Can you clarify the last quote above “for that last spot to go to the distance side” ?
What event/events do you think that you will run in college ?
Cross country or just track ?
I agree with this. I was team Brown until the recent update from OP about the potential for Princeton support. I mean I’m always team Brown. Went there. Loved it. But OP wants Princeton and does have a shot there either way. It’s a tough call but just given how much OP seems to want Princeton I think your strategy is the right one. Keep giving love to Brown on the side to try to keep that a viable option if they somehow still have a spot in December and Princeton doesn’t come through. Good luck OP and keep us posted!
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I think what is happening is that the coach has made an offer to another recruit that they are willing to wait on. Coach doesn’t want to push the recruit to make a decision, but are aware if the recruit takes the time and says no there isn’t time to make an offer to the next level down for early decision. Coaches make this gamble sometimes for top recruits. Nearly all the top Ivy League recruits are off the table after the early decision deadline, so there is a chance the coach has a supported slot to offer OP after the dust settles.
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This is what I’m wondering. XC times don’t directly translate to the track. Improvement does, however, as does performing well at big meets.
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Not to muddy the waters even more, but I have been under the impression that the legacy admission rate at P is substantially higher than than that of non-legacy. North of 30% has been thrown around in various unofficial discussions.
I know what I would do, especially considering that running is a very individual sport so the team’s conference standing means little. But if P is the key to happiness for this kid, then that’s probably what she ought to do. My kid very much enjoyed Brown and the school has much to recommend it.
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Bingo
Timing wise, was he suggesting you would be applying to Princeton SCEA if the slot becomes available or would you have to wait until December and apply RD? Waiting until RD seems risky because you may be giving up any SCEA bump there is for legacies. And I expect there is one but don’t know for sure.
If you don’t take the Brown offer, you might tell the coach family pressure is involved in applying to Princeton SCEA (as some others have suggested) and you have to try. Then ask if a fully supported slot might be available in RD should Princeton not work out. If not, ask if this coach offers ‘soft’ support in RD or would there be nothing in the way of support but hopefully a spot on the team if you get in on your own.
Separately, is your app and all essays for both schools ready to go? I also strongly encourage you to get some EA apps in (following any application rules that Princeton SCEA has if the ends up being your choice.) Good luck!
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Thanks for the suggestions, but won’t work. Dartmouth is full already, coach told me. Not interested in MIT, and I’ve heard from others you basically have to get in on your own to them anyway (there’s no real formal support), which I couldn’t do.
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XC times
I would do Princeton if I went to the public school my brother got in ED from.
But I’m really worried about this girl from my priv school with similarly involved/impactful double legacy parents from last year not getting in. I just can’t be that much better than she is. She ended up at a school just worse than T20. My friends tell me Princeton “hates” my school and no one ever gets in from here…
This! Or it could be there is a recruit that still needs to come through test scores or something, and if they don’t, they will have an extra likely letter I am a little concerned about the timing though. I mean, December is when results come out. Something similar happened in my kids cycle and the coach actually had more than one kid who applied early hoping for that that pending likely letter, the thing is, they were all rejected in REA so the coach wouldn’t have been able to do anything any way. Of course it didn’t really matter, as the original recruit met the score requirement eventually.
I think OP does not really want to go to Brown and will forever wonder what if. Just take the shot. But OP never addressed what, if any, other schools are in the mix. Presumably OP is an impact recruit at many wonderful and prestigious D3 schools where they may receive some support in RD.
Again, without support OP should be fully prepared for a deferral as it pro bably happened with the schoolmate. @reclass did they end up with at a school with ED2? While they might have been outright rejected (we have no idea how strip a student they were) they might have just pivoted upon a deferral.
You are correct on MIT. You get in- and then the discussion ensues.
Sending you hugs. I know right now this seems like a monumental decision but I want to reassure you that the stakes are not nearly as high as they feel today. You are going to go somewhere great; you are going to get as rigorous an education as you want; you are going to have a blast in college and stretch yourself as much as you can or want- athletically, intellectually, socially, artistically.
Princeton is great. But all of us can point to incredible adults that we know that got unbelievable educations elsewhere– some of whom turned down Princeton, some of whom did not apply, some of whom had never heard of Princeton.
So flip a coin and then sit with the coin toss- do you feel elated or let down? The power of the coin…
And I don’t believe the HS trope “XYZ college hates my school”. They honestly and truly admit individual students- this isn’t a value judgement on your HS. I’ve told the story on CC before about my kids HS where “forever” Harvard admitted exactly 3 kids. Then one year the rumor was that in addition to the 12 “Hail Mary Pass” kids, 4 exceptional, off the charts kids were applying to Harvard. None were legacies; all were exceptional. And Harvard took all four of them. Amazing, right? So the rumor was that Harvard would now take 4 kids every year, not 3. Except the next year they took zero.
I cannot imagine that Harvard spent as much time reading applications as the HS kids did trying to crack the Harvard formula! They take who they take; they reject many fine kids just because they don’t have room and the kid collects butterflies and wants to work in habitat conservation but they’ve already accepted 10 butterfly kids and would rather take the tuba player.
So flip that coin. If the coin tells you “Brown” and you feel let down- then go for Princeton, confident that if you don’t get in, you will STILL get a fine and fantastic and rigorous education from one of the other colleges on your list.
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I’d apply REA to Princeton for November 1st. Then in December, depending on my season and the Princeton program’s situation, the coach may be able to offer me full support and pull me right in as an official recruit.
Unclear if this would be before or after mid-December decision date. Maybe after so he can see if I get in, and if needed, pull me in, if not, use the extra pull he may have on someone else.
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Last thing to worry about and this is your bigger issue - ego.
If you go to #250 and excel you’ll be fine in life in 99% of careers. Maybe not IB or high end consulting.
You come from a wealthy, high educated family. Unless you fall flat on your face in life, you’re like is going to be fine.
If you’re that concerned with top school, take Brown and be done.
I knew from one of your other threads who was at play here.
What do your parents think you should do? They know you, and the schools, best.
(My question was rhetorical)
I actually know a Brown girl who applied ED to Brown after falling short at an offer, got deferred, spot opened up, and Brown coach was able to reverse her deferral and pull her right in.
So I don’t worry about getting rejected, there being a spot, and coach not doing anything. Brown could reverse the deferral, so I assume Princeton could do the same.
No that girl did not end up somewhere ED2, but an RD. Still a great result too. Counselor has told me I have a better SAT than she does, worse grades, but more course rigor, specifically AP BC Calc which this girl did not have (only AP AB Calc) and that Princeton supposedly cares about.
I’m sure they care about more than that. Your question is - if you strike out Brown RD, Princeton and end up at a Lafayette or Connecticut or Rochester, are you going to consider yourself as failing ? Is the ego going to crush you ?
If so, then maybe Brown assured is the right call.
I would not compare myself to a friend or based on my gpa or rigor vs another.
You don’t know what they saw in the other student, the overall class profile vs today or if the AO had an argument with a significant other this morning and is in a crappy mood.
We know the upside. I say go for Princeton.
But it’s like buying a stock - are you willing to gamble for a double knowing there’s a chance of losing 50%. ..ie Lafayette, Denison etc and these are a great level of school btw.
Or would you rather take the smaller gain with no downside - ie Brown.
If you go Princeton, you need to check your ego if you don’t like the result. I don’t know what your safeties are but that may be your destination is my point.
OP: This thread reads more like a Princeton lovefest than concern about your college major, college athletics, and future career. Not sure that this is the best way to approach your situation.
This thread does send a clear message: Princeton or bust !
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Just go to Brown. It will be way more fun and you’ll feel like you belong there. Brown is fine. Princeton is fine. There’s nothing that makes Princeton more fine than Brown and it might be worse.
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You have a firm offer from Brown and a “maybe, depending on how things work out” possibility from Princeton. I’d take the sure thing but it is your call.
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Last thought on this before I go walk the dog before our Nor’Easter:
There’s something to be said for going to a place where you could have impact on the team. Brown is potentially a Top Seven opportunity for you in XC right away (I don’t know how good you are in XC) and projects positively on the track. Princeton will always have good distance girls. They always do. There will be a carful of stud freshmen next year, and the year after that, and the year after that. Thus, besides no guarantees of getting in (though i think your chances are better than I did before), as much as you can’t imagine it now, no guarantees of being an impactful (scoring) team member. That’s a lot of time to be spending outside of school at a place like Princeton to be sixth girl on the mile depth chart at best.
It would be good to know what you think of the two school’s academic approaches, per Publisher’s point. Very different.
Anyway; good luck with your Princeton ap. 
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