acceptance letter brings dissappointment, any suggestions

Bee.... I called NCAA and they told me he was cleared.. If his SAT's and ACT's seems to be considered low, why would they tell me he is cleared?? And regarding the camp, $500 bucks, for three weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, 3 hrs. each day. My son will be working with the pitching coach from the University. I'm kind of getting the impression that you think we might be getting taken for a ride... mean while, he has a private pitching coach that he works out with twice weekly for the last 2 years. And yes, Varsity workouts begin Monday. So how exactly does APril signing work??
I'm sorry if I seem niave in this field, but like I said this is all very new to me.
Thanks once again!

Dannyp-
Have you gone on to the Clearinghouse site and actually looked at your son's account? You can do so with SSI # and pin #.
You can see his status and you can review all of his transcripts. You can also go to the Eligibility Center and review what it takes to be eligible for 2008-you can check out his test scores and grade combination and you will see it is a sliding scale, the higher the GPA (of 16 core classses) the lower the test scores can be. Does that make sense?

www.ncaaclearinghouse.org

Good Luck!

Believe me there is nothing wrong with redshirting. In fact in can be a big blessing.

Dannyp read my earlier post & posts on another thread!
IMO depending on where you live (state, city)it maybe necessary to go to a showcase to get exposure, a good summer league & scout league are adequate, but i don't believe in going to camps .IMO camps are how the assistant coaches get some of their income ,besides don't hear to many players going to a camp, that end up on campus there .April is the late signing period for D1 & D2,all the expected big impact , big scholarship players sign Nov. 14th .They're going to sign players with smaller scholarships in April & before school starts also . If they haven't offered your son anything should tell you something . Don't keep all your eggs in one basket !

Dannyp

He is a RH pitcher, 6'5" and is throwing very high highs, has hit low 90's.

Being that tall and throwing that hard will open many doors for your son - do not think this one school is your son's only opportunity. I hope someone in your area will help you out with this recruiting process - a junior college might be a wonderful solution to play baseball.

You can contact the admissions office of the school you are pursuing and ask some questions Monday about your son's acceptance with his SAT scores.

Good luck!

quote:

by DP: Bee> .... I called NCAA and they told me he was cleared.. If his SAT's and ACT's seems to be considered low, why would they tell me he is cleared?? And regarding the camp, $500 bucks ...

1) technicaly clearinghouse could only at best say
"he's on track to be cleared pending final transcripts in June"

2) colleges wouldn't need and won't see clearinghouse stuff until about the time athletes begin classes

3) YOUR college is NOT processing your application as an "athlete", and from the determination you say they have reached - they would NEVER EVER need to access the clearinghouse info ...
ie: he would have then been certified eligible for athletics by a yr in residence on their own academic probation (IF he got thru it AND was still on the team)



I'll add that I've heard nothing but good about DI Hofstra - a friend recently graduated ...
5'10" RHP, near 3.0 hs gpa

they recruited him late with a good offer

they schedule a nice spring-swing south, where he pitched vs Auburn, freshman - senior yrs ...
(hmm, fearless or foolish??)

we stayed at the same hotel as Hofstra team a few times in Atlanta and they were imo a fine/well behaved group of coaches & young men

they also run winter camps

hope that helps

quote:

Originally posted by Bee>:

2) colleges wouldn't need and won't see clearinghouse stuff until about the time athletes begin classes

Many colleges asked for sons clearinghouse info, incl pin#. The way I was led to understand it, is that the clearinghouse gathers the students info, but doesn't process it until there is a request from an NCAA school. At that point, the clearinghouse processes the info and reports both online and to the NCAA requesting member.

iheartbb... thanks for reminding me to check the NCAA website, He is cleared, and according to the info on the site, his SAT's are accepted. Minimum of an 820, and his scores are 860. Should I bring up this fact when talking to an admissions counselor tomorrow? My son got a call yesterday from another school he applied to, unfortunately we were not home, and he message stated that he would like to meet with my son, but he's only allowed to call the house 1 time per week. He will call him back tomorrow. My question is do we mention the procedures of the other school?
Thanks!

a college with the hs transcript in hand has all the same info as the clearinghouse

I'll conceed that some colleges may "WANT" acesss (for no good reason )

I'll also conceed that some colleges may "need" acesss sooner IF their staff is not veteran (inexperienced) OR if "on track" and eventual clearance hinges on some "questionable" courses ... by questionable I mean non-standard/non-traditional course that the college has no background on and needs to see how the clearinghouse views them (rules on em)

thanks once again for all the great info, support and tips. You have all given much need knowledge this past weekend. Will keep you posted on all the outcomes.

quote:

by DP: but he's only allowed to call the house 1 time per week. He will call him back tomorrow. My question is do we mention the procedures of the other school? Thanks!

1) if you have contact# (phone #) YOU can call coaches unlimited times

1a) add son's cell# to all coaches info

2) school "A" situation in the original post sounds wacky -
that said, the recruiting process defined is "colleges competing for your son's enrollment"

I see no reason to discuss anything regarding other offers/processes/etc that is not in YOUR best interest (including redshirt & other stuff mentioned by competing colleges)

wouldn't that be like playing high stakes poker with all your cards face up, and everyone else keeping theirs covered?

quote:

My question is do we mention the procedures of the other school?
Thanks!

Absolutely YES.
When you register with the clearing house they ask you I believe 5 colleges you would like your info sent to. The ones not mentioned have to request it and you can request that it be sent to another school but their may be a fee.

Bee> is correct. Do not discuss other colleges interest in your son. If the coach asks if they are competeing tell them you have had talks but have not found a situation you want to commit to. Give no details.
As some have said a phine call, invites to camps etc can just be the beginning of nothing. Keep looking until the right offer is in front of you.
Coaches will stall, make what sound like promises and genErally woo you to get your son to line up for a cdhance to compete for a roster spot and a travel roster spot. It gives the coach a wide choice but in thE end your son could bE cut, RS and possibly just sit on a bench.
You need to get knowledge very quick and be a little skeptical when dealing with college ball. THe only real interest is show with a BB scholarship in my opinion. It is even a little insurance against gEtting cut.

quote:

Originally posted by dannyp:
he applied directly to the school.. He met the coach at a prospective student athlete open house, and was asked to stay after. It's his size that draws much attention from the coaches. Once they see him pitch, I have a feeling they might get more involved in the process. Do the coaches actually have any "pull" with the admission process if they really want a player? Please understand that I realize there are many 6'5" pitchers out there, and I'm not trying to sell you on my son, but there is extreme talent there. The reason that he actually has not been signed or scouted extensivly yet is that he played varsity football this past season
( All County Winner) and did not play fall ball.
Might have been a mistake, but he had a great season, and has no real regrets.
Again, thank you all for your input.

Well, I think he definetly shouldn't have played football because, 1st-he could've gotten hurt, 2nd-he missed out on a ton of scout action in the late-summer and fall. That SAT score is not a bad score. If he had a good GPA, he should be fine. He would have had to have a GPA in the range of 3.60 or better to counter-act the SAT score. There is a delicate balance there. If he is 6-5 and 235 he is NOT average size or weight, he is a VERY GOOD prospect and depending on his personal and other intangibles, he should be VERY PROJECTABLE. If he is hitting 90 on a Stalker gun, he would be considered VERY projectable. I am a bit miffed by the DII university and his situation regarding the red-shirt. A DII should have taken him in a heart-beat WITH those SAT's and GPA's.

At 5'11" and throwing 85, I have seen many, many kids get offers from D1 and D2's with lower SAT and terrible ACT scores but with a good GPA 2 that come to mind, (3.66 in one case, 3.59 in the other) did fine and did not have to red-shirt.

I really have a hard time with this scenario. It is all backwards and upside down.
A pitcher with his profile should have a coach who has seen him and verified what we are told wouldn't bother with a few weekends and charging hundreds of dollars to see this guy again. This doesn't add up. The coach should be all over the guy. If he is good why mess around ?

so a quick update.... After speaking directly with the NCAA this a.m., and being told they never rec'vd his HS transcipt, called his HS counselor and she is resending transcript. She also told me to get in touch with the college coach directly and ask him to speak to admissions on my son's behalf.
Saying that he is late maturer, and that his grades are presently in the 90's. Here's the big questions, do I call on his behalf, have my son call him directly, or send an email (which we have done alot of lately with this coach)

bobblehead... unfortunately, the coach has not seen him pitch yet. He met my son at an open house, said that he heard about him, and that's why he wants him to attend his camp. I'm hoping that after the camp, that's when he'll be all over him.
I know the $$ for the camp is questionable, but I'm hoping that it's a good investment and in his best interest.

quote:

She also told me to get in touch with the college coach directly and ask him to speak to admissions on my son's behalf.

Now thats a smart lady.

Call the coach. As I say you are doing things in reverse. I advise everyone who wants to play BB in college to go through the coach Makes life a lot easier and it shows coach is committed to your son.
I think it is important that you call.

Dannyp


You have a PM

quote:

by DP: I called NCAA and they told me he was cleared.. If his SAT's and ACT's seems to be considered low, why would they tell me he is cleared??

quote:

by DP: After speaking directly with the NCAA this a.m., and being told they never rec'vd his HS transcipt, called his HS counselor and she is resending transcript. She also told me to get in touch with the college coach directly and ask him to speak to admissions on my son's behalf.

there seems to be some confusion ... agree TR may be useful in sorting stuff out for ya

but it would seem the problem never was with the ncaa ...
as presumably school "A" already had your hs transcripts & SATs that were submitted with your college application, on which they based their probation ruling.

and while it's nice to get the clearinghouse stuff on track for later inquiries from other colleges, how would your ncaa call change anything regarding school "A" where admissions already ruled a required academic probation/redshirt yr?


of course I could be missing something

also of value is his accum GPA from a recent progress report card - a # between 0 to 4.0+ ...

trHit... you can email me at
Deli888@aol.com

Dannyp


emails and PM do not work when there are questions involved---one on one discussion is the quickest and best way to apporach it

I will give you a call.
thanks

Appears to me that BHD is correct, the cart was put before the horse. The poster was not aware of (and now for those new posters reading) baseball can make a difference in the process.

The poster keeps referring to calling the NCAA, the clearinghouse is not the NCAA.

If your son is interested in the school and the program, then go to the camp. But first find out if the coach is interested after he sees him, will he be able to help out with the redshirt stipulation, if so, I would move on to other options. JMO.

quote:

by TPM: If your son is interested in the school and the program, then go to the camp. But first find out if the coach is interested after he sees him, will he be able to help out with the redshirt stipulation, if so, I would move on to other options. JMO.

agree & would add that to me there'd be a HUGE difference in evaluating my son's college choice & fit between ...

1) hoping for a coach's help because of "slightly marginal" hs academics

2) desparatly needing a coach's help because hs academics were in a range that required a yrs academic probation at that college upon admission

jmo

quote:

Originally posted by OLDSLUGGER8:
I don't understand the role of the coach with admissions except for using an exception to get a marginally academic baseball kid admitted. Then he gets to babysit him to make sure he retains eligibility.

Based on my limited experience, I disagree. My daughter applied to a few schools recruiting her through the coach. They were usually marked "ATHLETICS" and would imagine that's an indicator to admissions. Additionally, her coach at the time suggested to admissions that she be considered for the Honors Program at her school to which she was subsequently accpeted and is now a 4.0 student.

Bee>,
We know lots depends on the sliding scale.

But don't tell me baseball isn't a factor in the recruiting process, no way could my son have gotten into Clemson without baseball. High GPA, low SAT (not sure how much he tried or was awake on the test), there GPA requirement is well over 1200, but here in FL he earned $$ from the state with his GPA and SAT score.

The only paperwork that was requested to mark "baseball" in our case was the housing contract, to assure the assignment was expedited.

I know a couple kids who underachieved academically in high school and they applied through the coach. Otherwise, they would not have been accepted, and lo and behold, a 3.7 gpa in the first semester.............when you add the two together!!

Freshman applicants, just by applying for admissions are simultaneously applying for all the university's available academic grants for newcomers. Playing sports has no bearing. These are grants offered to all applicants with set criteria.

Is someone telling me their 2.9 student/athlete was awarded academic monies that may have a gpa threshhold much higher ?

What are the reasons to apply through a coach other than marginally qualified academic reasons??

Slugger it is not about grades. It is the difference between valet parking and do it yourself out in the back 40.
My son's grades were excellent and still are. Its about coorrdinating. the coach wants/needs you and he does the leg work. He followed up and made sure all the Ts were crossed and so on.
Mnay students do better in college than HS. Becoming inelligible has a certain sting to it. The help you get as a freshman can help many students get on track.
Using the coach is just smart.

TRhit... thanks for you help

0S,
For most acceptance to school does not come until the spring.
Whether you know it or not, your son's acceptance was based upon influence from his NLI. Don't think for a minute otherwise. I am not saying he wouldn't have gotten accepted, but your son's coach and the athletic dept made sure he would be, you may not be aware of that.

My son's app (which he filled out AFTER his NLI) clearly stated in red bold letters on top of app, BASEBALL.

I think that trying to pass thru marginal students is going to be a thing of the past with the new rules. A coach can't take a chance on a student not staying on his graduation path.

quote:

Originally posted by Tiger Paw Mom:
0S,

Whether you know it or not, your son's acceptance was based upon influence from his NLI. Don't think for a minute otherwise.

Sorry to say you are incorrect.

OS,

Sorry I disagree to disagree. When a player is given an offer at a D1 program where baseball has any importance, most likely he's been given an ok by the academic program, it's just becomes a formality. When offered an NLI, they want to make sure that player will attend and not have academic issues.

JMO.

not sure what the argument is, but will note this ...
you have been accepted before NLI is sent for signature ... it's not unusual for final clearinghouse "clearance" to happen during freshman fall term ...

IF player arrives and does not get his clearance due to academic shortfall in his final transcript, he WILL NOT PLAY & could have athletic grant withdrawn as he didn't live up to NLI agreement of being academicly eligible (depends on his velo and/or BA and how big the shortfall).

(if he chooses) he is still a student attending on his own dime & NOT thrown out of college ...

happens all the time (football) tho rarely baseball ... baseball guys are a different breed


btw, TPMs double negative is a clever way to indicate TPM & OS are in complete agreement

Baseball had no bearing on my sons admittance to his college of choice as he met the academic criteria(16 core college prep hours/GPA) and standardized test prior to the NLI.....

In other words, if he didn't play baseball, he would have been accepted as a "regular" student.

quote:

In other words, if he didn't play baseball, he would have been accepted as a "regular" student.

I think this is the case with most people.
That has nothing to do with having the coach run with your application.
The poster would have benefitted from using the coach. May not have had the issue that he faces.

OS

You have totally missed the point of this discussion

quote:

Originally posted by OLDSLUGGER8:
Baseball had no bearing on my sons admittance to his college of choice as he met the academic criteria(16 core college prep hours/GPA) and standardized test prior to the NLI.....

In other words, if he didn't play baseball, he would have been accepted as a "regular" student.

I would hope that all players are accepted on their own merit, but in most cases, the theory is, if I offer this student a scholly and NLI in November and he has to stop the recruiting process, I better run it by the academic department to make sure all is kosher with his grades and test scores, etc. since acceptance comes in the spring. Meeting academic criteria and test scores through the clearinghouse guidelines has nothing to do with formal acceptance.

Ok, then the coach sends his runner to the athletic department for an ok before the offer.

You may beleive what you wish, but that's how it is done.

I have to agree with TR, you have missed the point.

If a student has the GPA cushion, the required "institutional" core hours of college prep, the standardized test score warranted by the institution, and all other admissions criteria completed before the start of Senior year and the NLI..................except for the diploma and ENG 4, then

baseball coach is not needed for admissions

PERIOD

I missed no point in this discussion.

just a quick update, my son has received two calls from BB coaches in the last 2 days from two different colleges that he has applied to. Both of these schools (D2) are very interested in him, have asked for SS#'s and are looking into his applications. One coach has already called back tonight, and his coming to see my son next week.
His HS transcripts, letters of recommendations, and gpa are fine for these schools. His Sat's ( which were on the low side) have no bearing on him playing ball at either school. Might have to put the original school on the back burner for a while,
even though he will be meeting with that coach for the next three weekends. Maybe after seeing him pitch, things might turn around. Time will tell..
Florida Baseball Guy...thanks for your interest.

quote:

by DP: a quick update, my son has received two calls from BB coaches in the last 2 days from two different colleges that he has applied to. Both of these schools (D2) are very interested in him, have asked for SS#'s and are looking into his applications. One coach has already called back tonight, and his coming to see my son next week.
His HS transcripts, letters of recommendations, and gpa are fine for these schools.

hey congrats, hope some of the dialog here was helpful
good luck & please keep us posted on progress and ask alot of questions

hmmm, have heard some college coaches lurk incognito on hsbbweb boards

quote:

by OS8: baseball coach is not needed for admissions

needed?? .... hopefully not, tho sometimes is (as previously noted)

WANTED? .... ABSOLUTLY!!!



regular student process - (simplified version)

1) complete application w/essay, references, AND enclosed check

2) wait 6 weeks for response

3) no response - call admissions

4) response arrives after 16 weeks

5) fill out mountains of forms

6) guess about dorm preference, room-mate, & health insurance

7) guess about meal plan

8) pull some hair out



Baseball process -

1) Monday - send completed application to coach (no essay, no check)

2) Friday - talk baseball stuff w/coach, btw informed your application is approved

3) following Monday - receive acceptance packet from BB ofice with dorm & room-mate/(team-mates) assignments along with meal plan suggestions

4) Monday nite - glass of Merlot

quote:

Originally posted by Bee>:
Baseball process -

1) Monday - send completed application to coach (no essay, no check)

2) Friday - talk baseball stuff w/coach, btw informed your application is approved

3) following Monday - receive acceptance packet from BB ofice with dorm & room-mate/(team-mates) assignments along with meal plan suggestions

4) Monday nite - glass of Merlot

0S,
If you paid for app, ask for credit on next bill.