Headfirst vs. Showball (2018 version)

Smoke - That's a great summary.  Thank you.  Are you planning to go to anymore showcases over the summer? 

We are at Stanford now. First session. I don’t think d3 kids need to do what we’re doing but we wanted as many options as possible among the higher academic schools, and these three events provided that exposure. Another reason we did this is because we live in Hawaii and we haven’t been able to do the whole summer travel ball thing. Son was able to be seen by about 35 different schools that were target schools of his, most of them twice. 

Nice detailed information Smoke that should be helpful to others. Good luck on 2019's journey. My 2015 liked Showball better also. Either one, make sure you have a list of those schools vetted and contacts made.

Smoke - That's awesome.  Good luck to your son.  Have a safe trip back to Hawaii.  You need a long break after this.

Thanks!  Great info (esp for those of us weighing whether to go to HF and/or Showball). 

Did you get any sense of whether high academic D3s were interested in 2020s, or just focused on 2019s?  My 2020 son is going to HF in August, but I wonder if it's too soon to have spent the $$.  

My 2019 son went to the HF in August as a rising Jr.  He met many D3 coaches and nothing really happened other than emails and occasional postcards from coaches, etc.  As soon as the Spring college season ended, the D3 coaches started calling and emailing frequently to know son's summer schedule.  He is in constant contact with 4-5 Nescac coaches which I don't understand because his GPA and SAT scores are below the college averages.  We are going to HF again end of July and some are asking him to come for a visit.  However, I am reluctant to make the trip unless the pre-read comes back positive.  I have heard the D3 schools don't have a lot of pull.  Some said son is at the top of their board - but I am sure they say that to many kids and even if it is true, can they really get a kid with below average GPA and SAT score in?

DiamondsRmomsBF posted:

 I have heard the D3 schools don't have a lot of pull.  Some said son is at the top of their board - but I am sure they say that to many kids and even if it is true, can they really get a kid with below average GPA and SAT score in?

I can't answer your question, but was hoping you could clarify something.  Remember that almost half the kids admitted to any school are below the GPA and SAT medians (and averages can be misleading at schools that offer scholarships to attract some high achievers).  Is you son at least sitting comfortably somewhere within the school's 25th percentile?  Between the 25th and 50th?  (I ask because I also want to know what schools my son ought to aim for given his grades and test scores, so I'm hoping for some knowledgable answers to your question.)

His SAT score is between 25th percentile and 50th.  He is planning to retake it again.  His GPA is below the average according to Prepscholar.  He goes to a high academic high school, taking some APs and Honor's,  and some of the coaches said coming from the West Coast helps.  He submitted the transcript to some schools so I'll get a better understanding after the pre-read.  How long would a pre-read take?

Probably better to start a new thread as I am new to the process and there are many others who can give you better advice.

Thanks for the summary.  My 2020 was at HF's first session.  Overall it was a good experience.  Wondering how the Stanford camp compares to HF.  He is going mid July.

Great post Smoke!   Really appreciate the perspective...

Any thoughts on how much the change from 4 games to 3 decreases the overall value of Headfirst, especially as it applies to position players?  

DiamondsRmomsBF posted:

His SAT score is between 25th percentile and 50th.  He is planning to retake it again.  His GPA is below the average according to Prepscholar.  He goes to a high academic high school, taking some APs and Honor's,  and some of the coaches said coming from the West Coast helps.  He submitted the transcript to some schools so I'll get a better understanding after the pre-read.  How long would a pre-read take?

In our limited experience pre-reads come back fast... A few business days at most. 

I'll try to get to each question.  Please note this is my experience with a 2017 D3 journey, and what is a current D3 journey with my 2019.

I think colleges will take note of 2020s and will stay in touch via email and other means kind of casually until AFTER their spring 2019 season.  Then they'll be more eager with kids who've sent them video that they like, or kids they took note of the prior summer and fall.  But you won't know where you really stand with them until this time of year at the earliest, that is, summer before Senior year.  But I don't think it's a bad idea to get in front of coaches before Jr. year.  Some may think that's overkill for a d3 search, and I have even wondered that.  I think it just depends, and sometimes you can't figure it out until after you look back on it.

re: coach's pull with admission.  It just depends on the school.  I know some schools that have pull for one or two kids whose scores and grades are at 25% or even lower.  Rare but it can happen if you're the one kid they really want. Other coaches whose schools are at the absolute highest end academically say they have no pull, which to me means a kid would need to hit the 50th percentile or higher for grades and SAT/ACT scores.  My take is that the SAT/ACT scores carry more weight than GPA.  It's also been my experience that these high academic coaches are very clear about what score a player needs to be in the mix.  Coaches who have talked to my 2019 in the past few days have been very clear.  NOTE: there is a brand new concordance between the ACT/SAT scores and that concordance will be used for 2019 admissions.  I'm a little concerned that coaches and admissions offices may not yet be on the same page regarding what the threshold score is.  That's not a question that I think a kid can ask very clearly, but the answer will be critical to kids with a borderline score.  Where a 32 used to work, a 33 on the ACT may now be necessary.  I'm working on finding the answer to this; maybe someone else has clearer info?

Pre reads this time of year,  which is when they first start for baseball kids (and maybe all 2019 athletes) should take a week or two.  Timing is based on how close the coach is with admissions officers and how busy the coaches are.  Again, this is a school to school issue.   My 2017 got his prereads within two weeks from all the schools interested in him two years ago.

I'm not sure what to make of the move from 4 games to 3.  I know my kid wasn't as tired after the event, but I'm also not sure he got the exposure I hoped for.  That's on him as much as anyone else though.  He was SLOW getting out of the gates at that event.  Was much more comfortable at Showball.  I'm not sure the # of games had anything to do with it.

For those who Pm'd me, I will answer shortly.   Thanks!!

Newbie question:  What, exactly, is required for an admissions pre-read?  Just grades and test scores, or does an athlete need to submit the entire package (recommendations, essays, etc.--at some schools that is a fairly big lift)?  How soon does my 2020 need to have his act more or less fully together on applications?  

In case it varies by division, I'm mostly wondering about high academic D3 schools, although curious about D1 as well.

And do coaches typically tell you whether they think they can get a recruit over the hump, or are they more likely to just tell you to wait-and-see?

Pre-read = test scores and unofficial transcript plus what kid is taking senior year. 

So if the pre-read comes back negative, we should move on, right?  Will the coaches let us know?

Coaches have never said anything to us in advance of what admissions tells them. I’m not sure I’d trust a coach who did. As has often been said on the site,  admissions offices admit and coaches coach (and recruit).

While the extra stuff—recs, essays— may be critical for some regular, non athletic  admits, baseball IS the extra stuff for our boys. That’s oversimplifying it but you get the idea. That doesn’t mean a kid can just sleepwalk through the rest of the app. The rest needs to be done well but it’s not gonna likely be a gamechanger. 

DiamondsRmomsBF posted:

So if the pre-read comes back negative, we should move on, right?  Will the coaches let us know?

Yes, and yes. 

JCG posted:

Pre-read = test scores and unofficial transcript plus what kid is taking senior year. 

Good point JCG, as HA schools like to see "rigor" in the coursework (esp. AP's)

Yet another question (and thanks again in advance):  What is the general level of pitching at HF and Showball?  Not sure if it is possible to generalize other than maybe by velocity...  In my area, a typical HS varsity pitcher might sit at 80 mph plus or minus a couple of mph, with the top 15% around 85 and a handful in the county getting to 90.  How would you characterize HF and Showball?  I currently have no sense of what to expect.  (My son is a P.)

Chico Escuela posted:

Yet another question (and thanks again in advance):  What is the general level of pitching at HF and Showball?  Not sure if it is possible to generalize other than maybe by velocity...  In my area, a typical HS varsity pitcher might sit at 80 mph plus or minus a couple of mph, with the top 15% around 85 and a handful in the county getting to 90.  How would you characterize HF and Showball?  I currently have no sense of what to expect.  (My son is a P.)

I paid very close attention to the pitchers (my son was at HF as a pitcher). The highest velo I saw at Session 1 was 89, from a couple different kids. Lot of kids in the mid-80s. There were about 70 pitchers at HF Session 1 (some of which were two-way guys).

A couple of other things about pitchers:

• HF has pitchers do medicine ball throws, shuttle runs, and vertical jump testing on day 1. They claim that they deliver a "pitcher explosiveness score" to colleges. It is optional to do this testing. Not doing it seems to have zero impact on college interest.
• HF is gunning all the kids and has a coach assigned to write a scouting report on the fly. They do not give you the scouting report, but they do supply it to all coaches after day 1. This can increase the number of coaches that come to see a pitcher on day 2. E.g., if the scouting report is glowing and the velo numbers are good, the kid can get quite a crowd at his day 2 appearance. Like I said, you won't get your hands on this scouting report; however, sometimes the college coaches will tell a kid what it said.

Chico Escuela posted:

Thanks!  Great info (esp for those of us weighing whether to go to HF and/or Showball). 

Did you get any sense of whether high academic D3s were interested in 2020s, or just focused on 2019s?  My 2020 son is going to HF in August, but I wonder if it's too soon to have spent the $$.  

A 2020 searching for a D3 in August of his incoming Junior year is early.  High Academic D3's will not get serious until July-August of incoming senior year.  The HC's of these High Academics know that the player's they want to recruit are likely trying to get an Ivy spot.  Ivy's don't have their rosters secured until Sept.(ish)  So, the High Academic D3 HC's try to avoid getting too invested with a player too early.  

It's certainly an opportunity to get exposure to them, and talk with them, and they'll know who you are when it comes to HF/SB the following June-July.  Reduce your expectations, tell your son to let it all out, he may get better feedback than a D3.

My 2018 knew in late July of his incoming senior year that it wasn't looking great for any Ivy spot, so he stepped up his dialogue with Amherst, Middlebury and Johns Hopkins, with whom he had initiated talks back in spring of his Junior year, and all three had seen him play numerous times during the summer of his incoming Senior year.

DiamondsRmomsBF posted:

So if the pre-read comes back negative, we should move on, right?  Will the coaches let us know?

Yes, move on. IF your son is a player of strong interest by the HC and the pre-read is negative, the HC will most likely tell the player it's a long shot for him to get support through admissions. 

IF a HC doesn't say anything, the player was not in as high demand he thought.  The HC was likely fishing with admissions wondering where the "line in the sand is" for the current recruiting class.

For a High Academic D3, having at least a 3.5 plus an ACT or SAT score which is at least at the low end of the middle 50% percentile of recently accepted students, the player will have a good chance of getting support through admissions from the HC. IF the HC is saying you're one of my top guys you should be fine.  This is all on the condition of applying ED.  Not every family is comfortable with going all in this early.  The player has to really dig the school and get a great vibe from the HC.  My son had that vibe, and grades and an ACT score which fit well with the middle 50 percentile.  Son wasn't worried about applying ED. (I was a bit worried)

Admissions wants students that will fit in academically.  The HC wants to make sure his players will not have a hard time at the school.  The player and parent of the player want the same thing.  It's part of the FIT.

If there's a negative pre-read, again, move on, not a school for him.  Would be way too much risk applying ED, and RD would certainly not be an option. There are players that get a positive pre-read and still get denied after going ED, so player and parent have to really be comfortable, ( edit: and dialed into what the HC is saying, as well as his tone).

smokeminside posted:

For those contemplating the Showcase circuit, my 2019 just finished attending HF and SB events in California. My humble takeaways and observations:

Sacramento Headfirst was busy, full of talks, and longish ones for how hot it was.  Talks were helpful but more about keep trying, don't give up, blah, blah, blah.  My son is over those, wants to just get to work.  The video stuff HF now offers we ignored.  By this point for a rising senior interested in d3, the coaches want to see the kids in person.  If contacts with videos haven't already been made by now, in my opinion, new video for a 2019 isn't going to help much.  2020 could be an entirely different matter, but if you're already filming your kid, and you or they can handle imovie, you can make your own video.  HF Showcase the first morning included throwing velo, 60, fielding exhibition, BP round, and hitting velo off a T, all watched by all Coaches.  Then one game in the afternoon of the first day, and two games on the second day. (Prior years each kid had four games: exhausting by end of second day).  Time in between games to walk around and seek out coaches.  Hardest part of event was getting son to approach coaches.  Fun times HS kid turns into monk who's taken a vow of silence.  Unreal.

Showball: very fast paced format.  Showcase like HF (and probably every other event) in the morning and early afternoon of first day, followed by a half hour where there's a meet and greet with HC's.  This worked way better for son than HF approach because EVERYONE was doing the same thing at the same time.  Would have helped if it had been a little longer period of time, but son got to meet the coaches he wanted to meet and reinforce his interest.  They were polite, or super encouraging depending on school, and all coaches he talked to said they'd make sure they watched him the next day.  Day 2 had two games, with a couple hours between. relaxed but fast paced format.  Stunningly beautiful day.  75-80, no clouds, nice, cooling breeze. Coaches umpired as they did at HF.  Half as many coaches at Showball, but all HC's.  Can talk to them if you're assertive, but not as easy as the meet and greet format. Good mix of Ivy's and "high" academic d3s.

Both events had batters start 1-1, and if you walk on the first aB you're supposed to only get fastballs after that.

Twice as many coaches at HF as at Showball, but the Showball event had a much higher proportion of high academic schools.  Frustrating that you can't get all the ivies in one place in the early summer.  I'm not sure what spots will be left in August when they do all meet together for a showcase in SoCal.

Son's clear favorite was Showball, but he hit better there, so take that for what it's worth.   Happy to try to answer any questions.

PS, old adage here that you will know when they're interested is a cliche but completely accurate.  Six UVs initiated by coaches, all D3. (Send us your transcripts, scores, we want to do a pre read asap and get you on campus, etc. etc.).  No D1 conversation other than son saying, "Hi, my name is Mickey Mantle. Watch me run."  D1 Coaches: "Nice to meet you.  Good luck."

My 2018 did the Quakes--Ivy showcase in So Cal last year after doing HF.  He was eagerly looking forward to playing in front of all the Ivy coaches...but came away very disappointed when he learned that most of the Ivies were all done with their 2018 recruiting.  The Ivies were looking for a final pitching piece here or there...and to me, it felt more like the coaches were on a vacation than a serious recruiting event...especially since most of the kids were 2018s.  

I have the same hunch about that event.  it just seems too late in the summer to matter For a position player. Sure tempting though with That lineup of the coaches there. 

Same experience when we went to the Head Coach Showball Camp late July last year. 

• Princeton: was still looking for lefty hitting MIF's, and another LHP
• Yale: Frawley had offered a MIF who the RC had seen a lot right before the event, were still looking for another RHP
• Harvard: indications were they were still looking, and son was going to their August camp as a follow up the HC Showball to see if he could clinch a MIF spot. Shortly after we signed up for the camp, the RC said if they wanted to, they would have stopped recruiting in the spring for the 2018 class.  They liked what they had seen from New England candidates in the spring) This statement caused me to pull back from their Camp, and have a heart to heart with 2018 and step up D3's.  I ate the 595.00 camp cost... oh well.  Surprisingly, son moved on quickly.
• Columbia: Boretti stated clearly he was looking for another position player who had a big bat. Son was not that guy after the Showball HC Camp.  Boretti had talked to my son extensively, and acted like he didn't even know him. Kind of shitty, but it's how it goes.
• Brown: they've been looking for P's every year all the way to ED deadline
• Penn: same as Brown
• Dartmouth: same as above Brown
• Cornell: absolutely clueless with where they were, son didn't care

You guys might recall my comments last year shortly after all of this:  if you are a position player with academic chops and are determined on an Ivy, you have to get on their front porch - their specific camps which are from July - Sept, your incoming JUNIOR YEAR.  There's always GTown, W&M, Holy Cross, and several other relationship high academic D3's with that Ivy.

If you are a P, took the ACT early and rung in a solid number, if they like you as a P, they will try to recruit you over the winter of your Junior year.  The Ivy coaches will use your strong resulting Academic Index to help recruit other players. (Strong P with a 33-35 ACT to recruit a C with a 29 ACT, especially with HPY).

 The IVY Head Coach Camps are great for incoming Juniors!!  I wouldn't have thought this last year... Concur AD2018

My son attended HF in Long Island as a rising junior. Even though he was seen by coaches who followed him at previously in showcases. The timetable was WAY early for IVY Commitment and for some Patriot schools he also looked at they were only about 1/2 way done with their rising senior recruiting classes.

He didn't return as rising senior to HF (cost and was focusing on school camps and smaller showcases (Top 96- now UA) that has a number of schools still in picture.

It's true that a number of Ivies are about done with their rising senior class with HF, yet a year before is too early. HF Long Island would benefit by moving their showcases up a month, which is when a number of D1 HA get "another look" or final "Eyeball" on a player. I agree that some pitchers can wait longer in Ivy picture- especially if he'll help the team's Academic Index.

As a previous poster indicate, HA D3 schools do ramp up their recruiting when Ivies are about complete. Son started to get requests for visits and offers D3 in  early August soon after he was already committed to a D1. I am glad that some of these recent threads are differentiating between P and position player recruiting. There is a difference.

Gov posted:

Same experience when we went to the Head Coach Showball Camp late July last year. 

• Princeton: was still looking for lefty hitting MIF's, and another LHP
• Yale: Frawley had offered a MIF who the RC had seen a lot right before the event, were still looking for another RHP
• Harvard: indications were they were still looking, and son was going to their August camp as a follow up the HC Showball to see if he could clinch a MIF spot. Shortly after we signed up for the camp, the RC said if they wanted to, they would have stopped recruiting in the spring for the 2018 class.  They liked what they had seen from New England candidates in the spring) This statement caused me to pull back from their Camp, and have a heart to heart with 2018 and step up D3's.  I ate the 595.00 camp cost... oh well.  Surprisingly, son moved on quickly.
• Columbia: Boretti stated clearly he was looking for another position player who had a big bat. Son was not that guy after the Showball HC Camp.  Boretti had talked to my son extensively, and acted like he didn't even know him. Kind of shitty, but it's how it goes.
• Brown: they've been looking for P's every year all the way to ED deadline
• Penn: same as Brown
• Dartmouth: same as above Brown
• Cornell: absolutely clueless with where they were, son didn't care

You guys might recall my comments last year shortly after all of this:  if you are a position player with academic chops and are determined on an Ivy, you have to get on their front porch - their specific camps which are from July - Sept, your incoming JUNIOR YEAR.  There's always GTown, W&M, Holy Cross, and several other relationship high academic D3's with that Ivy.

If you are a P, took the ACT early and rung in a solid number, if they like you as a P, they will try to recruit you over the winter of your Junior year.  The Ivy coaches will use your strong resulting Academic Index to help recruit other players. (Strong P with a 33-35 ACT to recruit a C with a 29 ACT, especially with HPY).

 The IVY Head Coach Camps are great for incoming Juniors!!  I wouldn't have thought this last year... Concur AD2018

How did you get all this info?  Your son talking to all the coaches or are you that parent?

Great advice, I need to find out more detail about their front porches this summer.

So rising Jr is too early for serious interest from even D1s at Headfirst? (e.g., Ivies, Patriot League).  I guess for my 2020 this summer at HF will be for getting a little experience and spending some compulsory time traveling with his dad.

I'm still trying to figure out what seems like a chicken-and-egg problem when it comes to school-run camps. If a coach issues a personal invitation, then obviously a player would want to seriously consider attending if interested in the school.  But to go to a camp in hopes of attracting a school's attention seems like a real long shot.  Any of the Ivy camps would be expensive for us (I'm in NC).  Do coaches really use camps to identify players, given the wiiiiide range of skill sets in attendance?  If my son throws 90+ mph, then he'd definitely get noticed.  But if he threw 90+, then getting noticed wouldn't be much of a challenge anyhow.  Do people invest in plane tickets and hotel rooms to go to a single school's camp before a coach has expressed interest?  (If so, then I fear this process is even more expensive than I thought.)

Anyhow, many thanks again to all who posted in this thread. It has been extremely helpful.

So rising Jr is too early for serious interest from even D1s at Headfirst? (e.g., Ivies, Patriot League). 

It's not too early to get interest from D1 eg. Ivies and Patriot.  They see you in the summer and follow you in fall, eg. AZ Fall Classics and other fall tournaments/showcases, and may make an offer in Winter/Spring.  Kids get offers by Patriot League and Ivy's in their Junior year b/c they were seen at HF as a Jr.

I think the Ivy schedule has moved up a bit.  They no longer seem to be bound by the notion of waiting til jr. grades are in.  Not sure why they don't need those grades, but that's how it feels.

Ivies, Patriot and other academic schools need to see scores and grades before they can make any decision on a player.  In 2015 my son's experience was that players who provided high test scores and high grades in their Jr yr got offers early.  I would recommend that standardized test are available as early as possible in the Junior yr to get an edge.   Since 2015 it is also apparent that the recruiting timeline for the D1 high academics has moved up.   I would also note in the Ivy and Patriot leagues that the level of baseball has become very competitive!

HF and Showball offer a great opportunity to play and, just as important, talk to the HC/ RC from the D1 and D3 academics.  The more times one can play in front of and interact with the HC/RC the better and it is never too early to start!

It is also my 2015's experience that the high academics are typically upfront with a player as to whether they are being recruited seriously.

Just to throw a data point out there:  My son has a friend (a P) who recently committed to a Patriot League team just before the start of his sophomore season.  I don't know if this player had taken the ACT or SAT at that point, but I doubt it given the timing.  I take it based on comments here that this was an unusual timeline for this conference?

Chico Escuela posted:

Just to throw a data point out there:  My son has a friend (a P) who recently committed to a Patriot League team just before the start of his sophomore season.  I don't know if this player had taken the ACT or SAT at that point, but I doubt it given the timing.  I take it based on comments here that this was an unusual timeline for this conference?

Very unusual!  What that means to me is that the player has committed to the school but the school has not committed to the player!   School has nothing to lose.  All academic schools will not offer a player without an admissions pre-read.   

While "offers" from IVY's may be coming in earlier, admissions has the ONLY real say. A COMPLETED application (including LORs, scores, guidance counselor letter, etc.) will be considered by specially constituted admissions committees from roughly early September senior year. The more experienced the HC, the better the feel he has for the admissions bar.

I personally know of players who received Ivy "offers" who were only to learn that the "offers" couldn't be consummated.

With schools with lower admissions requirements, there is a lot more margin for error in case of a hiccup in scores or grades. There is no margin for error for IVY applicants. (For example, I know kids who were repeating tests into the middle of their senior year to get their offering schools' required minimums. No IVY coach will wait for that to happen and risk losing one of his 6 - 8 recruits.)

Obviously, once the kid hits his IVY "number" (28 for All-American potential; 31 team average at Yale several years ago) that element is done; and a kid who had straight "As" in the most rigorous cirriculum for the first two years of HS is not a real risk of plummeting academically (e.g., the kid who has finished AP Calc A, earned an "A" and got a 4 or 5 on the AP test as a sophomore). That kid isn't at risk. 

But the kid who got a 28 (not AA potential) is at risk; as is the kid with a 3.5 GPA.

Moral of this story for IVY hopefuls: test early (maybe end of Soph year or first test Junior year at the latest) after thorough test prep, look well ahead (understand before ninth grade what "the most rigorous cirriculum" means for your school), be aware daily of your kids academic performance (e.g., EDLINE type programs), address issues early (e.g., tutoring if needed), understand testing schedules (AP, SAT, ACT) and their interaction with each other and baseball schedules.

The rewards waiting for those 50+ kids (the total recruiting class of the entire league) are impressive - but it requires a family team effort to put the puzzle together.

A pitcher who committed to UCLA as a Freshman got his offer pulled recently as a upcoming Senior because he didn't improve.  Nothing to lose for colleges by offering early.

The timeline has rapidly accelerated for these high academic D1 schools,  Do not kid yourselves.  They can offer before grades and test scores because (a) they can always pull if the kid does not make the needed scores and (b) they may have PSAT scores and feel confident with them.  You can see Ivy commits junior year now, and even earlier.  And this has accelerated commitments to high academic D3 schools too!  Not every D3 coach will wait to see who does not get an Ivy offer as not all players are chasing Ivies first (unlike posted above).  There are already high academic 2019 D3 commitments. 

Again, it is a domino effect, and everyone is moving earlier...HF or other showcases rising junior year can be valuable depending upon skill level and academic aspirations.  We know someone who went as a rising sophomore and walked away with a D1 high academic commitment a month or so later.  It is happening more and more for high academics too.  

Do you think the east coast August HF or Showball is too late for D1 2019?  My son has always been a good pitcher, but he's a late bloomer from a size and velocity perspective.  I didn't do much last year, as I didn't think he'd impress.

He threw 88 at a Showcase Day last week, which I believe was the highest of the day.  The schools there are calling, but now I want him to be seen by more.  But it seems August is too late and the timing of his growth was just not the best.

He's a good student, not great.  Words of wisdom are appreciated.

 I think you mayb have more time for a pitcher.

If you wish, PM me with some details like who’s looking at him now, what his grades are like, and his test scores and I might be able to give you more  accurate information. Knowing the event he was at might help too.