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D3 official visits and general recruiting anxiety

Hi,

 

Situation: 2015 son wants to use baseball as a way to get into some very selective academic schools. Over the past year, he's attended several academic baseball camps (Showball), three Ivy camps (two at same school), a Stanford and Duke camp, and a camp at one D3. He is now seeing results: this past week, three very good D3s have offered him official visits. He's obviously very excited.

 

Anyway, we have some specific questions and a more speculative one:

 

1. These schools, all D3, invited son using the phrase "official visit." This means schools will pay transportation costs, yes?

 

2. We/he have visited only ONE of these three schools; and one of them is in a part of the country we've never visited. Would it come across as odd (over-protective) if a parent accompanies student to the two unvisited schools? As his parents, we really want to get a sense of these schools so that we can help him make a wise choice. (Smart kid, but quality and quantity of food would be his make or break point.)

 

We know that we will be responsible for costs related to transportation and accommodation, and while son is doing his thing, we would be getting a sense of campus and surrounding environment.

 

2. If it's appropriate form for a parent to accompany student, is it also appropriate for a parent to meet the head coaches, two of whom spouse and I have never spoken to?

 

3. We know admissions offices do pre-reads; has anyone had experience with financial aid doing pre-reads as well? Spouse is self employed, which results in inaccurate estimates by net price calculators.

 

4. Here's the speculative question: son's dream school is an Ivy that is like "the most beautiful girl in the world" (son's analogy); in other words, everyone is chasing this school. Husband's research confirms that school recruits very late (unless player has near perfect SATs/ACTs); and that many of its recruits were very often unaware (at least until Aug and Sept) that they were being recruited.

 

(More context: son's estimated academic index AI is slightly higher than the average AI of all admitted students (not average AI of student athletes); son's baseball skills seem on-level with past years' recruits; and, after next spring, team will have only one guy who plays son's particular position.)

 

I guess question is this: Son has been in email correspondence with coaches over the past year, and up until June, coaches were responding to emails.Several weeks back, son called head coach and left voice mail but did not receive call back. Should non-responsiveness on part of coaches these last few weeks be regarded as lack of interest? Bottom line: when should son just write this place off, or should he already?

 

Thanks!

 

Last edited by southwestprof
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