By Lisa Meyers
From the desk of: Amanda Rawson
The grass is turning green, we cheer for opening day and socks become an optional piece of attire. It is spring and most high school seniors have finalized their college commitments. Some students have been accepted through rolling admissions, others have made verbal commitments to college coaches and highly recruited athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI). For students with their sights set on an Ivy League acceptance letter, however, the waiting game continues.
Student-athletes who apply to Ivy League colleges have a different commitment timetable than most college-bound athletes. Ivy League colleges do not utilize the National Letter of Intent and unless an applicant makes it through the formal admissions process, a coach can never guarantee admission due to the selective nature of these elite institutions. An athlete may be asked to make a verbal commitment, but he or she will still need to apply to the college and those who use the regular decision process (early decision candidates receive their notification in December) will receive an admissions decision in late March or early April. It is possible that one could make a verbal commitment to an Ivy League college and then not be accepted. Coaches usually have a sense of whether or not a student-athlete will be accepted, but they can not guarantee anything, as admission standards often vary from year to year. A 1250 SAT score (math/reading) and a 28 ACT are generally the minimum test scores for admission to an Ivy League institution for recruited athletes, but in some cases athletes with SAT scores as high as 1500 have received denial letters. The likelihood of being accepted depends on a candidate’s specific academic record, essays, recommendations, and where he or she will falls on the coach’s list, combined with how much latitude the admissions department has in a given year.
Some regular decision candidates may receive a likely letter in early March. A likely letter assures that the applicant will “most likely” be accepted to that college. Coaches will often have these letters sent to recruits, as a way of notifying the athlete that they will be accepted. Most coaches hope that once an athlete receives a likely letter, they will no longer pursue other options. In many cases a recruit will not receive a likely letter, but will still be accepted. If a recruited athlete has a good relationship with an Ivy League coach they should ask if they will receive a likely letter.
For seniors who are communicating with non-Ivy League Division I or Division II colleges and universities, the National Letter of Intent may be a factor. By signing the NLI an athlete confirms their commitment to attend the institution for one academic year. This year’s early signing period for men’s and women’s golf extended from November 14 to November 21. The regular period began April 9 and lasts until August 1.
Many college coaches pressure recruits into signing during the early period. If an athlete is sure they have found the right fit they may be able to finish their recruiting process by December. However, when measuring a non-Ivy League offer against Ivy League potential, one must weigh their options and decide what factors are most important for their family.
