Hi, would anyone be willing to share how heavy of a courseload their son/daughter chose in terms of AP courses for junior year of high school and how it went with a busy sports schedule? Son is picking his junior year classes now.
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It’s a individual decision. Schoolwork is easier for some kids than others. Even my own kids didn’t have the same workload in high school. Both are bright. Both were multi sport athletes. My son took four junior year. My daughter took two. His college had a better overall reputation. Hers was tops in her major. As adults they are equally successful in different careers.
Besides AP classes, my sons took dual enrollment classes with the local community college. Those classes counted toward college credits. Neither of my boys got college credit for any of the AP classes they took (sad to say). But, it was nice coming in to college with a semester worth of credits under their belt so they could take a reduced load during the playing season.
HIGHLY recommend the dual enrollment route. (You need to verify with the college that they will take the credits).
@wildcat posted:Hi, would anyone be willing to share how heavy of a courseload their son/daughter chose in terms of AP courses for junior year of high school and how it went with a busy sports schedule? Son is picking his junior year classes now.
My son took two AP classes Junior year and the load was fine. For us, it was important though because he took AP Econ and absolutely hated it. We had to get him a tutor for most of the year. If you want a business degree but hate Economics that pretty much eliminates all the liberal art schools as baseball targets. So it was good to know. He battled through ended with a B but only got a 3 on AP test. He did get a 4 on AP Environmental Sciences but that class won't count at credit for him in college. Also, that test date turned out to be the same day we were facing Chad Knight (LLWS star and was having a great Freshman year at Duke until Covid) who was pitching so son was late to the game and when he got there we were already down big. Nice miss. I think we got a hit.
Good topic! My son will be a sophomore and wants to take 4 AP's:
AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Computer Science, and AP US History
The math classes aren't a concern as math is easy for him. I'm not sure about AP CS, but he really likes his CS class he has now and his teacher has asked us to put him in her AP class. The US history is my biggest concern. He's good at writing, but it isn't his strength. His AP world history class this year had quite a bit of writing requirements.
Those of you who have been here before, is 4 AP's for a sophomore going to be too much? I think the CS class is only the fall semester, so we'd probably have him do Study Hall for a spring elective.
Wildcat
So, if your son anticipates applying to extremely academic competitive schools...consider the AP route. I believe my oldest ended up taking 3 AP classes junior year including AP Calc, AP Physics & AP History. Senior year he added AP Chemistry, AP Spanish, and an AP Engineering ciriculum (@magnet high school). I realize my kid is not normal...he never stops learning....he is a knowlege sponge. At the time, I thought it was too much junior year but he handled it well somehow. There were no other AP classes available at his high school when he graduated. Honestly, I think 1-2 AP classes a year is more than enough to demonstrate rigor for a recruited athlete at most high academic schools.
If your son anticipates attending a state school then possibly considering a combination of AP and dual enrollment may be his best option. In my experience, I would go light on the AP (1 or 2) and heavy on the dual enrollment.
A couple additional thoughts on AP and dual enrollment.....
In my experience with 3 kids, Junior year was uncharted territory for each of them for different reasons. Learning to drive, sports, girls, recruiting, SAT, ACT, proms...the list goes on. Different kids can handle different workloads differently, so I would think this through very carefully to determine exactly what is the end result. Why is your son interested in AP classes? What classes is your son most interested in? High schools vary with the total number of AP courses offered..even within the same school district. Where do you anticipate they will go to school...public or private? I'll give you three scenarios:
1) Son #1 is a self-learner. Knew he was going to school out of state and to a private school. He loaded up on as many AP courses that interested him or were going to be important to getting into a great STEM school. So, AP Calc was a must and he took 4-5 other APs classes total (junior + senior) just because he could and some dual enrollment at local community college. The college he would go to, put extremely heavy weight on AP classes and grades. Admissions wanted to see rigor. The AP classes were good for admissions but had little practical use once he was admitted....they did use it for placement based on AP scores. They wanted him taking their classes, so dual enrollment benefit was minimal.
2) Son #2 is a smart and very practical kid. He knew he was going to a state school and majoring in engineering. He took 1-2 AP classes in high school and loaded up on as many dual enrollment classes as possible. The dual enrollment was key as he had accumulated 24 college credits before he walked on campus as a freshman. This saved him and us a semesters worth of tuition. He had a job offer before his senior year started, and continued to work an internship 2nd semester senior year.
3) Son #3 wasn't big on high school but knew he would go to an in-state school. No APs. He loaded up on as many dual enrollment as possible. He carried 12 college credits forward into his first semester freshmen year. This gave him a cushion, and confidence and helped him in the long run adjust to college.
Good luck!
What we don't know about Wildcat's son or TerribleBP's son is what their academic ambitions and abilities are and what role baseball may play in their plans. In general, if you want to go to highly selective schools, such as the Ivy's, you have to get the best possible grades while taking the most rigorous course load offered by your school, but it's a really complicated question with many variables.
If I had a freshman or sophomore who wanted to go the HA private route or to go to a very selective state school like UC, Michigan, UVA, UNC, etc., I would get that kid to see a private college counselor right now. A good one will know exactly what course load, GPA, and test scores are required for students from specific high schools have the best chance to gain admission to specific colleges, and s/he will also be able to guide the kid on curriculum, testing, and application strategies. Some specialize in shepherding athletes through this process. Perhaps as important, a counselor can give some kids a reality check by telling them things that they won't believe coming from a parent, such as that even with lots of AP's a 3.5 GPA ain't gonna cut it at many HA schools unless you you can throw 90+.
Thanks. Son is a very good student with high grades thus far and his focus is on NESCAC type schools. We are just unsure how much he should push himself junior year with all the other factors mentioned above.
@JCG Great points. My son's school has college counselors who do guide them through the process. It is a very strong prep school that routinely sends kids/athletes to Ivy and other HA schools. My son's counselor knows him well and is familiar with his math abilities (she's having him start a math team which she says will help with colleges and fuel his competitive nature). She says the CS, Calc, and Physics classes should not be difficult for him at all. The AP History class is the one I'm concerned about. That would make 4 AP's in the fall semester. I guess I'm hoping to hear, "if he works hard he can handle it" or, "no way dude. I don't care how good your kid is at math, that is too many AP's".
My son's goal is to play baseball at Harvard. When he was 6 or so, Harvard was rated as the "toughest math college" according to him. His college counselors are opening his eyes a bit to other colleges that have great math programs, baseball, and their students go on to great jobs when they graduate.
Wildcat -- a counselor or an admissions officer would say you always have to keep driving yourself if you expect to get into the more selective schools in the NESCAC like Williams and Amherst. Some others, maybe not quite so much. But then there's the other thing -- baseball. If a kid can rake, he can ride that into a school that he otherwise would have a poor shot of going into. I'm very happy to say that my son did this.
TerribleBP - sounds like you and your son have a good handle on the situation! If he's got to play in college then the question is probably is he a D1 player or D3? If the latter, I'm thinking he could have great options like Chicago, MIT, or Caltech
Not really sure where he'd fit in right now. Defensively, he's solid. His hitting is ok. He's always been on the smaller size, so he hasn't shown much power. He's grown 6" this school year and it looks like the power is starting to catch up a little. Now he needs to keep eating and working out. I think he'll have a better picture on what he should be targeting at the end of the summer.
He really wants to do these 4 AP's and I just don't want him to dig himself a hole his sophomore year.
When my 2019 son was being recruited an Ivy coach told him he needed a minimum of 5 AP classes total during HS. Obviously other schools will be different. You need to know what schools you are targeting.
Edited for clarity
@TerribleBPthrower posted:@JCG Great points. My son's school has college counselors who do guide them through the process. It is a very strong prep school that routinely sends kids/athletes to Ivy and other HA schools. My son's counselor knows him well and is familiar with his math abilities (she's having him start a math team which she says will help with colleges and fuel his competitive nature). She says the CS, Calc, and Physics classes should not be difficult for him at all. The AP History class is the one I'm concerned about. That would make 4 AP's in the fall semester. I guess I'm hoping to hear, "if he works hard he can handle it" or, "no way dude. I don't care how good your kid is at math, that is too many AP's".
My son's goal is to play baseball at Harvard. When he was 6 or so, Harvard was rated as the "toughest math college" according to him. His college counselors are opening his eyes a bit to other colleges that have great math programs, baseball, and their students go on to great jobs when they graduate.
APUSH and APWorld are essentially the same format, so you can decide based on his experience with US this year. Although the writing will be become easier as he gets used to the free response and DBQ formats. I’m surprised they had freshmen taking World instead of Human Geography. Talk to a college counselor outside of the HS one, we were steered away from AP Physics, honestly I don’t remember why. Four is a lot for a sophomore, especially since he will also need to find time to prepare for PSAT/SAT/ACT, in addition to everything mentioned by other posters. And I’m still trying to figure out the math on how a sophomore is in AP calc? Realistically, starting a Math Club will probably impact his admissions as much or more than some of these AP classes. Good stuff right there! Beware of fatigue, I’ve seen many juniors crash and burnout way before they should have, but I’ve seen just as many feed on it. Grinding isn’t just for baseball.
@wildcat posted:Hi, would anyone be willing to share how heavy of a courseload their son/daughter chose in terms of AP courses for junior year of high school and how it went with a busy sports schedule? Son is picking his junior year classes now.
Wildcat, my 2022 is taking 4 next year. (Maybe 3, as we are contemplating taking chemistry through the community college this summer if we think summer ball won’t happen in June early July). AP Chem, US history, Language (Eng) and Research (part of Capstone which is IB competitor). Spanish & Honors Math to round it out. Not worried about it at all as long as we don’t have to do online learning. Lefty has a 4.5 weighted, 3.9 unweighted GPA and currently has a 3.0 this quarter with distance learning
Thanks LouisLefty. Son is looking at same plan pretty much but with AP Bio instead of AP Chem. He wants take them all. I'm just hoping it's realistic..
@LousyLefty posted:APUSH and APWorld are essentially the same format, so you can decide based on his experience with US this year. Although the writing will be become easier as he gets used to the free response and DBQ formats. I’m surprised they had freshmen taking World instead of Human Geography. Talk to a college counselor outside of the HS one, we were steered away from AP Physics, honestly I don’t remember why. Four is a lot for a sophomore, especially since he will also need to find time to prepare for PSAT/SAT/ACT, in addition to everything mentioned by other posters. And I’m still trying to figure out the math on how a sophomore is in AP calc? Realistically, starting a Math Club will probably impact his admissions as much or more than some of these AP classes. Good stuff right there! Beware of fatigue, I’ve seen many juniors crash and burnout way before they should have, but I’ve seen just as many feed on it. Grinding isn’t just for baseball.
Thanks Lefty. That is what I was looking to hear. AP World has been awful. He's getting a good grade, but it has been a strain on all of us. One of his really good friends, coincidentally a lefty pitcher on the team, says the AP USH class is much easier, but I've also heard from several people it is the same format. I told him we'd decide after he does the exam in a few weeks, which is a DBQ.
His school does things a little different as far as scheduling and I don't recall the reason. Their formula seems to work though. He would normally go into another science class as a sophomore, but they said the AP Physics (normally taken junior year I guess) would count as a science and would be easier for him. As far as calc, he started in Algebra 2 Hon, they realized it was way too easy so they added Pre-calc just before Christmas break. She has him on this track so he can take every math related course they offer and still be able to take other science AP's junior and senior year.
I completely forgot about the studying for SAT and ACT. His counselors have a zoom conference for parents this week to go over all of that. He took the SAT in 7th grade and just took the PSAT earlier this school year. We are hoping he will just need one more attempt at the SAT.
@TerribleBPthrower posted:Not really sure where he'd fit in right now. Defensively, he's solid. His hitting is ok. He's always been on the smaller size, so he hasn't shown much power. He's grown 6" this school year and it looks like the power is starting to catch up a little. Now he needs to keep eating and working out. I think he'll have a better picture on what he should be targeting at the end of the summer.
He really wants to do these 4 AP's and I just don't want him to dig himself a hole his sophomore year.
I think that 4 AP's is too much, even if he can handle it. 2-3 is fine. Mine Junior son has 2AP and a Math honors and a non-AP Engineering course. Plenty of academic rigor displayed. He passed on AP History because it's known as a huge time suck. Would rather he concentrate on the AP's that would apply to his future education and get good grades in those. And then go heavy on ACT/SAT test training. This year there will be a fair amount of test optional (IVY's still TBD), and who knows that may impact HA evaluation moving forward. But I suspect that will get back to pre-COVID by the time 2022 comes around.
Every kid is different (of course). For those who want to attend a NESCAC or similarly competitive school, 4 APs as a Junior would not be unusual at all. It's also not mandatory. Unfortunately, there isn't a clear roadmap for admission to top HAs. You need great grades and test scores, but there is no level that is definitely enough. (I know a kid in the class of 2020 who was just turned down at several schools with a 36 ACT, a GPA over 4 and a lot of AP classes (not sure exactly how many).) You need great grades and test scores as well as some kind of "plus factor"--which can be baseball.
In my opinion, much comes down to the particular teacher. At my son's HS, APUSH is a very tough class, mainly because the teacher is especially demanding. But yes, if your son found one AP history class challenging, I would assume another will be, too--the writing, etc. demands are similar. On the other hand, junior year is not the time to take your foot off the gas when it comes to academics. I would say that if not APUSH, then your son should take some other academically demanding class, but don't overthink 4 APs vs. 3.
My son took a lot of APs junior and senior year. Before his junior year, we had no idea what his options might be for baseball (which was his main goal), but he was in a group of high-academic friends and they were all taking the AP classes, so he wanted to do it as well. At our school, the second-year science classes are almost all AP, anyway, as are the honors classes. He did well in some, less well in others (Bs that he had to work hard for), but he insisted on doing it. Partly it was because he wanted to challenge himself, and prove that he could master them (that characteristic definitely also applies to baseball). In hindsight, I would have tried to persuade him to take fewer APs, although I don't know if I would have succeeded. On the one hand, the Bs didn't help, on the other hand, the rigor of his schedule did help with the HA D3 schools that ended up being his options. A strong SAT score helped also, definitely his baseball skills were very important. It's all a package, to HA schools.
Just as a note, both sons thought AP US History was really easy, the easiest of the AP classes, maybe that was just the teachers at their schools.
One other thought: AP exams are given right in the middle of the HS baseball season. It was hard for him to focus on those exams. In some classes, his grades were better than his AP test scores, in others his AP test scores were better than his grades. Better not to count on using credit from those exams in college.
FWIW, our strategy (not son's of course) was to use baseball as a way to get a great education at a top school, at a discounted price. It NEVER crossed my mind he would have had the success at D1 playing baseball and in MLB. Even if I knew his path now way back then it wouldn't change my strategy. You can never go wrong with a good degree from a prestigious college. Baseball will one day end, some sooner than others due to injuries or lack of performance. Son took AP's, honors, dual classes, and summer school with the intention after high school he will hang up his cleats. Academically, prepare for college as if baseball didn't exist. Success at baseball will only open the doors wider and he will be rewarded. BTW, Jr. year was the most difficult for son. Much like a private baseball instructor, nothing wrong with getting needed help by tutors, makes a huge difference (and less stressful for the player and parents)!
One other thought: My youngest is now done with the HA college application process, and the family went through it twice in 3 years. I think you have to accept that there is a large element of randomness involved. Baseball actually helps take some of the craziness out of things, because most coaches will tell you straight up that you need X GPA and Y test scores; and if you meet those, they can get Admissions to do a pre-read of your HS transcript to tell you if it's good enough.
If you apply as a non-athlete to an Ivy or similarly selective school, no one can give you similar advice. Perfect grades and test scores may not get you in, while less-than-perfect may do the trick. Much of this is totally beyond your control: Do they have another applicant from your zip code who is slightly better on paper than you, or is the child of an alumnus, or checks some box they want for their class (left-handed oboist who speaks Farsi)? Then this may not be your year. Did they take a kid for this class from your county whose grandparent has a building on campus named after him? There may be no spot for you.
Have your kid talk about his schedule with a guidance counselor and/or a trusted teacher who knows his capabilities, then make the "how many APs" decision as best you can and don't look back. It will not be the factor that determines whether you get into Harvard.
@Chico Escuela The Harvard coach said they denied over four thousand 1600's last year. I couldn't believe there were that many perfect scores period, much less denied by Harvard. You are absolutely right about the randomness. I talked to a Harvard student a couple years ago who told me he didn't even bother applying. He'd been accepted to a couple other Ivies and was happy with them. He happened to win a prestigious debate championship where someone from Harvard admissions was in attendance. She handed him her card and to contact her directly to get admitted quickly. He said within 2 weeks he was accepted and had all the aid he needed to make it worthwhile.
Eldest son, 2018, took 5 AP's during Junior year. Most of them were pretty tough, with AP CS and AP Econ being the easiest(for him). He was on the Varsity BB team, was really into the weight room, and was social by nature. He found his Jr. course load to be pretty hard, but he got through it, and, together with the other AP courses he took (13 in total) was able to get credit for an entire full year of credit at his University. In retrospect, he could have taken one or two less AP courses and saved himself some stress.
Fast forward to Son #2, who will be a Junior next year. He will only be taking 3 AP courses, at our urging. We don't want to see him put himself through the stress that our eldest did. Our feeling is that it is better that he gets better marks taking 3 AP's(9 total), rather than (potentially) overloading himself. He is also a BB player, and is a workout fanatic.
Both boys are self starters. We have provided encouragement and our thoughts, but, in general, both are driving the bus when it comes to their education. We are very lucky.
2022 son, in all gifted classes, and a program which gives him 7 classes/day instead of 6 (of course, 1 is weight training). He is taking AP Bio & AP World this year. As someone who is not an avid reader, World has had struggles at times.
He’s only taking AP physics his Jr year. Planning on 3 AP classes his Senior year, giving him 6 total.
@Sennais it a public or private school? I think the AP World is just as much about the teacher. My son ended up watching YouTube videos and learned more from them than in his class. There is a guy named Steve Heimler that has some great content
Some great posts here. Great discussion.
Remember the AP context is for college baseball recruiting....I want to double click on that. Coaches don't care so much if you score a 1600 SAT or 1300 SAT as long as the recruit meet their athletic needs & requirements. At least in terms of the Ivys (that I'm most familiar with), the total number of APs isn't going to matter so much with the Coach (which is your first stop in the ivy gauntlet) as it is with Admissions. Yes, the recruit needs a minimum number of Aps but that doesn't mean you have to sign up for every AP class the school offers. If the recruit meets (again) the needs and requirements it won't matter if he took 10 APs or 4 APs as long as the recruit can get a high grade, keep a high GPA, and demonstrate rigor to Admissions.
For the parent and student/recruit considering class load, I would take AP classes that I knew I could get a high grade in (no C's) and pass on those AP courses that I've had lower grades (or struggled with) in the past or aren't a good fit for the recruit. For example, if I know my kid is a STEM guy I'm going to go for AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calc but I'm going think twice on AP History, AP Spanish, AP English, whatever because of the workload...there is only so much time in the day. I might consider taking AP History, AP Spanish, AP English, whatever for the recruits senior year after he has committed where it isn't going to possibly hurt the recruit as much. Also, I would probably employ a slightly different strategy with some of the D3 HAs because they have fewer slots than the Ivys, and their admissions policies are slightly different.
As always, JMO.
@fenwaysouth posted:Some great posts here. Great discussion.
Remember the AP context is for college baseball recruiting....I want to double click on that. Coaches don't care so much if you score a 1600 SAT or 1300 SAT as long as the recruit meet their athletic needs & requirements. At least in terms of the Ivys (that I'm most familiar with), the total number of APs isn't going to matter so much with the Coach (which is your first stop in the ivy gauntlet) as it is with Admissions. Yes, the recruit needs a minimum number of Aps but that doesn't mean you have to sign up for every AP class the school offers. If the recruit meets (again) the needs and requirements it won't matter if he took 10 APs or 4 APs as long as the recruit can get a high grade, keep a high GPA, and demonstrate rigor to Admissions.
For the parent and student/recruit considering class load, I would take AP classes that I knew I could get a high grade in (no C's) and pass on those AP courses that I've had lower grades (or struggled with) in the past or aren't a good fit for the recruit. For example, if I know my kid is a STEM guy I'm going to go for AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Calc but I'm going think twice on AP History, AP Spanish, AP English, whatever because of the workload...there is only so much time in the day. I might consider taking AP History, AP Spanish, AP English, whatever for the recruits senior year after he has committed where it isn't going to possibly hurt the recruit as much. Also, I would probably employ a slightly different strategy with some of the D3 HAs because they have fewer slots than the Ivys, and their admissions policies are slightly different.
As always, JMO.
Very solid advice. This was the route we went with our son and it’s worked out for him thus far. Workload was demanding but never overwhelming and because he concentrated on subjects he’d already displayed proficiency in he wasn’t stuck grinding away at courses where he wasn’t as naturally proficient. Would also add that we put a lot of emphasis on his studying for standardized tests over the summer so he could get them out of the way earlier in the academic year. Everything got turned upside down this year on that front, but he got his tests done in the Fall and didn’t have to worry about them in Spring as baseball season approached. And now AP tests coming up. So he can really focus on those. If standardized testing returns to normal schedule and importance next year (I suspect it will) it’s a major variable to consider.
One thing to add to fenwaysouth’s excellent advice: From what I have seen, lots of HA kids start out thinking they want to play for an Ivy, but only a fraction of those can do so. That was my son. He got some interest from Ivies, but nothing panned out. Instead he is going to a D3 that he’s very happy with.
Others who got further in the Ivy process can correct me if they disagree, but my observations were that for many top-tier academic D3s it is actually harder to get in (GPA and test score-wise) as a baseball player than at the Ivies. Many D3s apply the same academic criteria to athletes and non-, whereas Ivies do seem to loosen things a little. (Not saying it’s easy to meet that standard, just that it’s not quite like applying without sports as part of the portfolio.)
All of which is a long way of saying there are a lot of interlocking pieces. Taking challenging classes is important, but so is maintaining good grades (and mental health, and time and energy for baseball). It has a way of working out. And often not in the way you or your kid expected or thought you wanted—but with a good outcome nevertheless.
I'll add a little to what fenwaysouth and Chico Escuela have posted. If Ivy is your target then go for it; take the most rigorous load you possibly can without negatively affecting your grades. But do so because you plan on applying to Ivy schools with or without baseball. If you get in without baseball you can always try to walk-on. And if walking on doesn't work then baseball was never in the cards for you at an Ivy school. But perhaps that's OK because Ivy was your goal and you got in! But if baseball AND academics are important then HA D3's certainly should be your target as well. Then you need to really balance the workload in a way that doesn't affect your grades.
I support Chico's belief: I believe it is probably much easier to get into an Ivy school (w/ baseball) than it is to get into a HA D3. Ivy coaches have the ability to get ALL of their recruits through admissions--of course as long as they meet certain criteria--but I would bet that criteria is a bit lower for at least 2-4 out of 7 or 8 recruits. But of course those with the lower academics have to have really good baseball skills. The other recruits have to have really good academics (to offset those that don't) along with baseball skills coaches feel they need/want. But the key takeaway is this: if the Ivy coach offers, you will be admitted (of course you must maintain your current academics).
From what I understand, HA D3 coaches don't get a free pass for all of their recruits. In fact some may not get any help from admissions (Caltech). So those academics have to gain your admission without baseball.
Good post, Absorber. A couple of additional thoughts--
You wrote "HA D3 coaches don't get a free pass for all of their recruits." A few schools (Caltech and MIT are the ones I know of) don't give any coaches' "tips" to athletes--you just apply and take your chances of being one of the ~5% who get in. That also means giving up the chance to get preferential admission at a different HA school as a baseball player. Those are fantastic schools, but it must be tough to be a baseball coach for them.
I think most HA D3s (my son talked with coaches at 12 or 15 at one point or another) allow their coaches 3 to 5 (or a few more) admits each year. Those kids have to meet admissions standards. If a coach is interested, he will ask your son to send his transcript and test scores and will get a pre-read from the Admissions Office. Admissions will tell the coach "no", "maybe" or "this applicant will probably be admitted." "Maybe" means you can apply and take your chances with the rest of the applicant pool. Getting a thumbs up on a pre-read isn't technically a guarantee, but it's close--especially if a coach has been at a school for a while and knows how things operate.
Coaches told my son initially that he needed at least X test score and Y GPA (there is a little more flexibility on GPA)--the numbers depend on the school you are talking with. Many coaches said the could let X and Y to go a little lower for one or two prized recruits each year (or every other year). Coaches also were up front that minimums could go lower for recruits who were 1st generation college students or members of minority groups. (I was surprised they were quite that up front, but they just asked my son flat out if he fit in either or both of those categories.) If you don't meet the applicable minimums, coaches will tell you they aren't interested.
You generally get pre-read results within a week or two. A "yes" on the pre-read means you will likely be admitted if the coach uses one of his tips for you. You do need to make sure the coach is not just saying "apply and if you get in, you can join the team." And it also may be that a coach tells you the pre-read was positive, but never offers you. (You might have been number 6 on the depth chart and they used all 4 available tips on other candidates.)
I have not heard of other D3s doing this, but my son got a "likely letter" from admissions. That was great--although it came a couple of weeks after the ED deadline had passed and he had submitted his application. So, in effect he got admitted earlier than the ED decision date. (Again, this was not formally binding. But it was pretty secure.)
Funny sto
@Chico Escuela posted:Good post, Absorber. A couple of additional thoughts--
You wrote "HA D3 coaches don't get a free pass for all of their recruits." A few schools (Caltech and MIT are the ones I know of) don't give any coaches' "tips" to athletes--you just apply and take your chances of being one of the ~5% who get in. That also means giving up the chance to get preferential admission at a different HA school as a baseball player. Those are fantastic schools, but it must be tough to be a baseball coach for them.
Funny story: my son attended the Stanford Camp last summer and Coach Whitehead (HC Caltech) was his assigned coach. My son did not have any interest in Caltech but apparently the coach was interested. After discussing his academics he told him right away there was no possibility of him ever attending Caltech! So yes, it is VERY difficult for these coaches! We did give him the names of two players who played for and attended the #1 rated public HS in the country. I think he did follow through with them although one of them ended up committing to MIT and the other one committed to Swarthmore.
Good points by AB & Chico. Call it purely "coincidental" and timely, but a relative of mine applied to a HA D3 where he/she played a sport. Student had no trouble getting in but school as you can imagine was very expensive. Able to get some academic $ but it was still high, even after meeting with admin/financial aid office. They told the coach the student would love to attend and play but financially they have to move on. Coach said to hold off any decisions for a little while longer. A few weeks later grants/scholly $ were added, they became available. Now made attending reasonable. You still need the grades and test scores to get foot in door. If finance is an issue, you never know.....call it "luck and timing", and how bad the coach wants you.
Just saw this. It's about 2020s enrolling this fall, but 2021s may experience something similar:
Desperate for fall enrollees, colleges are luring students with campus perks and cold cash
@Chico Escuela posted:Just saw this. It's about 2020s enrolling this fall, but 2021s may experience something similar:
Desperate for fall enrollees, colleges are luring students with campus perks and cold cash
I'm good with Cold Cash 
@TerribleBPthrower posted:@Sennais it a public or private school? I think the AP World is just as much about the teacher. My son ended up watching YouTube videos and learned more from them than in his class. There is a guy named Steve Heimler that has some great content
Public school, solid one. I definitely won’t put this on the teacher, but on Sennason.
He (and we) learned the lesson. He will only taken APs that work in his strengths (STEM) moving forward.