You can’t DO Princeton unless you get admitted.
Think of this realistic scenario: you don’t commit to the coach at Brown. So kiss that goodbye. You don’t get into Princeton.
Have a good plan C.
It would be one thing if you didn’t like Brown. What’s going on here is wishful thinking and a whole lot of ifs.
OP: Not sure what you decided to do, but you can always apply RD to Brown if you decide to apply to Princeton. If the Brown coach is having difficulty getting commitments from recruits, then Brown may still be an option for you in the RD round.
Only writing this because your deadline to commit as an athletic recruit at Brown has passed and I would not be comfortable suggesting that you forego a near certain Ivy League admission in the current admissions climate based on your posts.
Hope you made a decision and are at peace with the choice.
And come back and let us know the decision. You will be supported no matter what it is. So many people have offered their thoughts and advice, I am sure they would like to know.
@reclass my son loved Brown sooo much. So many opportunities on campus, got recruited, still works with Brown grads 15 years later. It is my favorite school. I was happy when you wrote that you were about to commit. I hope your family stops pressuring either way because this needs to be your decision. I get the conflict. Let us know.
This is such an exciting read I can’t wait to find out how it ends
I have gotten a lot of help on here! I can’t wait to have everything all set and thank everyone too.
But for now, I still haven’t decided. I spoke with Brown coach about the whole situation, family pressure, how I was feeling. I felt bad doing this to him but he was understanding which I really appreciate.
I have until Wednesday…
Princeton may not have any more of an opportunity to support me later down the road than any old Ivy may. Because at all of them something could fall through, and that’s where these possible later spots would open up. I wonder if Princeton actually has a greater chance at having a spot for me compared to the others, or if the coach is being a great recruiter, knowing I’m super easy to attract and even if I don’t get in and he can’t support me then at least he doesnt lose me to another Ivy.
It may be hard to hear this, but you are a backup plan for the Princeton coach. If one or two (or more) other recruits don’t work out the way he hopes, you might get the spot. If it were my kid, I’d tell them to go with the school and coach that wants you. Brown is a great school!
Don’t know the coach, but is probably not that Machiavellian. More likely it is as he communicated, one recruit may fall off between now and the REA decision date where he might be able to get you in through athletic support. From reading other posts, it looks like you are an independently strong academic candidate. If you are always going to wonder “what if”, you might want to roll the dice and REA Princeton, but be very upfront with the Brown coach and tell him you will apply RD there. I think if not Brown, you will have other great choices. I would guess several really good D3’s will have some type of support available during RD.
If your parents are good donors and very involved alumni, they probably have a relationship with someone in Development. Not sure how it works at Princeton, but at Yale, Development will write a soft support letter for certain classes of alums. The Development Officer may be more sympathetic given your circumstances with the sure thing at Brown that you are giving up. Seems worth a phone call by your parents.
Love who loves you !
Life is much better that way - whether employment, spouses, or school.
Everyone wants to be loved - and you are.
You may not be a backup for Princeton. You may be the 5th or 7th backup - like going standby on an airline flight - if you can even get admitted (the first hurdle).
No one knows your standing but this is a real possibility. You may be hearing what you want to hear.
Most likely the Princeton track coach is focused on his job to recruit the best qualified for his team & his university and is not concerned about “losing you” to another Ivy League school. You know your times & you should be acquainted with the recruiting standards for Harvard & Princeton track teams and that you do not yet even qualify for walk-on status.
The coach at Brown is not doing you a favor by extending the deadline as you have not accepted his offer and prolonging your agony/dilemma is unlikely to help. In fact, unless & until you have been rejected by Princeton–your dream school–nothing is likely to change. The only extension of Brown’s offer that would matter to you is an extension which comes after you receive your decision from Princeton University. His desperation is unlikely to motivate you to select Brown by Wednesday.
And, FWIW, I do understand your situation.
In addition, there is a girl just below you on the Brown recruiting list that is in limbo. An extension of the deadline is probably putting her through additional stress.
There is probably a whole set of dominoes! I remember the parents of a kid on my S travel team was asking us if he was going to take Swat’s offer. It seems their kid was on the Swat bubble and was also a pitcher.
@reclass I think its time to be honest with yourself and just move on from Brown. If you actually like it you would have committed and found reasons to get excited about it at this point. Fear is no reason to choose a college.
Please don’t hang on to this hope. Its even less likely to happen than a Princeton acceptance, where, lets all be honest here, you are more likely than not to get in. Still, every time some asks you about alternate plans and mentions D3 success, you conveniently skirt the question. Following a name, not what it actually entails, is not a recipe for college success (on a personal level).
I just listened to Jeffrey Selingo’s new book where he opens with an anecdote about a student how goes to Columbia because “duh, Columbia” only to discover the school didn’t actually offer the things he wanted to get out of a college experience. He then transferred to his flagship in MN, where he was much more personally fulfilled and had access to many more opportunities than he’d had at Columbia. Have you ever taken a minute to read on Fiske or Princeton Review how these schools are described and envision your day to day? As a friend of mine says… it’s great to be a Princeton alumnus but its not always great to be a Princeton student. This may sound like I am making the case to commit to Brown but I am simply asking if you even know what you want other than orange and black gear.
Now, not to make things more difficult for you, both schools require quite a bit of introspection and writing on their apps. They are not looking for the same thing on the essays. Have you even started to work on them? FWIW, I do not believe my D would have been accepted REA. Princeton was her last app and even though she is an excellent writer, with each application, the responses evolved into something much stronger, self aware and pointed. So, even if you don’t commit to Brown, do yourself a favor and only apply REA to Princeton if your essays are truly ready. REA or RD, you only get one shot.
ETA - I hope this process has not been too much of a distraction and you are focused on your school work. Your first term grades WILL count.
Wow, am I your friend? I always say that.
The problem here is - then greater than 50/50 you take a gap or prep school year next year or you end up in community college - because no where is as good as Princeton - and frankly that’s a shame. We all know there are zero dream schools regardless of what students think.
Ha ha, I read the thread and think “It’s time to move on from Princeton”!
But – no one should be telling the OP what to do. The decision is too personal, we don’t have all the facts, and there actually isn’t a clear right answer.
The right answer depends on Princeton. Get turned down and have to go off Ivy and maybe down a few rungs, I’m not sure OP’s ego, quite frankly, can take it. Not OP’s fault - if the family made it Princeton or bust in life.
Also not OP’s fault but I can’t help but think about the homeless I drive by on streets or the atrocities occurring in other parts of the world - is this really that big an issue ?
OP’s life will likely be unchanged even if it were Pitt instead of Princeton. And the running part seems less important to OP and more as a method to enhance the acceptance.
But first world problems…..
(moderator edits)
Sorry, I am actually 2 seconds away from the fully supported recruiting standard of a 9:55 3k. The walk on standard is 10:10, so I’m well below that. Again not to sound arrogant.
Some of their girls are way below these standards, others are just a bit below, and typically none are above (even by 2 seconds, like I am). So I am definitely not a recruit, but I’m not as far off as you think.
Correct he probably is not worried about “losing me” to another Ivy because I’m not crazy fast. But if he thought I’d be easy to attract to Princeton, he’s right.
I know, and I feel bad, because this happened to me at another Ivy. A girl bought more time once, then more time again, both 1-week additions each instance