them are top recruits, usually expected to be major contributors/multi year starters in high profile sports/team captains/ All-Ivy, etc. For people who are not at that level, this whole discussion is irrelevant.</p>
<p>A good check on your prospects: How many other Ivy coaches have sought you out? If the answer is “all of them, they won’t leave me alone”, then you are a top recruit. If the answer is “I get a form letter back when I send them my resume”, then you are not.</p>