Looking for IVY League parents help

Read my posts. I have had one child graduate from Columbia and have another there as a junior on the Volleyball team. She was a walk-on so she was accepted on academic qualifications and not athletics. Your son is in the lower range academically for admittance to Columbia, Yale etc., and about in the middle for the others you mentioned. My youngest, a son, catcher/pitcher, was borderline DI prospect with decent ACT and SAT scores, within Columbia's range, but his grade point average was less than a 3.0 at a very challenging private school, where his sisters had made much better grades. So the Columbia baseball coach who made a point of evaluating him at a Headfirst show case last year, said he probably could not get him by admissions because to do that they would have to have wanted him very badly and he wasn't as good as that. My daughter is chided all the time by the football players at Columbia because they say she got in because she was one of the "smart ones".

I think your son should apply wherever he wants to attend and hope for the best. He should apply to at least 3 so called "reach" schools, a few "probable acceptance" schools, and several "safe" schools. He should make himself known to all programs at which he might like to play baseball and go to as many showcases as he can attend. The Headfirst showcase in Virginia was the best for us...lots of Ivy's and DIII schools with strong academic programs. My son will be attending DIII next month and might play baseball.

The fact that your son started as a Freshman really doesn't mean much because its the strength of his high school program that matters more. My son started at catcher in the 7th grade, which should tell you how strong his school was. He too had played "travel" or "select" ball with a very good team, playing upwards of of 55 games one summer, which bordered on abusive, when I look back on it.

BTW, Columbia won the Ivy League but went 2 and out in the regionals. Good luck to your son.

Hi Ken.

My son just graduated at Dartmouth & spent 4 years playing baseball. When you start narrowing down your options I'll be happy to answer specific Q's about Dartmouth. This site was quite helpful when I was trying to learn about Dartmouth.

One very good way to be seen by Ivy schools is to make sure your son attends the Stanford Camp next summer. Many Ivies recruit that camp heavily.

My son is an 09 SS with a 4.3 weighted GPA, 27 ACT and 1730 SAT and taking all honors and some AP courses. Top 10% class rank, and an Eagle Scout. He's being heavily recruited by an Ivy league school you mentioned. He was told he could "get in" currently with some help from the coaches, but having an ACT score a point or two higher would make it much easier for him to be accepted as an athlete. Obviously, if he were not an athlete, he'd have NO chance of getting in any of the Ivy league schools. He knows he's very fortunate to be in the position he's in.

LL: you have a PM. Thank you.