–I have some weak anecdotal evidence that Vanderbilt’s admissions office is more open to TO athletes than most Ivies and other highly selective schools. (Emphasis on weak anecdotal, but that’s not the same thing as zero.)
–I haven’t yet seen any evidence post-pandemic that the Academic Index is a thing anymore. Test scores still matter, to some schools more than others, but if anyone is actually using the AI any longer, I haven’t seen it. (Understandable, since GPAs are known to be dramatically inflated.)
–I’m not sure what “move beyond attempting to be TO recruit at TO schools like Vandy and Columbia” means. Does that mean finding less-selective schools that meet your child’s athletic goals? Or something else?
means what you and TonyGrace both said - expand the search and also prep hard
u made an interesting comment on Vandy as coach did not bring up scores during first (extended) meeting. Implication seemed to be if we want you and you are a good student, should suffice. The former is the critical part though as someone else said, this is the SEC, albeit in a class of their own academically within the conference, but they still need the bodies to compete - the premier sports of football and basketball had stellar seasons this past year
You know, you could just email the coach and ask. It didn’t necessarily come up in our talks. It’s a productive way to engage and show that you are interested and thinking about the process.
Regardless of the answer in Vandy’s case, by taking the test (and taking it seriously) you are keeping your options open. I say control the things you can control. Things can and do go sideways on occasion and scrambling to get a strong last minute score is not what you want.
Even pre-Covid the Academic Index wasn’t widely discussed and specifics were never revealed.
In the Brown case above the recruits ( one of whom I personally know very well) were specifically told that the recruit class SAT scores were below what was required for the sport and if they were not raised lower ranked recruits would be replaced by others with higher SAT scores. Even the top recruits who were not at risk were given targets that they needed to achieve in order to prevent others from losing their spots.
Not until the coaches tell you the score is a deal breaker.
But you should continue casting a wide net to include schools where it won’t matter.
And, do what you can to improve the score soon. That could mean taking an ACT practice test to see if that format works better for the student. Or, a bit of prep and another test fairly soon.
Obviously, the best advice will come from the coaches. If they’re serious about the athletic fit they’ll take time to provide any needed advice on the academic side. A lot depends on the sport, year, other recruits, etc.
I’d just add to keep in mind that “getting interest” can mean a lot of different things so keep expectations realistic. Coaches reach out to far more recruits than they can bring in, so it’s always best to have as many realistic options in play as practical.
I cannot echo this enough. Despite a crap ton of prep, my D26 could not get her SAT score to budge much at all. She pivoted to the ACT and it was the best decision ever.
Frequently the issue with the math is NOT solved by “test prep”. The issue is solved by an in-depth review (it can be 45 minutes a day, scheduled “whenever” the kid has time) starting with first grade arithmetic and moving through HS math. A kid who has trouble with functions or word problems doesn’t need endless “drills”. The kid actually needs to learn the math! A kid who was out for a week for a medical issue may “make up” the work (fill in the blank worksheets, taking a quiz) without ever really learning the math.
This is why “test prep” doesn’t always work. If a kid has a shaky foundation- bolster the foundation! There are modules online, there are expert teachers online, a motivated kid can catch up over the summer in a month for free rather than paying to learn techniques/how to outsmart a multiple choice test.
I was a terrible math student throughout school so I’m not bragging about how great my foundation was. But you can make up for lost time!
[quote=“2026SwimMom, post:28, topic:3689071”]
She pivoted to the ACT and it was the best decision ever.
[/quote] Good advice and something to consider. I had been told that in general, good students that may not score all that well on standardized tests like the SAT, tend to fair better on the ACT.
as someone else said, this is the SEC, albeit in a class of their own academically within the conference, but they still need the bodies to compete - the premier sports of football and basketball had stellar seasons this past year