Yeah, my ego can’t take it. Difficult growing up in a house saturated with Princeton propaganda and decor, but far far far more difficult being homeless or a victim of war.
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I don’t think the Princeton coach is being dishonest or doing any negative recruiting. But I do think you might be reading unrealistic odds into the unscratched lottery ticket that he described.
As I understand it, he did not say that if his final recruit does not fall into place, the slot is yours. He did not offer to check in with that recruit to see what she’s thinking.
He suggested that if other event groups fail to fill their slots AND you run faster, then he could advocate to the head coach that they use the slot for you, which she might or might not do. This is all very hypothetical and unlikely to pan out imo. It could but I don’t think the odds are better than your straight up legacy app.
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I know it was unfair and noted. It just hit me thinking with the sad and crazy things happening in the world and how lucky many of us are.
My note on community college was simply saying - if they have nothing else - if they got into only a Lafayette or Holy Cross or an F&M type, I noted they might try Princeton again next year (take a gap or post year - my point was that they have set themselves up so that arguably the hardest school in the country is the only real option - and all others are failure.
That was my point with that comment. The OP is not giving themselves an out. It’s like if Usain Bolt saying b4 an Olympics -I get 4 gold or my life is wasted.
That’s how I read how OP is defining.
Two days ago they state they accepted Brown. Then it was - well I didn’t.
I hate the pressure kids put on themselves.
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I think your ego is and will be fine. It is just about figuring out what you want from your academic, athletic, and social experience at college.
Your parents and brother liked their paths. The fact that they went down those paths has given you a lot of advantages, including better odds at Princeton without recruiting (and, frankly, probably access to chats with the Princeton coach that other recruits in your position wouldn’t get). There’s nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t need to define what you want for yourself.
You mentioned in earlier posts that running D1 was a dream of yours. You eliminated a lot of great D3 schools. You stayed in HS an extra year. You’ve logged a lot of miles. You don’t need to apologize for thinking this through, but I do think you need to focus on what concrete elements matter to you.
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I agree with this. Take the shot, but you need to have a plan B and probably a plan C because although unlikely, things CAN go sideways.
So did you turn the Brown offer down?
Wish you well whatever you decided.
They got an extension until tomorrow.
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It appears that this thread is picking-up where another thread left off. What was the “offer” from Brown? Was it a scholarship to run track? Was it simply an acceptance? If you apply to Princeton, will Brown rescind its offer?
If applying to Princeton will not cause you to lose your Brown acceptance the “bedroom ceiling rule” applies. The “bedroom ceiling rule” measures how important something is to you. If you fail to pursue something, will you lie in bed staring at the ceiling 20 years from now and regret not having gone for it? It appears that applying to Princeton falls into this category. Even if you don’t get accepted - and many top notch applicants don’t - you will not be disappointed in yourself for not having tried.
Applying to Princeton will cause the OP to lose the Brown offer
There are no athletic scholarships in the Ivy League. An acceptance is all you get. Athletic recruits often are required to apply ED so it’s a 100% commitment to Brown.
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OP: you should be careful about pitting these schools against each other (i.e. mentioning to one coach that you dream school is another). The Ivies are competitive against each other and there is cross-communication at multiple levels. Also remember that the coach will be a big part of your college life - their personality and chemistry with you matters, regardless of your school choice. Good luck 
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School college counselor tells me several great applicants with equal or higher SATs and GPAs than mine and similarly impactful double legacy parents have applied and NONE have gotten in in recent years.
My brother got in ED from his public school and he’s got perfect stats but really nothing else crazy except the legacy.
Super concerning about my school and Princeton’s history? Could they “not like” my school? It’s private
True, but we could say the same to 98% of the posters who seek advice here. I don’t think the OP here has shown a particular lack of wider perspective. They’re just a bit stuck on a decision that is difficult for understandable reasons.
I grew up with a steady supply of orange and black because my grandfather went to Princeton. (Doing family research, I later discovered that he attended for less than a semester, but he remained a loyal pseudo-alum, lol - things were different 100 years ago!!) I can understand how hard it could be to walk away from a strong family tradition, knowing that you’re qualified and have a shot. I’m sure that if you didn’t get into Princeton, you’d weather the disappointment and be fine in the long run, but foreclosing on the possibility preemptively is a hard decision to make. That being said, the Brown opportunity is an enviable one as well. Tough call.
I agree that passing up the sure thing at Brown and taking your shot at Princeton is a valid and defensible choice; you just need to get a bit more clarity on what your backup plans look like if you take this path.
College choices are often the first time that a young person has to close doors on possible futures with such finality. It’s normal to have a hard time making the call. But you’re not going to have clarity about whether Princeton will come through or not before this decision has to be made, so you just have to bet on yourself in whichever way feels right to you.
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While that may be true, any CC worth their salt will hesitate to say because x happened last year x will happen next year. If there is one think that private school counselors learned in the last 5 years is the nothing is predictable or guaranteed.
You are not your brother, nor are you the kids who applied before you. You have no idea why they were not accepted nor will you know why you will or won’t be accepted. There is no perfect formula.
Princeton would accept several kids from our school every year, then for 4 or so years they accepted none, until they accepted 7.
You have to stop worrying about how to work the system and start worrying about what school is the best fit for you. And I mean you, not your parents or your brother. Figure that out and go for it. With no regrets.
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They have not engaged with this topic at all, despite several of us asking about it.
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I’d circle back to other coaches, see if they have spots, and also RD regular a bunch of places that are easier to get into
It could be Princeton, in its quest for diversity, chose a public over private.
It could be not statistically related at all.
Both Princeton and Brown turn down 1600s and yet at Princeton 25% of people score 1500 of less and not everyone sub outs so it’s likely more.
Maybe the LORs aren’t top notch or the essays aren’t.
You have no idea why a student is chosen and another isn’t. Nor will you ever know why.
I’m not a believer in tracking school data at a 95% turn down school. It’s unlikely to be you but then again why not you ?
But your issue is then RD at other top schools can also result in a strikeout, yes, even with your stats. Full pay may help at some.
As much as you love Princeton, I promise you it’s not the only for you.
But only you can decide. A coach likely won’t wait forever. Maybe not even as long as they promised.
I’m guessing you’ll ultimately be fine in life no matter what happens.
But again, one really loves you. One says, I might like you, might not - depends on if Emily or Trish accept my invite to the dance. Princeton is one few say no to.
You want to be that safety valve ?
You may but. And I promise you your parents will love you the same either way and be proud of you equally. It’s not like Brown isn’t equivalent or near equivalent to Princeton because it is - with a more flexible curriculum to boot.
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What types of schools are in that bunch and how do you feel about them? Could you run at the likely admit schools?
Based on your best mile time, you are not even close.
Unclear whether your focus is to be recruited for track or for cross-country.
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