<p>It was suggested that I re-post my question in this forum, so here goes:</p>
<p>New here and needing advice re. the application process/strategy, and impact of SAT scores. Our eldest was recently approached by an Ivy League coach and encouraged to apply for ED. He had been planning to take a year off before going to college, and hadn’t written his SAT yet (Therefore hadn’t started preparing either.) As this is his first shot at the SAT, we’re not sure how well he’ll score…practicing is going well, but this is not the same as writing a 3 3/4-hr exam at 8:00 a.m. Should we wait until his October scores come in BEFORE submitting the application? We were told we could submit the package early, and that the college would review it when the scores came in. However, what if he chokes during the SAT and doesn’t score well? At that point, the coach wouldn’t be able to support his application, and he would most likely be rejected. Will this hurt his chances for re-application, say, the following year? Strategically, would it be better if he hadn’t applied at all, then? i.e. We receive the scores, see that they are low, and don’t proceed any further. Help!</p>
<p>Great question! I understand the coaches motivation to lock your son up as his recruit by applying ED. Help us understand your son’s all-of-the-sudden motivation to pursue this on short notice…it seems like he had a plan, and now that plan has been changed by (possible) athletic recruitment pressure. I guess I would want to know how badly he really wants this, because he did not pursue this before? Sorry, if I’m stating the obvious but his kind of looks “forced” on him. Will the coach pursue him next year or this a one shot deal?</p>
<p>I don’t know if it will hurt his chances for re-application. That is a great question.</p>
<p>My son applied ED two years ago. He knew 100% it was where he wanted to go. He applied ED because it was without question the right school and situation for him. It was very clear what was expected of him and what was expected of the coach. If you still have a lot of outstanding questions, I would ask the coach (seriously) some of these questions.</p>
<p>If my son really wanted it, then he would do what is required. If not, then we’d look at the orginal plan or make a new plan to include other schools this year or next year. If he is a recruitable athlete then he will most likely be in demand.</p>
<p>Best of luck, and any additional background may help the forum help you.</p>
<p>To be honest, being approached by this school’s coach caught my son completely off guard. He is a very good athlete, but was flying under the radar a bit as opposed to some of the other elite players in his sport. (Apparently, several people recommended him.) He had planned on working on his academic portfolio for another year, improving his athletic ranking, etc. When the coach contacted him, he was over the moon, since he never thought attending an Ivy League college would be a possibility. Hence, the scrambling to apply. Does that clarify things at all?</p>
<p>From the outside looking in, it appears to me that all the risk and all the reward is on your son…nothing on the school or coach. We were a little late to Ivy recruiting a couple years ago, but nothing like this. So it appears your son is 100% behind this now. He is willing to commit to the school if his SAT results are acceptable to the school. I have a few questions about the commit level of the coach, but we’ll save that for another day. </p>
<p>I would follow the lead of the coach and submit the package early (NOW!). Admissions Committe can fill in the blanks with the SAT scores and then make an admissions decision after you apply ED after (presumably) Nov 1. The coaches will know very soon after your son gets his test scores back even though many coaches claim they don’t…they absolutely do. In addtion, coaches will know (yes or no) soon after your application is reviewed by the Athletic Admissions Committee, even though they make you wait for official word in early December. Bottom line is if he doesn’t score well, he will not be admitted. That pretty much goes for any Ivy student or Ivy student athlete. LL and ED/EA give your son the best chance to get admitted with coaches recommendation, so I’d follow their lead to get this done if that is what he wants. Unfortunetly this (SAT testing) is being thrown at your son last minute, and there is not much you can do. I would get all the necessary paperwork done into Admissions now, see how he does, and then complete the application with SAT scores if he scores well. As I see it, that is really the only option you are left with if this is where he wants to go. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. This is all very new to us, and I’m pretty realistic about his chances of admission. He was never “groomed” for this, as many kids are nowadays. I guess we’ll see where the chips fall.</p>
<p>Hi I just re-read your post again and have a major question as to this quote:
– He had been planning to take a year off before going to college, and hadn’t written his SAT yet (Therefore hadn’t started –
Does this mean he will graduate this year without applying to any college and will apply next year without being in any school? I know some people take time off from studying and then apply to college, but if we’re talking IVY or close to it, or even a mid-level college, that strategy is almost an impossibility. If you mean he wants to take a gap year after getting into college, then its pretty doable in regular admissions (again almost impossible as an athletic recruit). Unless you mean he has a spot as a PG student at a boarding school.<br>
However if its the first scenario, you may need to talk to the guidance counsellor in his school and scramble for this unexpected opportunity.</p>
<p>Okay…thanks for the heads up. As I said, we’re pretty new (and green) to this process. Did I mention he is homeschooled, too? That’s part of the reason he was going to take an extra year before applying. Not having been groomed for the Ivy League, or other competitive colleges, he doesn’t have the application portfolio that many kids have nowadays. e.g. We didn’t have money to sign him up for online AP courses, get him an SAT tutor, send him on overseas Peace Corps expeditions, etc. He’s got good grades, history of volunteering, strong character references, varied interests, etc. but he felt he could strengthen his chances of admission with more time. I see now that the consensus is “no”.</p>