SAT when recruited

Many schools have gone to test optional and the NCAA has waived their requirements in the short term.  He may not need to submit a test score at all.

If he does need to submit a test score, well it depends.  The higher his grades the lower the test score he can likely get by with.  His FB velo or other baseball measurables will also offset a low test score for most schools, lol.

This came up in the HA thread too.  What are D1 baseball coaches actually telling committed or prospective players who will be submitting applications this fall?  Does anyone have any actual experience?

Hey @wildcat,

To echo @22and25 here, if his grades are strong, his SAT matters less.

If I were in your shoes I would:

1). See if school he's looking at is currently test optional

2). Google average SAT score of admitted student (Ex. "[School Name] Admissions Statistics").

3). Evaluate where he stands relative to that.

If you're at or above that standardized test score for the school, you're in the clear.

If you're below that, many times you can still get in with the support of the coach in admissions.

Everything is relative.

Coaches are more motivated to advocate for stud ballplayers who otherwise would struggle to get into the school from an academic perspective.

Solid ability + good grades+ good test scores = the golden ticket.

@anotherparent posted:

This came up in the HA thread too.  What are D1 baseball coaches actually telling committed or prospective players who will be submitting applications this fall?  Does anyone have any actual experience?

Among others, my 2022 has been regularly communicating for months with the HC of an HA D3 with approx. 10% acceptance rate, and this coach keeps saying in his emails, "spend time everyday studying for the SAT," "I cannot overemphasize how important the SAT is to our admissions office," etc. 

Therefore, our plan (A) is for son to prep and take the SAT multiple times just as he would during any other year, hoping that he can get in that range of required scores, but plan (B) is to rely on the current test-optional climate.  Our approach, bottom line... having the good test scores and submitting them > not submitting scores at all.

That being said, I don't know about the D1 situation in this regard.

My son courted and was recruited by a number of HA D1 schools, including Ivy.  They all told him what he needed to score on SAT and ACT, what unweighted GPA he needed to have, how many APs he needs in order for them to get him into the school.  If the coach likes what he sees on the field he will tell your son everything he needs to do academically to qualify.

Yes, but I meant, what are coaches telling kids THIS YEAR, when many schools aren't requiring standardized tests at all.  What happened a few years ago may or may not apply.  Do the athletes still need them?

@anotherparent posted:

Yes, but I meant, what are coaches telling kids THIS YEAR, when many schools aren't requiring standardized tests at all.  What happened a few years ago may or may not apply.  Do the athletes still need them?

I'd ask the coach

My 2021 just got recruited to a top ten HA school with an unweighted 4.0 and a 33ACT. Didn’t take the SAT.

2022 son is not a HA and is committed. School is test optional and he has yet to take the SAT. Early admission is next month. Next SAT opportunity is in two months.

I still think he should take it in case he needs it down the line. Make sense?

God i am glad these days are behind us, good luck with the testing.

There could be potential merit $$. You should reach out to the FA advisor.

Honestly wildcat, I've seen this run the gamut.  It really depends on your sons talent level on the baseball field and the specific program you have in mind.  Baseball talent at the D1 level can trump classroom talent in a lot of cases especially as you move up the D1 competitive hierarchy.   I've also seen some very strong students opt for a D1 mid-major for financial reasons (academic + athletic money).   The devil is always in the details with this stuff.

Keep in mind,

1)  The Coach should be able to tell you EXACTLY what is needed.  My son was recruited to some very good traditional D1 schools with scholarship offers.  They told him exactly what was needed academically in all cases. (ie Richmond, William & Mary, etc...)   

2) If he is projected top 25% academically of the incoming freshman class, the rule of thumb is he probably qualifies for academic money as well.  As 2022NYC suggests talk to a FA advisor.  My advice would also be to talk to admissions and the Coach.   The Coach may get his athletic liaison to bird dog that for you if you qualify.   It never hurts to ask if they are making an offer.

JMO.