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I’ve been reading this board for a year or so now, and have greatly appreciated the group’s insights and expertise.  My son is a 2020 LHP / 1B. He just attended Headfirst in CA and will be heading to Showball in mid July. We are trying to navigate recruiting for the next few weeks/months - and I have a few questions.

Pre-reads: do all HA schools do them - D3 and D1? I read another thread saying if the school hasn’t done a pre-read then they’re not really interested. Does a pre-read simply give the coach a sense of whether the player would get in - or does it have any significance when (if) the actual application is submitted later? 

My son has had several schools say they’d like to do pre-reads. For a couple of the schools he probably isn’t interested - or they’re much lower on his list. Should he decline the pre-read since he’s likely not interested in that school or is it good to keep the door open? We want to be respectful of their time but he’s also trying to see where things go with the schools near the top of his list.

What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?

Thanks in advance for your help.  This is a new world for us and I appreciate being able to benefit from your experiences. 

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And if I can tag a further question onto this topic:  When is a pre-read a "real" pre-read?  A few coaches have asked my son for his transcript and test scores, but I haven't heard talk of getting a letter from admissions or anything like that.  When (and how) would "we're interested, send us your transcript" become an actual offer? 

For the D1s, I don't know if the term "pre-read" is used, but  (1) the Ivies issue "Likely Letters" in October -- actually a phone call from Admissions to the kid, with a letter to follow, saying "you're very very very likely to get in" (not the actual words ) but even before then the coaches get feedback from an admissions liaison; (2) in the Patriot league it may vary -- before making a scholarship offer the coaches had Admissions review the transcript and give the thumbs up; (3) back to Ivies, have seen an Ivy -- upon request by the player -- check with Admissions on a transcript to get an informal thumbs up, in order to get a kid to a camp.

For Chico's question, in my experience, asking for the transcript did not mean an offer was pending. I mean, it might, but I'd guess they get transcripts from far more kids than they make offers to.

Let me get the ball rolling!

Pre-reads: do all HA schools do them - D3 and D1? I read another thread saying if the school hasn’t done a pre-read then they’re not really interested. Does a pre-read simply give the coach a sense of whether the player would get in - or does it have any significance when (if) the actual application is submitted later? 

All schools need to know that the player can get in, especially the HA ones!  Otherwise they may not be able to recruit them...Some schools operate on a traffic light basis:  green light from a pre read from Admissions means coach can recruit/support, yellow may mean the coach comes back and tells the player they need to get their scores up to X or need certain grades, and red light is do not recruit/not a viable candidate for the school.  I am sure there are examples of kids getting offers without a pre read first but they are likely very rare.  Offers only come when the coach knows from Admissions that the player can get in.  It has no bearing on actual admissions except that the coach then knows if they give support to this player, then they will be accepted barring any unusual circumstances.  Ivies are slightly different as they have "likely letter" issued from admissions.  

My son has had several schools say they’d like to do pre-reads. For a couple of the schools he probably isn’t interested - or they’re much lower on his list. Should he decline the pre-read since he’s likely not interested in that school or is it good to keep the door open? We want to be respectful of their time but he’s also trying to see where things go with the schools near the top of his list.

First of call, congrats!  The fact that coaches are asking to do pre-reads is exciting!  You will get different advice here.  If on the list, even lower, then why not?  Many people here believe that getting the first offer is crucial, and can help coax other schools to speed up their processes.  Our personal experience was that my son did do pre reads at several "safety" schools, albeit HA ones, they were safety for him as he was only going to even think about going to these schools if things did not work out with like 20 other schools higher on his list.  They were not safety schools academically (in fact some were the most selective of HA schools), just schools he thought he was not as interested in.  We also did not want to be disrespectful as the HA coaching world is connected,  We were much more selective about visits.  And he did NOT get offers from everyone who asked for his scores and transcripts... 

What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?

There are many answers to these questions already discussed on this board; you can do a search and find some of them.  In short, a D3 offer is a little dependent on the school.  Many D3 coaches get slots like their D1 counterparts and players in these slots are almost always admitted.  There is no NLI signed since there is no $$ for athletic scholarships.  However, most D3 coaches will ask their "committed" players to apply ED as a quid pro quo for getting the coach's support.  Most HA D3 do have pull with Admissions.  There are some exceptions, like MIT and others discussed on this board, where they may have pull but not final say.  If you have questions about specific schools please feel free to PM me. There are cases as you may hear on this board of players not applying ED but these are the exception.  D1 without a scholarship is hard to know if you mean Ivies and the service academies or if you mean a D1 but no athletic money given.  

And from Chico:  if I can tag a further question onto this topic:  When is a pre-read a "real" pre-read?  A few coaches have asked my son for his transcript and test scores, but I haven't heard talk of getting a letter from admissions or anything like that.  When (and how) would "we're interested, send us your transcript" become an actual offer? 

Again, this will vary by schools but I have not heard of a non real pre read!  A pre read is a good thing as an indication of interest.  Not all pre reads will result in offers of course.  The process usually takes a few days to even a few weeks and goes something like this: 

coach asks player for scores/transcripts

player submits scores/transcripts

coach submits scores/transcripts to admissions counterpart

admissions informs coach as to admissibility of player

if admissible, coach decides whether to offer player.  There is nothing the player receives from admissions (Ivy likely letters the exception)

So the "we are interested, send transcripts" you heard may yield an offer and may not.  It may mean admissions does not feel strongly about the player's chances of admission.  It may mean the coach has not made a final decision depending upon where he is in the recruiting process and the class of 2020.  In my 2017's case, he was strung along by several HA schools that did a pre read.  We knew he was admissible given grades and scores anywhere, so we knew it was all about the coach's process and where they were on filling their class.  In some cases, he asked.  Some were honest enough, incl an Ivy that had been interested in him for 2 years at HF in NY, that barring anyone decommitting, it was unlikely to work out but if he applied and got in on his own he would likely be on the team.  In another case, the NESCAC told him they could be "picky" (their words) and would keep him posted.  They never offered.   Some coaches came back immediately (shortest one was maybe 2 days) with an offer to support him.  One took months from when he submitted his scores and transcripts.  

Hope this helps.  It is an exciting time for you HA 2020 parents!

 

Last edited by Twoboys

A couple things to add as I think TwoBoys did a great job covering the question.

Pre-reads for any HA school is incredibly important for you and the Coach.   The Coach typically knows what metrics he needs to recruit a player, but getting added validation from Admission is key before verbally offering or issuing a LL to Ivys.   Remember, Admissions holds the keys to the HA kingdom and can trump a coaches recommendation.   If they've already pre-approved a recruit then the Coach knows he won't have to battle to get that recruit in, and he can focus on other recruits.  Always look at these situations and processes through the coaches eyes, and understand where you fit academically and athletically in his recruiting pool.   He only has so much equity with Admissions.   If your son is on the plus side for academics and academics then your in a good spot.   If your son is on the plus side athletically and on the negative side academically then it gets dicey.

I've not met anybody targeting HA schools on this site that has not had a pre-read.   This is the recruits opportunity to find out if there are academic objections and enough time to remediate those objections.   I Which gets me to my next point about when do they ask to do pre-reads.   Most Ivys/Patriot schools are going to be months ahead (of D3s) in their pre-read requests as they are competing against D1 scholarship candidates with NLIs or verbal offers. Most of the D3 HA schools are going to be late Summer/early Fall.   

Also, I'd pick a couple schools that have offered to do a pre-read..schools that he is somewhat interested in.   Certainly there were schools that my son was not interested, but he kept that to himself.   Honestly, there were schools that really surprised us (both ways).   Go through the process to better understand it, and get a sense of his value in the marketplace.   Weigh your options as they come in.  This is exactly what the coaches are  doing.

Good luck! 

Last edited by fenwaysouth
fenwaysouth posted:

Which gets me to my next point about when do they ask to do pre-reads.   Most Ivys/Patriot schools are going to be months ahead (of D3s) in their pre-read requests as they are competing against D1 scholarship candidates with Likely Letters or verbal offers. Most of the D3 HA schools are going to be late Summer/early Fall.   

 

fenwaysouth, so for DCMom's 2020 son, that means later this summer and into the fall of his senior year?   By that point, are the HA D3s still competing with the D1s for rising seniors? 

I ask because I have a 2021 son who is also interested in HA schools (lower D1 and D3) and will be attending an academic showcase later this summer (probably HeadFirst in Florida, but still reviewing the options).  

Good luck to your son DCMom!  What an exciting time!  Please let us know how it goes.

Keep in mind is that Headfirst, Showball, and schools' own camps run through August. After that, coaches invite players to visit, and that can take through early October. This is where HA "commitment" comes into play - it works like D1s, at some point each player will say that he is going to apply ED to one school, but until that point, the coach is keeping lots of other options alive. So in late August, before planning visits, you need to find out where you are on each coach's list, if possible, and how admissions works at his school. If a coach says he has x slots and "you have one of my slots" that is different than "all I can do is send my list to admissions, and I will put you on that list." But each school is different.

This is a great thread with lots more information:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...20#38181284600031120

This is older, but also very useful:

https://community.hsbaseballwe...50#11711920799446850

Luckycat,

In my experience and people I know on this board you are not going to see much direct recruiting competition between HA D1s (Ivys & Patriot) and HA D3s (NESCAC).   HA D1 are going to be mostly done (verbal commitments) by mid to late summer.   Again, these Ivy & Patriot schools were competing with D1 scholarship NLI signings.   HA D3s will pick up some of the previous HA D1 recruits plus others they had on their board.  The D3 HA timetable is mostly starting right now until Oct 1 or when Early Decision applications need to be in.   It was somewhat typical for my son to meet a HA recruiter in person or over the phone, and he'd ask about grades and SAT scores.   My son would tell him and hand/email him a very brief outline with grades, SAT scores, high school coaches contact info and travel coaches name and contact info.   This typically led to a pre-read and my son would ask questions about their engineering program.     So, this is one of the skills my son learned...when you give something to the coaches try to get information in return!

Good luck!

DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's.  Be sure to take advantage of that.  I will try to address more of this question...

"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"

I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's.  Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit".  They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball.  Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad.  The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives.  They have very little to lose.  So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when.  There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".

Last edited by cabbagedad
cabbagedad posted:

DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's.  Be sure to take advantage of that.  I will try to address more of this question...

"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"

I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's.  Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit".  They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball.  Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad.  The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives.  They have very little to lose.  So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when.  There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".

This has been my concern about the whole D3 thing and seems to present a real dillemma, particularly since any coach answer to these suggested questions is non-binding and unenforceable.  In other words, if he tells a kid "absolutely not; you'll be on that roster absent something like that" but then isn't, the kid has no recourse.

Seems the only way to avoid this is due dilligence on the coach to determine whether, historically, his answers to questions like these are reliable, right?  

Last edited by Dirtbag30

Great advice and knowledge.

I'd add that a pre-read is only as reliable as the underlying information. So, having all testing done (and the requisite score reached) is important (assuming the school needs testing). Also, no academic slowdown - especially for kids who were on the academic borderline.

Thus, a pre-read for a junior who hasn't taken and/or received an adequate score is not as reliable. (We did our pre-reads back in the day subject scores were required for a bunch of schools, but S hadn't taken the tests. The school "extrapolated" (i.e., invented) scores and told him he needed certain threshold scores on those tests. So, how accurate was the pre-read? We didn't bother to learn.

Dirtbag30 posted:
cabbagedad posted:

DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's.  Be sure to take advantage of that.  I will try to address more of this question...

"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"

I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's.  Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit".  They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball.  Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad.  The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives.  They have very little to lose.  So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when.  There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".

This has been my concern about the whole D3 thing and seems to present a real dillemma, particularly since any coach answer to these suggested questions is non-binding and unenforceable.  In other words, if he tells a kid "absolutely not; you'll be on that roster absent something like that" but then isn't, the kid has no recourse.

Seems the only way to avoid this is due dilligence on the coach to determine whether, historically, his answers to questions like these are reliable, right?  

Yeah, no signed enforceable contracts on this stuff. Even in the Likely Letter scenario (which is in writing), those come out in October, and typically the kid is accepting the coach's verbal offer -- and turning down other offers and shutting down recruiting -- many months before the Likely Letter is received. If it turns out the coach is wrong . . .

Dirtbag30 posted:
cabbagedad posted:

DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's.  Be sure to take advantage of that.  I will try to address more of this question...

"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"

I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's.  Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit".  They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball.  Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad.  The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives.  They have very little to lose.  So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when.  There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".

This has been my concern about the whole D3 thing and seems to present a real dillemma, particularly since any coach answer to these suggested questions is non-binding and unenforceable.  In other words, if he tells a kid "absolutely not; you'll be on that roster absent something like that" but then isn't, the kid has no recourse.

Seems the only way to avoid this is due dilligence on the coach to determine whether, historically, his answers to questions like these are reliable, right?  

Yes, some research on the coach's history of being a man of his word, specifically contacting previous players, is a good step.  Also, honest evaluation of the player by qualified neutral parties, preferrably ones that have some knowledge of the program/s the player is considering.  Watch games of that program.  Do roster and bio research.  If the guys getting innings are all first team all-state guys and you aren't...  well.  Don't allow the entire process to be communication with the RC only.  Make sure there is an in-depth conversation with the HC at some point, again, asking specific questions as to where he sees you on the depth chart coming into the program and why.  The more detailed the questions, the more likely one will be able to extract some accurate assessment between all the "rah-rah, we love you and really want you to be part of the program" stuff.

Dirtbag30 posted:
cabbagedad posted:

DCmom, you have the attention of a few of the most knowledgeable and helpful folks on the board regarding HA's.  Be sure to take advantage of that.  I will try to address more of this question...

"What does it really mean to have an offer from a D3? Is it different if it is a HA D3 where they don’t have pull with admissions? Or a D1 without scholarship?"

I have had the experience of sending several players to "somewhat HA" D3's.  Many of those schools, particularly some of the ones that are consistently successful on the field, will "over-recruit".  They will encourage as many good players as possible to enroll and come play baseball.  Lots of decent to average players will find themselves either cut in the Fall or buried on the bench or JV squad.  The schools/coaches have motivation to build enrollment and add talented players and with no athletic $ to offer, often it is the coach showing interest and asking if the player will come and be part of the program that helps fulfill both of those objectives.  They have very little to lose.  So, if you sense this may be the case, the player must ask pointed questions about where the coach sees him fit and when.  There are ways to really dig down... "are there any circumstances, barring of course grade or behavior, that would I NOT be on the Spring roster and competing for PT?".

This has been my concern about the whole D3 thing and seems to present a real dillemma, particularly since any coach answer to these suggested questions is non-binding and unenforceable.  In other words, if he tells a kid "absolutely not; you'll be on that roster absent something like that" but then isn't, the kid has no recourse.

Seems the only way to avoid this is due dilligence on the coach to determine whether, historically, his answers to questions like these are reliable, right?  

Dirtbag30 - So I think some healthy concern is valid for HA D3s.  However, I think some targeted questions are necessary to figure out where your son stands in the coaches recruiting pool.   For most D3 HA candidates it is about making the admissions number that a normal student would need to make, and being guaranteed a roster spot.   I would not hesitate to ask the Coach if he can help with admissions (called a "tip") and if I was assured of a roster spot on his team.   Every year a couple to a few recruits are guaranteed "slots".  These are the recruits most coveted by Coach. Each school has different metrics  to determine slots, so your mileage may vary from one school to another or one conference to the other.   So, when in the D3 HA recruiting mix it is a fair question to ask the Coach how much help he is willing to give you through a "tip" or a "slot".    

Good luck!

Ironically, I was just digesting some of your older posts on this topic from the threads just posted in this active topic.  So much good information from this site thanks to you and others.  As another poster commented, it would be an impossible to navigate this byzantine and complicated process without this guidance.  

Thank you again!!!

fenwaysouth posted:

 HA D1 are going to be mostly done (verbal commitments) by mid to late summer.  

Thanks fenwaysouth.  I'm probably being a little dense, but do you mean mid to late summer of a player's rising Junior year?

I guess what I'm asking is, for my 2021 son, is the HA D1 recruiting going on right now and this coming fall?  I'm not talking Vanderbilt and Stanford.  We already know of at least one 2021 in our area who has committed to one of these two schools and have no illusions that those schools would be interested in my son.  I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, Davidson, William & Mary, Georgetown, or University of Richmond, just to name a few we have on our "dream schools" list. 

Great stuff here. I just want to add to the good timeline that TWOBOYS posted above pertaining to HA D3 schools with very low admit rates. (The school in the over-recruiting thread is a different kind of  beast, IMO.  If a kid can't get into a D3 school with a 65% admit rate without help, then maybe playing baseball at a D3 is not the best choice.)

Coach asks player for grades and scores and what he's taking next year.  

Player provides same.

At that point, either coach will a) invite kid for campus visit or b) vanish into the ether. (note that sometimes they reappear later on)

If  a),  the kid goes to campus, and if coach wants him, he says something like "I'm offering you a spot on my team. If you apply ED, admissions says you will be admitted, so long as you don't flunk anything or get arrested etc."

Kid says, okay, I accept.  This is all verbal at this point, but if you've asked the right questions (stuff like, when is the last time admissions didn't accept a kid who had been promised admission) and asked knowledgeable parents and coaches about the program, you should feel good about the process and your kid's next four years.

But if your family is like ours, you're not done quite yet. Now you have to ask for a financial pre-read, because the last thing you want to do is tell the kid you can't afford to send him to college when your FA packet arrives in April with an award $10 or $20 thousand less than you were expecting.   Coach gets you in touch with the financial aid office and you fill out a  bunch of paperwork listing every dollar you have ever earned or spent -- get used to it cause you'll be doing it again in a couple months for real, and then again every year after that.

When that comes back, if it looks good, then you can relax a bit and enjoy your son's senior season.

Good luck!

 

Last edited by JCG
Goosegg posted:

Great advice and knowledge.

I'd add that a pre-read is only as reliable as the underlying information. So, having all testing done (and the requisite score reached) is important (assuming the school needs testing). Also, no academic slowdown - especially for kids who were on the academic borderline.

 

Good point that Goosegg makes here. I know of a couple of recruits from HA schools where an offer was pulled back. It is rare, but you don't want it to happen to  your son. But with some of the HA D1s now making offers earlier (not during summer as rising senior which is usually the case), I suppose that makes the likelihood of this happening more common. I guess it may be cool to tell your friends you committed early. The point above goes to show you have to keep exercising your mental muscles to the finish, just as you want to avoid getting athletically complacent as well.

Son's "pre-reads" were basically transcript/SAT score/high level senior classes taken oriented. Not all of them lead to offers. But the pre-reads generally meant sincere interest from the school and meant you were somewhere on "their board."

One other point, because the HA schools are looking at the dual-prong (academics/athletics), update the school(s) of interest of anything meritorious academically along the way (just as you would on an award on the diamond). Some of the recognition (honors) may come during a down time (winter) for baseball.

Great thread.  To the OP, a "pre-read" is a good start which may bear fruit.

LuckyCat posted:
fenwaysouth posted:

 HA D1 are going to be mostly done (verbal commitments) by mid to late summer.  

Thanks fenwaysouth.  I'm probably being a little dense, but do you mean mid to late summer of a player's rising Junior year?

I guess what I'm asking is, for my 2021 son, is the HA D1 recruiting going on right now and this coming fall?  I'm not talking Vanderbilt and Stanford.  We already know of at least one 2021 in our area who has committed to one of these two schools and have no illusions that those schools would be interested in my son.  I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, Davidson, William & Mary, Georgetown, or University of Richmond, just to name a few we have on our "dream schools" list. 

LuckyCat,

Yes, possibly.  I was referring to Ivy and Patriot league schools.   Two of the VA schools you've mentioned recruited and offered my son as a rising senior.  One is private and one is public.  The public school was at the tail end of their recruiting calendar when they finally offered my son in late June.  The private school was in the beginning to middle stages of their recruiting calendar and they offered in mid July.   This was a few years ago, and their recruiting coaches were not really good at their jobs...   There is a new regime at each school and I believe their staffs are more aggressive and recruiting rising juniors from a larger geographic pool.

Please PM me if you want to discuss details.

LuckyCat posted:
fenwaysouth posted:

 HA D1 are going to be mostly done (verbal commitments) by mid to late summer.  

Thanks fenwaysouth.  I'm probably being a little dense, but do you mean mid to late summer of a player's rising Junior year?

I guess what I'm asking is, for my 2021 son, is the HA D1 recruiting going on right now and this coming fall?  I'm not talking Vanderbilt and Stanford.  We already know of at least one 2021 in our area who has committed to one of these two schools and have no illusions that those schools would be interested in my son.  I'm thinking more along the lines of, say, Davidson, William & Mary, Georgetown, or University of Richmond, just to name a few we have on our "dream schools" list. 

Yes, they are recruiting 2021s now -- just by way of example, my son did a UV between sophomore and junior years at one of the schools listed (not the school he ended up at) after an AC watched four of his games -- and I know 2021s have already committed to Ivies (e.g., there are 3 commits for Penn in the 2021 class listed on PG), but I think it's fair to say those schools and other HA D1s won't be done with 2021s for another 12 or so months.

Last edited by 2019Dad

In my Son's experience the HA D1 RC/HC that were really serious not only did an academic pre-read, they also asked for financial information to see what kind of FA he may qualify for.  This way a player can make an informed decision academically and financially.   Summer before or Fall of Junior year of high school is typically when the D1 HA will do their homework and offers.  Son's experience for the application process was that some requested ED and others requested general admission application. 

With the D3 HA our experience was most could not offer any guarantee for admissions.  However the couple that my Son was interested in and that had great interest in him, requested a pre read and followed up with and offer.  It is my understanding that some D3 HA have 3-4 slots they can get academic support and hopefully a player can get one of them. My Son was offered one and was given a short time frame to accept and apply ED.

Last edited by JABMK

This board is such a tremendous resource.  My son will submit his info for a few of the pre-reads.  We will see what happens with those and if there is other interest in the coming weeks.  (I'll keep you posted!)  We've been talking with him to help him really listen for what the coaches say or don't say, and get beneath the surface.  And over the coming couple of months we'll encourage him to ask the more difficult questions about where he is on the list. 

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge.

JABMK posted:

 Summer before or Fall of Junior year of high school is typically when the D1 HA will do their homework and offers.  Son's experience for the application process was that some requested ED and others requested general admission application. 

JABMK, I would assume that for most rising juniors, a pre-read in the summer before, or fall of, junior year would not include an SAT/ACT score, right?  This may be why HA schools, whether D1 or D3, tend to look later, maybe?  

One of the things I'm trying to figure out is when to have my son take a test.  At this point, I'm thinking he should not play fall ball and instead should take a test prep class and the November SAT.  The sooner we have that number, the sooner we will know which schools might actually be target schools and which ones are only a pipe dream.  

Thanks to everyone chiming in on this thread.  This is such helpful information.

LuckyCat posted:
JABMK posted:

 Summer before or Fall of Junior year of high school is typically when the D1 HA will do their homework and offers.  Son's experience for the application process was that some requested ED and others requested general admission application. 

JABMK, I would assume that for most rising juniors, a pre-read in the summer before, or fall of, junior year would not include an SAT/ACT score, right?  This may be why HA schools, whether D1 or D3, tend to look later, maybe?  

One of the things I'm trying to figure out is when to have my son take a test.  At this point, I'm thinking he should not play fall ball and instead should take a test prep class and the November SAT.  The sooner we have that number, the sooner we will know which schools might actually be target schools and which ones are only a pipe dream.  

Thanks to everyone chiming in on this thread.  This is such helpful information.

I would think seriously about the value of an SAT class, which tend to teach to the lowest commond demoninator.  Kahn Academy is a great, free online resource.  Also, we found that individual tutoring was comparably priced to the classes that were out there and focused on our kid's spefic needs (based upon results from both PSAT and SAT).  Wyzant is a great clearinghouse of tutors who do lessons using their online interface.

My kids took both the SAT and ACT cold, then each pursued further prep on the test that they did best on (the ACT in both cases, for no particular reason I know of). 

Even if you know which test your son intends to take, I think it is worth taking without prep once to see what areas are strengths or weaknesses.  You don't have to submit all scores when you apply, and schools do not penalize applicants for taking tests multiple times.  We hired a tutor for a few focused one-on-one sessions with our kids after their first tests--no more expensive than a prep class, and they were able to hone in on things they needed to improve.  We found the tutor by asking parents of kids who had recently been through the college application process.

There are some very good free online test prep resources, as mentioned above.  If your son is disciplined enough to use them, those can be a good option. 

Chico Escuela posted:

My kids took both the SAT and ACT cold, then each pursued further prep on the test that they did best on (the ACT in both cases, for no particular reason I know of). 

Even if you know which test your son intends to take, I think it is worth taking without prep once to see what areas are strengths or weaknesses.  You don't have to submit all scores when you apply, and schools do not penalize applicants for taking tests multiple times.  We hired a tutor for a few focused one-on-one sessions with our kids after their first tests--no more expensive than a prep class, and they were able to hone in on things they needed to improve.  We found the tutor by asking parents of kids who had recently been through the college application process.

There are some very good free online test prep resources, as mentioned above.  If your son is disciplined enough to use them, those can be a good option. 

You also can have your son take a practice test and use that as a baseline.  It's not quite the same as actually taking the test, but saves some time and money.  Again, this requires some self-discipline (and/or a parent in the same room for a few hours with a stopwatch).

I highly recommend taking the SAT and/or ACT early. My 2020 took them at the end of sophomore year and in the  summer going into junior year. I'm confident that having these scores, combined with a strong GPA, helped him get HA D1offers earlier than we had anticipated. For example, playing at the Fall Classic and a HeadFirst camp in October of his junior year with a "complete" profile was an advantage.

It was suggested to us at the time to get a head start on test scores.  My Son took his early fall of  Junior year for that purpose.  I am confident it helped him with his early offers from HAs.  He had a couple of HA teammates that tested way early and landed Ivy offers.  How did they get an Ivy offer do you ask?  These were border line D1 baseball players who had almost perfect test scores and grades that provided flexibility to Academic Index criteria that some HA schools have to deal with.  The earlier a HA school could land one the sooner they can offer a much better player with lower grades and scores.

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