<p>Hi all, can someone tell me what “full support” means coming from an HYP coach?</p>
<p>If the coach offers full support, outlines the procedure for applying, gives the date of the admissions committee meeting (about two weeks before the early deadline) that will handle the team’s recruits, and offers advice on how to craft the application…does that sound like this is an offer of a likely letter?</p>
<p>When asked about the likely letter, this coach said that the likely letter was available to soothe a nervous applicant or to lock in an applicant deciding between two Ivies. He didn’t sound like the likely letter was very important, and didn’t promise one or otherwise frame the question of “support” in terms of the letter. He referred to the letter as a kind of administrative aid.</p>
<p>Has anyone else had a situation with an Ivy where the likely letter was downplayed?</p>
<p>In my DDs recruiting experience at HYP the whole discussion centered on the likely letter, and the coach emphasized and appreciated its importance to the recruit. Coaches have a limited number of them, and depending on the team, may need to try to attract recruits in excess of the number of likely letters available. If you are not being expressly offered a likely letter, I think you may need to be wary about where you fit in the recruitment pictures for that coach.</p>
<p>Soothe a nervous applicant? I am certain all applicants are very nervous during this process;) </p>
<p>My son was just told that his application was approved by the HYP admissions committee and he would receive a letter in the mail in the next day or two. However, this coach also avoided the term “likely letter” during the recruiting process and said his application file would include a “letter of distinction”. This is a letter or recommendation from the coach offering full support for the applicant.</p>
<p>Given the date, the question is whether you have other options. As the November 1st early decision deadlines draw near, you want assurance from the coach that your application has been approved. It sounds like you will know their decision by mid-October. If the coach gets back to you and states that your application is approved - great! If not (and you have other options) you can use your athletic advantage at another school. </p>
<p>In our experience (football), the two schools most heavily recruiting our son had discussions regarding a LL. It was our experience that they were very important and upon receipt, a LL was as close to a guarantee as you could get. When the other school was informed that our son was to receive a LL, the coach’s support evaporated and he did not get admitted. This was to be expected as there are only so many LLs that a coach can use.</p>
<p>The head coach of the HYP that our son attends had a conversation with him that stated once his completed application was received (this was after successfull pre-reads on admissions and financial aid) a LL would be forthcoming. The dean of admissions called our son personally to inform him that one would be arriving in the next couple of days.</p>
<p>So to answer your question, it sounds like the LL process based on our experience. I think that it would be appropriate to have that conversation with the coach and ask specifically if a likely letter will be issued. The answer to that question will give you a better sense of where the process stands. </p>
<p>I have always been told that the only sure way through admissions is the LL.</p>
<p>If coaches can get athletes through in any other way, the entire framework governing competition in the Ivy’s would be undermined. Sports would get their allocated number of LLs and then add athletes in the back door through the concept of “full support.”</p>
<p>Will a coach look at a border line (athletically) recuit who has legacy, perfect grades, perfect scores and roll the dice by writing a letter to admissions and avoiding the term “likely letter?” Sure! Why not? If the student gets in, the coach claims the credit (for the enduring gratitude of all involved); if not, nothing ventured, nothing gained.</p>
<p>While I am sure there are athletes who get admitted for other, non-athletic reasons (I have personal knowledge of several), those kids would have been admitted ANYWAY due to other “hooks” just as potent as athletics. In fact, in those circumstances, a coach would be foolish to waste the LL. (Of the athletes I know who were admitted this way, NONE made any impact on the field; though they were great teammates and went through the athletic grind just like LL recipients.)</p>
<p>At this point in the process, there is nothing to lose by asking the coach point blank about the entire LL process - beginning with “are you committing got get me one” to “what do I need to compete to get one” to “what is the exact process to get one” to “what is the exact timeline.” (Of course the athlete should be doing the asking.)</p>
<p>OP - this may be a distinction without a difference. “Full support” is the technical term used by the coach in indicating the coach will be seeking a LL. (Because the coach cannot commit to admissions.) See <a href=“http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/information/psa/index”>http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/information/psa/index</a> (“Coaches may make a commitment to support a prospective student-athlete’s application. However only the Admissions Office at each Ivy League school has the authority to admit an applicant and to notify an applicant of admission. Only formal correspondence from the Admissions Office should be considered an admissions decision.”)</p>
<p>Ask for the likely letter, if only to get a better gauge of where you stand with that program. If he hesitates, you might be better off with another suitor.</p>
<p>thanks for the input…trying to be general and discreet here…my S was originally offered a letter of recommendation, but the coach was very clear that this was NOT support. He was also clear that it guaranteed nothing but was often helpful if the rest of the app was stellar. Several days later the coach called and changed his offer to “full support” and outlined the above procedure, which was a different procedure from what he had described for the “recommendation letter.”</p>
<p>If there is a third, more superior form of support, involving the likely letter–that is what I am confused about, because the coach downplayed the likely letter as merely administrative. He said that his recruits receiving full support have all their applications going to the committee in time for the one meeting that would deal with all of them.</p>
<p>But stemit, I think you are quite right, that multiple types of coach influence on admissions would be out of the scope of the Ivy agreement. That actually makes me feel better.</p>
<p>I can tell you from our personal experience that the Likely Letter is far more than an administrative tool. It is (very nearly) tantamount to an acceptance letter, and comes from the Dean of Admissions on official letterhead. It can come as early as October 1 (it came October 8 in our DD’s case). Without it, you are sweating it out until mid-December (if you apply EA or ED) or April if you apply RD, no matter what verbal assurance you believe you are receiving. </p>
<p>It is widely believed that the LL has the same force as the formal acceptance letter – each can be rescinded for a steep decline in performance or a serious criminal offense, but otherwise it means you’re done. </p>
<p>I would force the issue a bit more with the coach in the manner stemit suggests, and not be content with his characterization that LL’s are for nervous nellies. Every serious recruit on my DD’s team received a LL, and had my DD not been assured of support for one at the HYP she attends, she would have moved down her list to the next school that was offering one. </p>
<p>In my son’s circumstance, the coach talked in terms of “full support”. When my son asked him what that meant, he said that it meant that he would support a request for a likely letter from admissions (which he is currently waiting for). My understanding is that in the Ivys, there is a likely letter and not much else in terms of support from the coaching staff</p>
<p>Okay, I think this is all making more sense to me now. the magic words appear to be “full support.” I was confused about whether there was anything more powerful than “full support” but apparently not.</p>
<p>I think there is a question of coach and recruiting “style” going on here. I think some coaches are more literal with the Ivy rule that says only admissions admits. They can’t promise that the recruit will be accepted, so they can’t promise a likely letter, but will only say what they can literally promise, which is to include the recruit on its roster when it sends the list to admissions. It sure would be more comforting if they just talked openly about the acceptance but I think I understand why some prefer to downplay the actual letter and instead focus on their end of the procedure.</p>
<p>Very nerve-wracking. Although with my older kid who did NESCAC, that was equally nerve-wracking. In the end it’s about whether you trust the coach.</p>
<p>“I think there is a question of coach and recruiting “style” going on here. I think some coaches are more literal with the Ivy rule that says only admissions admits. They can’t promise that the recruit will be accepted, so they can’t promise a likely letter, but will only say what they can literally promise, which is to include the recruit on its roster when it sends the list to admissions.”</p>
<p>I would want the coach to be saying more. I would encourage your child to put these questions directly, as we did:</p>
<p>How many likely letters are available to you this year? Will be you be supporting me for one? Based on your prior experience, has any candidate with a profile similar to mine who had your support for a likely letter not in fact received one? </p>
<p>Our DD asked those questions, and the coach was very forthcoming with the responses. The coach even offered to get on the phone with us, the parents, so we could hear the answers directly.</p>
<p>Recounted on this board are some sad stories that mostly can be traced to miscommunication. I am not suggesting at all that this will be what happens in your case, but this is a risky and uncertain proposition and your child should feel entitled to as much clarity as possible, particularly if other opportunities are being passed up. </p>
<p>Slk1022 made an excellent point above, which is that if the admissions committee meeting does not go well, my S still has time to apply to another school.</p>
<p>The coach in question is super clear and direct–not a guy who is into games (we have met some of that type also). I don’t think anything strange is going on, so long as we are not misunderstanding what the procedure is. However, I absolutely agree that in recruitment one needs backup plans. My S has some great schools that I think would wait for him until this all shakes out. I will encourage him to get some greater clarity from the HYP guy also.</p>
<p>OP, the expected outcome of this admissions committee meeting should a be a Likely Letter. Ask your son to clarify with the coach. Procedure is really very simple as long as both sides are on the same page. </p>
<p>Currently at least 2 swimmers have announced on SwimSwam that they have committed to HYP schools. I doubt that this would have happened unless theses swimmers were assured that they would be issued a likely letter. I would ask the coach after the admissions committee meeting for clarification of your S admission status.</p>
<p>I don’t get what the OP is worried about - not getting a likely letter and then in mid-December finding out that the school won’t accept the OP’s son? </p>
<p>What are your son’s stats? What is his AI? If his AI is very good, I’m not sure why your son should be worried, and therefore you should not worry. </p>
<p>The issue here is that is not clear if OP’s son was promised a LL. I do know athletes who were admitted to HYP EA without a LL but they worried very much. By mid-December you may lose all your other options.</p>
<p>“I don’t get what the OP is worried about - not getting a likely letter and then in mid-December finding out that the school won’t accept the OP’s son?”</p>
<p>That is precisely what OP is concerned about, and it is very legitimate concern. Likely Letter slots already have been or are being doled out now (by that I mean the coach is commiting to support for a likely letter the number of recruits equal to the number of likely letters s/he is allotted) and if you fail to secure assurances now that you are being supported for one you may find yourself in the general applicant pool and a disappointing outcome come December. The admit rates for HYP are su-7%, and that the general pool is not a good place to be, no matter how high our AI. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone–yes, my s was promised full support but when he asked if that was equivalent to a LL, the coach downplayed the LL as a document that admissions would issue for recruits who were too nervous to wait until December. But yes, we are nervous–is anyone NOT nervous?–and my s intends to request the LL and in any case, will ask to hear the result of the meeting asap.</p>
<p>My s has an AI of 238…unweighted 4.0/35 ACT (36 superscored, but I guess most schools don’t superscore, even though the Common App does!). Not taking anything for granted, so there will absolutely be a plan B, C, and D.</p>