Hi! I do xc and track so I sent a few emails to coaches at schools I applied to. Do they answer very quickly or only for certain applicants? Some coaches replied, but others never did. Hope I’m not reading too much into this. Thanks!
Depends on the coach.
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Some coaches reply quickly, others in a few days and others not at all. It is probably a reflection of the coach’s interest in the student, but not related to admissions - at least not in a negative way.
I think it is tough for coaches since they know a large percentage of kids will be rejected by schools during the admissions process.
Like folks on the board say, if you will come in as a varsity starter, they will probably show keen interest and help sway the decision. If coaches have a serious need for a position on a team, we often times don’t hear from them on CC because they know they are needed.
Also coaches play multiple roles on campus, including coach, teacher, advisor, dorm parent, etc. They’re pretty busy.
My daughter wrote to all the XC/track coaches at the schools where she applied last year, but she did so in the fall (prime XC season so we didn’t expect immediate replies). In addition to introducing herself and her times/achievements, she also asked a couple of questions, which meant that every coach replied to her with answers to those questions. After that initial correspondence, one coach continued communicating and asked her to let them know when she had actually applied and to keep them updated throughout the process. At another school, the Athletic Director got in touch with her to express their interest in having her join the team. Other than that, she really didn’t hear back from the other four schools after the initial reply that answered her questions. I don’t think her being a varsity-level runner right away made a difference in her applications - no one seemed to particularly care that much like they might for a more “marquis” sport. She did end up getting into all of her schools, but no one really talked about the XC/track aspect and instead focused on her academic interests, community service leadership, and art.
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Thank you for all the responses! Would being a nationally ranked athlete matter if it’s for a sport like track and cross country?
I would think it depends on where that national ranking is - is it via DyeStat or a site like MileSplit/Athletic.net? Or is it something like Junior Olympics National Qualifier? I ask because DyeStat and MileSplit are more “reliable” for coaches because they take data from all states/regions and compile it into an actual “national” ranking. If you’re a Junior Olympics National Qualifier, that can mean different things depending on if the region is competitive or not. For instance, a young woman could qualify with a 14:30 3k for XC in a region or might need a 12:50 to qualify in another. But, if you are ranked 30th nationally in Athletic.net, that is just taking all results from all races that were entered and spitting out the actual ranking of athletes, so that would be something to say you had the “30th fastest 3k time for 8th graders in the US in 2023”.
Both, although my ranking isn’t super high in my region but higher when compared to athletes on the East Coast.
I think it really depends on the school and coach, like for me Exeter and Deerfield coaches responded to me within 12-24 hours while 3-4 other coaches responded in 7 days, I think it really depends on their schedule. Don’t worry about it so much, just enjoy the time until M10, I think stressing about it will be worse since it makes the time feel so much longer.
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My daughter was a JO National Qualifier individually in track in two events (6th grade from a VERY competitive region and then we moved overseas) and with her team in XC. The National individual qualifier, particularly in track where there are far fewer athletes that qualify, seemed more impressive to us, but again, the response from the coaches was mostly “that’s nice” and then nothing except for the couple of schools that reached out to say “keep us updated”. Could also be because it was in 6th grade, but she did send her most recent track times in the fall of 8th grade and she qualified for the region championship here in our new country as well in 7th grade in spring track and placed third, so that was something. But still no real enthusiasm from the coaches. I wouldn’t read into coaches not replying around this time anyway as some schools don’t allow the coaches to be in touch in Jan/Feb.
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Thank you so much for your response!! Is there a certain list of schools that have this policy? Also I had a coach ask about the other schools I’m applying to, any reason for this?
There can be any number of reasons. They may be trying to figure out how to position themselves to be attractive to you. They may be assessing how much strength of sport drove your choice. They may be trying to figure out how well their school fits your criteria. All of this impacts how and what they communicate to admissions.
Put differently, how they try to sell you (and occasionally whether they try to sell you) depends on what else you’re considering.
I completely understand your concern about the responsiveness of coaches. As a parent of a student applying for boarding school in Fall 2024, I’ve noticed that coaches receive a lot of emails and it can be challenging for them to respond to everyone. From our experience, the level of engagement from coaches can vary. It seems that the more a coach interacts with you, the more likely they might support your application. However, this is often more common for top-tier athletes, as coaches have limited slots to advocate for in each admissions cycle.
Remember, not every school or sport prioritizes athlete recruitment equally. Programs known for their excellence in a specific sport may receive a higher volume of inquiries, making it harder for coaches to respond individually. For instance, we found that reaching out to assistant coaches was a successful strategy when we didn’t hear back from a head coach at a top program in the Founders League. The assistant coaches were instrumental in getting us noticed, and eventually, the head coach became more involved. Yet, even then, the head coach suggested that keeping in touch with the assistants was the best approach going forward.
It’s key to remember that the admissions process is comprehensive, and athletic recruitment is just one aspect of it. Don’t be discouraged by a lack of response - sometimes it’s just a matter of finding the right person to talk to. Keep up your efforts, and best of luck with your applications!
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My experience is in the swim world but not unlike xc in that you are racing against the clock. We laid out ground work early in the process, not post apps. At this juncture, many coaches have their recruits. Doesn’t mean you’ll not get any coach support but it’s going to be tougher. You need to see where you stack up against the current and recent teams. Would you bring any value? Does any given school value the sport? You could be faster than anyone on the team but if the school doesn’t value the sport then that might not matter. D1 schools are going to value sports more.
Yes, very common to be asked where else you are applying. Be honest. Good luck.
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Strongly agree with this comment. My child was introducing herself the summer a month or two before applications even opened. Sent highlight reel over the summer, and then sent new highlight reels from Fal season. Scheduled Zoom calls with coaches and current players before coming to campus for tour and interview. On campus met with coach and current players. Even had a coach willing to drive over an hour to meet us again when we were in the area after our original campus visit because of the strong interest. Coaches asked where the school ranks in her choice because they want to make sure they’re advocating for kids that will likely attend. It gave the impression that if you’re a priority for the coach, you will know.
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Another thing to remember is a lot of coaches have additional duties, admissions, teaching, tours with their athletes etc. So they can’t give the same amount of attention to the athletes among the applicants.
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My son applied to boarding schools a while back and went thru the same process. He contacted the coaches ahead of his visit and made sure to meet them during the interviews. He kept in touch with each coach during the season and gave updates along the way.
Most coaches don’t have any sway with admissions, and they will usually be up front with it. Some schools (depending on sport) do have some input with admissions and will create a ranked list. My son made it to the ranked list of several schools, we found that out later. The coaches won’t talk about it. My son was highly ranked in his sport. He also was a good student, but I don’t think he would have gotten in to the top schools if it weren’t for athletics.
There is also a blackout period right before M10 where the coaches are not supposed to talk to you. I can’t remember when it starts. But that could be a reason too.
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I agree with this. I was somewhat surprised during our school visits when a coach would tell my son “I’ve added you to the list.” We didn’t really know what that meant but I have to believe it’s good.
Deleted. Wrong thread.
Last year we received emails from coaches in the ISL telling us they would be in a blackout between 2/10- 3/10
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