My D just went through this process for a bunch of schools last year (NESCAC, UAA, SCIAC, Centennial, NEWMAC, and Liberty League). I can outline our experience which was pretty consistent across a fairly large number (over half) of the NESCACs.
The process for us (fall HS sport, spring club):
Coaches became active/responsive starting in late fall of Junior year. We established rapport and understood mutual interest over the rest of the year and into the first quarter of the new year.
There is alot of recruiting activity for D3 in the spring of Junior year for her sport. She was also being recruited for D1 programs and that activity was also ongoing during this period but it started after her sophomore year and interest was signaled in the fall of her Junior year.
Coaches asked for and were kept up to date on her academics after her fall semester of Junior year.
- Most of the coaches asked for test scores
- Some coaches asked for planned senior courses
For the NESCAC schools we could typically tell the level of interest by April. Some were earlier and some were a bit more relaxed. The UAA schools definitely were willing to offer early to try and get a jump on the NESCAC (I presume) when they were sure. We had UAA, Centennial, and Liberty League offers before the NESCAC pre-read process began. She did have unofficial offers from NESCAC schools beginning in April along with feedback along the line of “if I know that you will say yes then you will be the only pre-read for your position.”
The non-NESCAC schools who made offers were all willing to wait for the NESCAC process (though a couple obviously didn’t like it) but I suspect that it is recruit dependent. My D had mid-major D1 offers so she was a strong recruit in her sport for D3.
The NESCAC schools started accepting pre-read materials in mid-July and we were told that previously it was mid-June so submission timing was basically two weeks before the beginning of their ability to make official offers. Materials were submitted either via the coach or sometimes a portal. In every case the coach wanted to review all of the materials before they were submitted, particularly test scores. As mentioned in a previous thread one coach said “Test scores can’t be unseen if submitted but if I just have them in my hand someone can nod yes or no.” Two schools asked for term papers that had been submitted for a grade at her HS.
The NESCAC schools started making offers on Aug 1 and most asked for a two week decision period as a starting point. In my D’s case she had one school outside of the NESCAC who was making their decision in the first week of September and was in her top three. She wanted to wait for that school. She discussed this with her other top schools, got an ok then informed the other coaches.
Once the first week of September rolled around she got the final decision, made her call and closed out the process. I do know that some schools went into October so the process can extend for awhile as coaches go through their lists.
We do know of kids who failed pre-read so it does happen but I suspect that it is on the margin. I think that outright failing the pre-read is less of an issue than possibly running afoul of the NESCAC “banding” system and ending up in a lower band than the coach estimated. This can impact a recruits prospects because the price for taking a “C” band athlete can be pretty high at some schools from what we understand.
