It’s become the part of the year when I’d want to make my commitment(junior in high school) so I’d love some help from any parents/athletes who’ve been in the situation with ivies and high academic d3 schools.
My top 3 schools are Columbia, NYU, and Emory.
Columbia finishes in the middle in the Ivy League(not a stellar program) and NYU finishes middle of the conference that Emory dominates in(goes to the national championship quite frequently). I really was set on living in New York City for college since it fits my artistic, fashion-driven persona, but I’ve gotten recent, heavy interest from Emory coaches in the past month who want me to visit ASAP because I’ve never been down to the south. Emory and NYU say there will be no issue in admissions, but Columbia hasn’t given me a clear-cut answer( is this a red flag?).
I was set on going to Columbia because of the opportunity in the city and academic environment at the school, but now Emory seems like a great option because of the success of the athletic team I’d play on. NYU has been my dream school forever because of the strong art programs I could minor in, but the athletics aren’t as great.
Also, are Ivies generally hesitant to say who their top kids are or are they unsure of me for their program? I’ve gotten emails saying that I’m in the top 2, yet now they’re waiting 2 weeks to decide on my position? Is this typical? (My AI is 210 and I get my newer ACT score back in like 2 weeks). I will most likely be majoring in English/Communications and minoring in visual art/fashion journalism (NYC has the opportunity to work in large fashion magazines, which is my desired job).
Right now, I can’t imagine calling coaches to say I’ve committed elsewhere (aka I’m not ready to decide) but I’d appreciate any advice as I’m losing my sanity in this tough situation. I’m very pleased/humbled to have such great options but I’m struggling to choose a school…
I’m not sure what the typical timelines are in your sport in terms of unofficial commitments, but by Ivy rules Columbia cannot give an official commitment (Likely Letter) until the fall of your senior year, and this would typically be after an academic pre-read over the summer and an official visit once your senior year starts. So in general I would not see the lack of a clear cut indication yet from Columbia as a red flag.
That AI of 210 is generally in the zone where you want to be for Ivy recruiting (of course, the higher the better but 210 is likely at or above average for Columbia recruits).
Columbia is just a tougher nut to crack than Emory or NYU, both because athletes are generally better at their sports in the Ivies compared to UAA schools such as Emory and NYU, and because the overall percent of applicants accepted is much lower (~6% at Columbia vs. ~25% at Emory and ~35% at NYU). And I mean no disrespect to Emory and NYU, which are both great schools.
On the other hand, for athletes who pass the academic pre-read and the team wants to use one of its defined number of spots for at an Ivy, the chances of admission are high . . .things can be murkier at high academic D3 schools regarding admissions for athletic recruits.
You might want to take a look at this book, The Essential Guide to Ivy League Athletic Recruiting - it has a lot of good info on process and timing.
The ivy coaches generally aren’t supposed to be communicating with you proactively until July 1. If you call them on the phone and speak to them, they might be willing to give you a better answer.
I would suggest waiting a few months (until after at least July) to see what interest there is from other schools. AI of 210 should put you within the range for Ivys.
@sgopal2 I believe the dates for phone calls have been moved up. What I’ve read is that as of this year, Men’s basketball can call as early as June 15th after Sophomore year, and most other sports can begin calling on September 1st of the Junior year with the exception of track/cross country & football.
@highschool217 Have you been proactive in contacting these coaches to let them know you’re interested? While you won’t be able to get a definite decision from Columbia quite yet, you can establish contact and ask them to be as specific as possible with how they view you.
The contact rules have always been worked around. The player can call the coach and if the coach answers, great. The coach can contact agents or club/hs coaches, just not the player or parents directly. There are rules for contact when on campus, when at tournaments, meets, showcases.
No matter what you do now, it is all just verbal commits and anything can change between now and next fall. Don’t call or commit until you are ready. but even if you are 100% ready to commit to Columbia, there is nothing they can do for you until the fall when you can apply. There is no commitment they can make, only allow you to ‘commit to the process’ and they control the process. Only you can decide which school gives you the best all round college experience. If Emory has a good team, it is probably pretty deep and you might not get as much playing time. If NYU’s team suits you, does their educational program? the three schools have very different reputations for merit/financial aid, so is that a factor?
Ivy coaches will be no different than other coaches as far as telling you where you stand. Some will be forthcoming, others will play games and others will prefer not to comment at all.
When D was being recruited, most coaches she had serious contact with told her where she stood.
Recruiting timeline varies with the sport - in some sports (eg W Soccer)you are way behind for a d1 school (even an Ivy) - most d1 soccer schools are done for class of 2017, while Ivy’s might not be done, most have at least 3 or 4 commits for that class. There is no harm in being proactive.
@Eagledad33 Yes, there has been contact through my club coach for 2 years with all of these schools and 1 year directly through my email, texts, and calls. I got invited to Columbia’s elite camp as a sophomore so I visited there and all schools have emailed me saying I’m a top recruit for my position in my class. Columbia has said I’m in their top two and already verbally committed to other positions. They emailed my saying my position will be done in 1 week from now…after they finish committing to the girl in another position.
@twoinanddone the coach at Emory said I would start at a freshman and NYU coach said that also. Both of those said I would get into the school without any issue and they’d support my application. I understand the Ivy can’t really do anything until pre-reads and likely letters, but for my sport they’ve already verbally committed to 2 athletes (my position being the last for their class).
@highschool217 Thanks for the clarification. At first I wasn’t sure how to interpret your mention of being in Columbia’s top 2, but it sounds like you’re top 2 at your position and Columbia may only ultimately be recruiting 1 at your position (guessing either L/DS or S)? In that case I definitely sympathize with your stress in having to wait this one out. Have Emory or NYU been pressuring you for a decision? When it comes to a point that they absolutely must have a decision, you’ll want to call the Columbia coach to let them know the situation. If you knew that you would ultimately choose Columbia were they to make you their primary choice at that position, be sure to tell them that at that time. Good luck with the decision!
Then all you need to do is decide. I would take that ‘start as a freshman’ with caution.
highschool217, someone mentioned L/DS above so I assume this is volleyball. If it is just a matter of waiting a week for the word from Columbia, and you’re able to do that with the other opportunities, then that’s one way to approach it.
It kind of sounds like you would be one of the best players on the team at Emory or NYU (though I agree with others on not taking that bit about starting as a freshman as any kind of guarantee) and with your academics the chances of admission may be pretty good even without coach support. If your school has Naviance data you might want to check that, or also Parchment has a tool that estimates your probability of acceptance based on grades, GPA, etc.
Whereas at Columbia, coach support can change the chances of being admitted from single digit to very high. If you decide that Emory or NYU is your first choice that doesn’t matter, but it makes sense to me that the Columbia coaches are being more cautious.
D3 schools can, and do, go back on their promises - Emory basketball being one of those programs. If you can secure a likely letter, that is your most sure bet. However, if you like the D3 schools, just know nothing is for certain.
Emory issues likely letters. If an Emory coach isn’t seeking one for you, that’s a big of a red flag.