HS Senior who should've stuck with baseball... any options?

cashmoneyAP posted:

... I have a lot of different academic interests.

... there are also a bunch of other things I could do on a potential gap year. Among them are research, tutoring kids, retaking some tests, taking MOOCs to show I have increased academic performance without having to apply as a transfer due to accumulating that much credit during a potential gap year, obviously play baseball, intern/work, and even work on a kibbutz in Israel (thanks mom).

smitty, are you sure you don’t buy the angst? I’m a teenager. All I have is angst. ... I’ve had a severe existential crisis since last July or so, and carrying that into undergrad after a rocky HS career is like playing Russian roulette: either I find my passion and do well or wander aimlessly through gen-Ed’s with a 2.8.

This has nothing to with baseball now. Great.

 

You are cracking me up... even if you end up kicking the college baseball idea to the curb, you need to hang around.  Seriously, I am starting to see the picture here.  You have a strong peripheral awareness beyond your years and there probably isn't a whole lot this group, me included, can help you with (totally, an honest compliment).

That said, I do think the group has picked up on the only flaw in your thought process and it has already been addressed in several ways.  I think you do underestimate the difficulty of garnering college recruiting attention, particularly as a baseball player.    If you decide on the gap year as time to explore and hopefully find your academic/career direction, then maybe you can include additional efforts to determine if you have the tools, drive and time to develop as a college baseball player as well.   Meanwhile and otherwise, there are other ways to pursue your rekindled love of the game.  Men's league, club ball, some equivalent of legion ball, etc.

A question comes to mind... why would you want to try really hard to get really good at baseball so that you can attend one good school instead of another good school when you don't know yet what it is that you want to go to school for?  The driving desire to play college baseball has to be love of the game more so than as a vehicle to get you into a particular school.  I have never seen it work conversely.

Keep us informed !!  (except the parent earnings part - you may want to leave those details out )

You list Kenyon. You could be a MLB draft prospect coming out of HS, and it would not help you get into Kenyon. There are no Tips, or hooks for athletics there. It has been a pain point for many Kenyon Football coaches there. I know a young man who went there. They also kind of recruited my son. (I am using recruited very loosely.) 

And Baseball was not any consideration when the young man applied. You have to get in on your own. 

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret they don’t tell you in High School. Two years after you graduate from college no one cares where you went to school. They only care about your personality being a fit for their company and that you have the skills to do the job. 

joes87 posted:

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret they don’t tell you in High School. Two years after you graduate from college no one cares where you went to school. They only care about your personality being a fit for their company and that you have the skills to do the job. 

More true than not. But alumni connections can get a person the interview and be a tie breaker in hiring decision making. It can make a difference in a specific job. My first job had the connection of the hiring person’s son and I were athletes at the same college. The first company was a career long connection door opener. 

But it won’t make a difference overall in comparable jobs a person is qualified. Some colleges open doors. If not, kick the door in. In the big picture it falls into the control what you can and have a plan for the rest.

RJM posted:

joes87 posted:

I’m gonna let you in on a little secret they don’t tell you in High School. Two years after you graduate from college no one cares where you went to school. They only care about your personality being a fit for their company and that you have the skills to do the job. 

More true than not. But alumni connections can get a person the interview and be a tie breaker in hiring decision making. It can make a difference in a specific job. My first job had the connection of the hiring person’s son and I were athletes at the same college. The first company was a career long connection door opener. 

But it won’t make a difference overall in comparable jobs a person is qualified. Some colleges open doors. If not, kick the door in. In the big picture it falls into the control what you can and have a plan for the rest.

Absolutely agree. There are some schools where the degree will open doors because of the name of the school. Then there are schools that are considered prestigious although they have nothing but a low acceptance rate. No notable programs/schools, very small alumni base, and no reputation outside of their region.

I see plenty of kids graduating HS and going to study business at private schools with 1400 students when the in state and local public options are usually ranked much higher with more to offer. The biggest difference is the type of student you're going to see. You're going to be surrounded by more motivated, career-oriented students the smaller the school and the tougher the admissions. At a flagship you'll find half want to party and just get by and the other half that can balance what comes with a college town and take advantage of what the school provides. 

Nothing wrong with going to the big, fun state school, just make sure you're in the right half of the student body or the stereotype holds up.

Cash very interesting story. Two thoughts. Look up story of Alabama club ball playing making team at Alabama this season. Cool story google it not sure of name. 

I always chuckle at Northeastern perspectives on Southern schools. Alabama is at least 45% out of state now. Those kids don’t leave, there is a reason, as the quality of life and overall college experience is so much better here. In the end, if you want to stay in the NE, then attend a prestigious eastern school.  But if you are open to living in most of the rest of the country after graduation then Alabama and other SEC schools are an awesome opportunity. Roll Tide!

cutfb posted:

I always chuckle at Northeastern perspectives on Southern schools. Alabama is at least 45% out of state now. Those kids don’t leave, there is a reason, as the quality of life and overall college experience is so much better here. In the end, if you want to stay in the NE, then attend a prestigious eastern school.  But if you are open to living in most of the rest of the country after graduation then Alabama and other SEC schools are an awesome opportunity. Roll Tide!

67% out-of-state! 

https://nces.ed.gov/collegenav...mp;id=100751#enrolmt

cutfb posted:

Cash very interesting story. Two thoughts. Look up story of Alabama club ball playing making team at Alabama this season. Cool story google it not sure of name. 

I always chuckle at Northeastern perspectives on Southern schools. Alabama is at least 45% out of state now. Those kids don’t leave, there is a reason, as the quality of life and overall college experience is so much better here. In the end, if you want to stay in the NE, then attend a prestigious eastern school.  But if you are open to living in most of the rest of the country after graduation then Alabama and other SEC schools are an awesome opportunity. Roll Tide!

Wow! And I thought northeastern people had condescending attitudes about other parts of the country? Yep! Go to Alabama and get a great education. #129 of 299 in US News. I admit getting accepted is difficult with a 54% acceptance rate. You have to walk upright.

I was honestly very surprised Kenyon rejected me. I think it may have been because I applied for financial aid, and they are need-aware. They didn't see my first semester grades, so I know that it wasn't those.

> You're going to be surrounded by more motivated, career-oriented students the smaller the school and the tougher the admissions. At a flagship you'll find half want to party and just get by and the other half that can balance what comes with a college town and take advantage of what the school provides.

Are there any options for non-career oriented and perennially unmotivated students who are suspiciously smart?

Once I got my 34 back last year, I suddenly believed I was entitled to get into a top school based on my score, regardless of whatever else was on my application. Looking back, someone should've slapped me, as colleges are looking for obedient students to regurgitate information and work at Goldman, rather than critical thinkers and iconoclasts with potential. Nevertheless, somehow I believe that I can still show to colleges that I internalized the 38th Law of Power ("Think as you like but behave like others.")

This has gotten very far from baseball. Wow. 

RJM posted:

cutfb posted:

Cash very interesting story. Two thoughts. Look up story of Alabama club ball playing making team at Alabama this season. Cool story google it not sure of name. 

I always chuckle at Northeastern perspectives on Southern schools. Alabama is at least 45% out of state now. Those kids don’t leave, there is a reason, as the quality of life and overall college experience is so much better here. In the end, if you want to stay in the NE, then attend a prestigious eastern school.  But if you are open to living in most of the rest of the country after graduation then Alabama and other SEC schools are an awesome opportunity. Roll Tide!

Wow! And I thought northeastern people had condescending attitudes about other parts of the country? Yep! Go to Alabama and get a great education. #129 of 299 in US News. I admit getting accepted is difficult with a 54% acceptance rate. You have to walk upright.

Alabama isn't an academic powerhouse, but acceptance rate is not an indicator of how good a college is. It is an indicator of what type of student you're getting. 

There are plenty of schools with 50%+ acceptance rates that are very good schools. Especially within certain fields (business, education, engineering). Va Tech, UIUC, Purdue are perfect examples. Unless you're looking to get into big time banking or another field that requires target schools, it doesn't matter a ton where you went. Grinnell has a 25% acceptance rate. How many people outside of the midwest have heard of it? 

cashmoneyAP posted:

> You're going to be surrounded by more motivated, career-oriented students the smaller the school and the tougher the admissions. At a flagship you'll find half want to party and just get by and the other half that can balance what comes with a college town and take advantage of what the school provides.

Are there any options for non-career oriented and perennially unmotivated students who are suspiciously smart?

 

Yes, don't flunk out and find something you like. Although if you go to a big state school and don't want to go to class and just party/sleep in you will be out of there in a year.

300 person lectures and teachers who don't know your name is just going to make it more difficult for you. 

PABaseball posted:

RJM posted:

cutfb posted:

Cash very interesting story. Two thoughts. Look up story of Alabama club ball playing making team at Alabama this season. Cool story google it not sure of name. 

I always chuckle at Northeastern perspectives on Southern schools. Alabama is at least 45% out of state now. Those kids don’t leave, there is a reason, as the quality of life and overall college experience is so much better here. In the end, if you want to stay in the NE, then attend a prestigious eastern school.  But if you are open to living in most of the rest of the country after graduation then Alabama and other SEC schools are an awesome opportunity. Roll Tide!

Wow! And I thought northeastern people had condescending attitudes about other parts of the country? Yep! Go to Alabama and get a great education. #129 of 299 in US News. I admit getting accepted is difficult with a 54% acceptance rate. You have to walk upright.

Alabama isn't an academic powerhouse, but acceptance rate is not an indicator of how good a college is. It is an indicator of what type of student you're getting. 

There are plenty of schools with 50%+ acceptance rates that are very good schools. Especially within certain fields (business, education, engineering). Va Tech, UIUC, Purdue are perfect examples. Unless you're looking to get into big time banking or another field that requires target schools, it doesn't matter a ton where you went. Grinnell has a 25% acceptance rate. How many people outside of the midwest have heard of it? 

I am shocked by the bolded.

I am not any academic snob, I never enrolled in a college and certainly don't have degree from one. I do have 2 kids in college currently and another going next fall. I have 2 nieces who are grad assistants or whatever you call them in doctorate programs...and I know the system as whole is one massive shit show. It is one huge money grab where people are professionals at skewing stats and figures to make people feel like they are getting a good deal - and they are very good at it. 

I employ around 50 people with everything from Associates degree to PE's. I care very little about the school name, even the best of them coming out of school don't know what they don't know. The more academic schools seem to think they know more, they are often wrong. We hire people who we believe are talented and hungry, from there it is on them. 

The shame of it is the SEC has sold their souls to the athletics to a point where I just assume they are cheating and unqualified for much of anything. That is probably sad but I am not sure it is entirely untrue. 

When I watch college sports I rarely care who wins unless it’s my school or I have them in a pool. There are a few schools it’s a bonus if they lose. One was Auburn. Bruce Pearl is one of the biggest scum balls in the history of college coaching. He’s been involved in four of the biggest college basketball cheating scandals. Now his assistants are involved in the FBI investigation. One has already pleaded guilty.

RJM posted:

When I watch college sports I rarely care who wins unless it’s my school or I have them in a pool. There are a few schools it’s a bonus if they lose. One was Auburn. Bruce Pearl is one of the biggest scum balls in the history of college coaching. He’s been involved in four of the biggest college basketball cheating scandals. Now his assistants are involved in the FBI investigation. One has already pleaded guilty.

 

John Calapari will give him a run for any scumbag money. 

RJM posted:

When I watch college sports I rarely care who wins unless it’s my school or I have them in a pool. There are a few schools it’s a bonus if they lose. One was Auburn. Bruce Pearl is one of the biggest scum balls in the history of college coaching. He’s been involved in four of the biggest college basketball cheating scandals. Now his assistants are involved in the FBI investigation. One has already pleaded guilty.

 

I feel that way about Penn State.  That entire athletic program should have gotten the Death Penalty after what happened under Joe Pa's watch...

Sure didn’t mean to offend anyone from the Northeast. If you like rude people, horrible winter/spring weather, rust and 17 game HS baseball seasons then by all means please stay put. 

I was simply trying to say that unless you plan to work in certain specific and specialized fields, the school you go to and the academic reputation is not that important  if you need to pay 400k for a degree then that’s your choice.

Bringing this back to baseball the club teams in the SEC are most likely equivalent to most of the Northeast D1’s, so if playing baseball is important to you it’s something to consider.  

RJM I do agree with you on Auburn)

Bruce Pearl is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.   You are probably referring to the recent hit piece in USA today that was written about him by Nancy Armour.    This same author also wrote in her March 14 column: “It's time to stop playing national anthem at sporting events.”   Below is our local paper editor calling her out.   Only one of his assistants was charged by the FBI and I believe plead guilty.   Evidence showed that Pearl had nothing to do with it.  

cutfb posted:

Sure didn’t mean to offend anyone from the Northeast. If you like rude people, horrible winter/spring weather, rust and 17 game HS baseball seasons then by all means please stay put. 

Bringing this back to baseball the club teams in the SEC are most likely equivalent to most of the Northeast D1’s, so if playing baseball is important to you it’s something to consider.  

 

I can't stress how wrong you are

stayfocused posted:

Bruce Pearl is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.   You are probably referring to the recent hit piece in USA today that was written about him by Nancy Armour.    This same author also wrote in her March 14 column: “It's time to stop playing national anthem at sporting events.”   Below is our local paper editor calling her out.   Only one of his assistants was charged by the FBI and I believe plead guilty.   Evidence showed that Pearl had nothing to do with it.  

TURNER: USA Today’s Nancy Armour symbolizes the rot in mainstream media

 

Pearl left four other coaching positions in disgrace.

Smiling faces sometimes
Pretend to be your friend
Smiling faces show no traces
Of the evil that lurks within 

How’s this for a headline? 

WHY SOME PEOPLE HATE BRUCE PEARL

cutfb posted:

Sure didn’t mean to offend anyone from the Northeast. If you like rude people, horrible winter/spring weather, rust and 17 game HS baseball seasons then by all means please stay put. 

I was simply trying to say that unless you plan to work in certain specific and specialized fields, the school you go to and the academic reputation is not that important  if you need to pay 400k for a degree then that’s your choice.

Bringing this back to baseball the club teams in the SEC are most likely equivalent to most of the Northeast D1’s, so if playing baseball is important to you it’s something to consider.  

RJM I do agree with you on Auburn)

 

If you like going where people don’t understand there are civil rights I believe Alabama is a great place. Jim Bob Billie Joe Bubba Jack saw my Star of David and decided my family and I weren’t welcome in a restaurant. He ripped our table away from us. He scared the crap out of my (then) little kids. They thought we were going to get killed. He told us heathens weren’t welcome in Alabama. I’ll never go back. It was just one experience. It was just one person although no one else said a word. But I can play the stereotype game too.

Cashmoney, every once in a while you get bonus entertainment along with answers to your questions here.  Just grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy.

At some point, it will get back on track or will get closed down and you can start a new one with your next question.

RJM so far you have been the one with the personal insults. I’m sorry you had a bad experience as a kid. Time changes things. Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But I’m late for a date with my cousin Betty Joe Ann.  Thankful I will choose to walk upright.  

And unless you have seen SEC club teams play don’t be so quick to dismiss them. Again I said most northeast D1s not the few top teams. I did catch Maine on there March through the south a month ago. They are not very good. 

cutfb posted:

RJM so far you have been the one with the personal insults. I’m sorry you had a bad experience as a kid. Time changes things. Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But I’m late for a date with my cousin Betty Joe Ann.  Thankful I will choose to walk upright.  

And unless you have seen SEC club teams play don’t be so quick to dismiss them. Again I said most northeast D1s not the few top teams. I did catch Maine on there March through the south a month ago. They are not very good. 

Why would I care about UMaine baseball? I’ve never seen a UMaine game in my entire life. I did play collegiate summer ball with a few of their better players from their CWS team that finished fourth. I played at a P5.  My son played at a P5. My daughter played softball at a P6 (one conference imploded after she played). More importantly we all got top level educations that opened doors to top ranked grad schools. It’s far more important than sports.

I’ve watched my son play against SEC programs. I’m dismissing the attitude many of their fans have about SEC sports ... because “it doesn’t mean more” unless you don’t have a life. Education means more. Too many people in the SEC region think they’re superior as people because of a local college they didn’t even attend or their kids didn’t played at. Like the loser Alabama fan who killed the trees at Auburn. I respect the talent of the kids capable of playing in the SEC. I respect any kid playing at any level who finds a quality educational and baseball experience.

There are only two P5 programs in the New England. They lose out to warmer weather programs in the ACC (other than BC) and Vanderbilt for top local talent. In fact the year Vanderbilt won the CWS their #1, #2, closer and cleanup hitter were from Massachusetts.

But thanks for the education, Duh, I didn’t know anything about college baseball before you helped me.

RJM have always liked your posts and you seem knowledgeable about baseball. Didn’t mean to offend you. 

cutfb posted:

RJM so far you have been the one with the personal insults. I’m sorry you had a bad experience as a kid. Time changes things. Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. But I’m late for a date with my cousin Betty Joe Ann.  Thankful I will choose to walk upright.  

And unless you have seen SEC club teams play don’t be so quick to dismiss them. Again I said most northeast D1s not the few top teams. I did catch Maine on there March through the south a month ago. They are not very good. 

Yes, I'm letting you know that it is not even remotely true. 

I think the bad Maine team, who lost 9-8 to actual #7 Mississippi State, could handle the Mississippi State Baseball Club just fine. 

I am sorry I wasted the 8 minutes it took to read this thread.  As an FYI, I was born in the South.  As an FYI, if I had a son, I would have named him Bubba Ray.  Instead, I had a girl although she is big enough and strong enough to tear tables apart.  LOL  As an FYI, while the stereotype comments are just that, perhaps people might now turn back to the real topic.  

Many, if not most, schools have a day or two where they look at walk ons.  I know that they have them where I played and where my daughter went.  Find a school like that where your 34 score will get you in the door with some financial aid as well.  Get an education.  In the end, that is the most important aspect of college anyway.  Heck, even a Southern Boy like me learned how to do math and read books.  ;-)

cashmoneyAP posted:

Are there any options for non-career oriented and perennially unmotivated students who are suspiciously smart?

 

We call those people government officials 

RJM posted:

cutfb posted:

Sure didn’t mean to offend anyone from the Northeast. If you like rude people, horrible winter/spring weather, rust and 17 game HS baseball seasons then by all means please stay put. 

I was simply trying to say that unless you plan to work in certain specific and specialized fields, the school you go to and the academic reputation is not that important  if you need to pay 400k for a degree then that’s your choice.

Bringing this back to baseball the club teams in the SEC are most likely equivalent to most of the Northeast D1’s, so if playing baseball is important to you it’s something to consider.  

RJM I do agree with you on Auburn)

 

If you like going where people don’t understand there are civil rights I believe Alabama is a great place. Jim Bob Billie Joe Bubba Jack saw my Star of David and decided my family and I weren’t welcome in a restaurant. He ripped our table away from us. He scared the crap out of my (then) little kids. They thought we were going to get killed. He told us heathens weren’t welcome in Alabama. I’ll never go back. It was just one experience. It was just one person although no one else said a word. But I can play the stereotype game too.

Any chance you were bounced from the restaurant for being rude?

Go44dad posted:

RJM posted:

cutfb posted:

Sure didn’t mean to offend anyone from the Northeast. If you like rude people, horrible winter/spring weather, rust and 17 game HS baseball seasons then by all means please stay put. 

I was simply trying to say that unless you plan to work in certain specific and specialized fields, the school you go to and the academic reputation is not that important  if you need to pay 400k for a degree then that’s your choice.

Bringing this back to baseball the club teams in the SEC are most likely equivalent to most of the Northeast D1’s, so if playing baseball is important to you it’s something to consider.  

RJM I do agree with you on Auburn)

 

If you like going where people don’t understand there are civil rights I believe Alabama is a great place. Jim Bob Billie Joe Bubba Jack saw my Star of David and decided my family and I weren’t welcome in a restaurant. He ripped our table away from us. He scared the crap out of my (then) little kids. They thought we were going to get killed. He told us heathens weren’t welcome in Alabama. I’ll never go back. It was just one experience. It was just one person although no one else said a word. But I can play the stereotype game too.

Any chance you were bounced from the restaurant for being rude?

It was solely because the guy was an anti Semitic, ignorant, intolerant redneck bigot who charged our table after he realized we weren’t leaving because he was staring at us.

But you’re missing the point. But you’re falling right into the example I wanted to make. The poster changed his original post. Originally he posted you can go to college in the northeast if you don’t mind living where everyone is rude. So I responded with an experience that happened to me in the south and blamed it on a southerner. Then I pointed out what happens when people resort to stereotypes. You provided a shining example. You didn’t grasp the context of what I was doing. So as a southerner you’re offended by my stereotype. So you attempted to escalate the confrontation. It’s what is likely to happen when people stereotype. Are we done now? 

cashmoneyAP posted:

I was honestly very surprised Kenyon rejected me. I think it may have been because I applied for financial aid, and they are need-aware. They didn't see my first semester grades, so I know that it wasn't those.

Cash,

I think you underestimate an admissions officers skills in detecting "underachievers" (their words not mine).  You appear to fit that mold pretty well based on your post here:  "Are there any options for non-career oriented and perennially unmotivated students who are suspiciously smart?"  

Your ACT score puts you in the 75th percentile neighborhood for incoming students at Kenyon which is very good .  But they are looking for more than just one test score.  They are looking hard at a history of GPA increase with additional rigor towards the tail end of your high school career.  It was described to me (by a Kenyon admissions person) that they seek intellectual curiousity, academic & life balance, and they want their incoming students to move the needle on academic metrics that they publish and compete for the best students with other colleges.  I was at a wedding this past weekend in central Ohio.  One of the people I met at the wedding works in the Kenyon admission department.  I asked about your situation based on what you've shared, and that was the above response I got.  Small world.

While this thread has run amok, you've received some excellent advice.   You have options and you have some talents that some schools want.  Be honest with yourself.   Make the decision that is going to be in your best interest for the next 40+ years.

Good luck!