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I've been checking these boards out for awhile, and now have finally decided to post. I'm Allison, 17, and an African American female from Virginia.

This past spring was my first time playing lacrosse. I was a goalie and actually ended the season with lots of recognition and having a far more successful season than anticipated. I was named first team all conference as well as defensive mvp, and have recently learned that I'm ranked as one of the top goalies in the state and was selected for a statewide championship team.

I am now interested in pursuing lacrosse in college to help me get into a competitive D-III liberal arts college or possibly even a D-I Ivy League school.

Unfortunately, my lacrosse coach is not very helpful with recruiting. So far I have sent a few online recruiting forms to coaches of schools I am interested in. I've sent them to Columbia, Vassar, Swarthmore, Amherst, and Tufts. I plan to fill out more forms soon.

So far I've received responses from the coaches at Amherst and Tufts requesting more information. I'm wondering if this means the coaches are interested, or is this just a generic response that everyone gets, and if so, are filling out forms online really beneficial? Or would say writing a letter or e-mail directly to the coach be a better choice? I guess I'm asking what is the best way to go about becoming a recruited athlete.
I don't have a video right now, but will probably be able to make one this summer.

Also, I am a good student. My GPA is probably 3.3-3.5, and that's because it's really taken a nosedive. I've taken the SATs once, 1150, I definitely want to take it again in October. Also, I have very strong ecs, I am a teen columnist for the largest paper in VA, I'm an editor of my school paper, and I'm Student Body President.

Any advice on becoming recruited would be appreciated-- I'm really only interested in playing a sport in college if it would help me get into a top college though.

By Northstarmom (Northstarmom) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 03:13 pm: Edit

Frankly, everything sounds good except for the fact that your grades have taken a nosedive. Junior year grades are extremely important. Particularly since yours dropped, it will be extremely imjportant to have a strong senior year.

Not only will you need strong fall graes, but make sure to stay on track second semester because the top colleges do call GCs in situations like yours where the colleges want to make sure that a student truly is back on track.

Also, study for your SATs, which still are low for the schools you are considering.

You do have a chance for those schools -- whether or not you are a star lacrosse player -- but to have better chances, follow my suggestions.

I don't know anything about how athletes sare recruited. I do know, however, that playing an unusual sport can help students get into some top universities even if the students aren't good enough to play on the school's varsity team.

Universities that pride themselves on their ECs want to have strong intramural as well as varsity teams.

Also consider Wesleyan, which is known for diversity, athleticism and academic excellence.

Make sure that your parents are willing to pay for your education. Even if you qualify for need-based aid, your parents probably will have to pay far more for your education at the schools you've mentioned than if you went to college in-state. You are fortunate that Virginia has some excellent public universities.

You also probably could qualify for athletic scholarships or merit aid from some private colleges. Syracuse is one that comes to mind.

By Arizonamom (Arizonamom) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 03:38 pm: Edit

My son wrote a sports resume and sent newspaper clippings with pictures of him and interviews. He listed athletic and academic awards on the resume, stand. scores, GPA etc. The coaches will do a read to see if you are eligible academically for their school. He also did the on-line thing but did not rely on that. His current coach wrote him a letter of rec which he included with the sports resume and newspaper clippings.. He got a good response and had many coaches calling him regularly.. Some may want to see you play especially when you are in their area, so send them your schedule, and they will want reports on how you are doing over the next season. They will write and send lots on their team, suggestions on how to get aid if you need it and even contact depts at the school if you need info on programs. They are great to have on your side. Div 3 of course will be very eager, and some Div 1 only want the elite players of course, national ranking. They will want you to visit and will buy you meals, depending on restrictions and Div. My son spent the night with teammembers and got to watch some meets to get a feel for the team atmosphere. For private schools however you really need to have the grades and scores and the sports will just give you an edge hopefully. There is money out there as well and being a female sport may help. Good luck. Tulane may be one with sood sports money that comes to mind.

By Arizonamom (Arizonamom) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 03:46 pm: Edit

Another school that has good merit money that actively recruits athletes is the University of South Carolina. They have actually recruited a lot of students from Arizona this year.

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 04:00 pm: Edit

Grab a book on applying as a student athlete in the college section of your local Borders or other bookstore. That will give you a good overview of where you may stand. Also, nose around and find out where your past teammates ended up or your rival team seniors. Did any of them end up as recruits of sort? What colleges? These will give you some idea what level you are playing.

Your grades and test scores will be very important despite your recruited athlete standards, so take particular care your senior year. Can you find a local SAT prep course? In our area, the community college offers a 6 session course for about $50. Some community rec centers and highschools also often offer some courses for a much more reasonable cost that the big boys. If you have the money, a tutor to hone in on your trouble spots may well be worth an investment.

You have a good start contacting coaches at several schools. And, yes, it is routine what they are doing but it is the first step all athletes who do not have national recognition must have taken. If you know anyone who is playing women's college lacrosse, get in touch with her to get some idea of your level and the level of playing at your highschool. If the coach is not so knowledgeable, is there an athletic director at your school? He may have some suggestions as well.

Good luck in your endeavor.

By Woogiewilly25 (Woogiewilly25) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 04:23 pm: Edit

Alright, speaking honestly, I'd say your shot at a LAC or an ivy for lacrosse on only a year of playing, despite your accomplishments (all of which you should be very proud of) could be slim. I know schools like swarthmore, middlebury, all the mini ivies and such look into history of game and ability to play...most rescruited athletes have been playing their whole lives with a sincere full game understanding of the sport....your GPA and SATs are def a bit low for those schools, unless you are honestly like a STELLAR goalie...and even then, goalie position in college is hard to come by, as normally there are at most 4 spots, 2 usually open at a time as opposed to positions like attack and D, where backups are always a safety...I only know because I too played lax and field hockey...i wasnt recruited, but looking at the competition of the game (I applied to Maryland, Syracuse, BU, Loyola...tons of lax schools)it would have been hard to keep up anyway, if i play at all i'll play on club team at UMD...
Your best bet would be to invite the coaches of your prospective schools to games to see you play...i would def def work on getting your SAT and gpa up, 1150 is def low for the schools you listed...
As a story, my friend is an outstanding swimmer, has swam since she was 5 on Long Island teams and for our varsity team, was team captain, junior olympics, etc etc...she had a 1440 sat, and a 97 unweighted gpa in all AP classes...shes brilliant...she applied/was checked out by schools like Williams, Middlebury, Gtown, Tufts, Holy Cross, Dartmouth, and some others...She was waitlisted at tufts, rejected by gtown, williams, amherst and dartmouth...and she not only had the athleticism, but the grades and stats to back her up...this is how competative these schools are...
I'd say work on your sats and gpa, and maybe look at schools a little more in the range of your sat and gpa to play (ie, loyola of md, Ohio State, Denver, JMU, hofstra...all really good lax programs)...you might have better luck with impressing coaches there.
Good Luck

By Curtisny (Curtisny) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 05:31 pm: Edit

are you out of your mind? You don't even have a chance at those schools...It may sound harsh but that's reality...The only thing you have going for you is the fact that you're a URM

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 05:52 pm: Edit

Curtisny~

The reality is that nobody can tell Allison if she has a chance or not, and that starts with you. She has gained recognition in a state that is supposed to be extrenely competitive for Lacrosse. Her GPA and SAT are on the low side but we do not know if the GPA is unweighted. She only took the SAT once and has several chances to bost that score with an adequate preparation.

Regarless of her chances, she is doing the right thing: she is exploring all avenues and is trying to better her chances.

As a note to the OP, check the NCAA rules for contacts by coaches, this will explain why some coaches mught not have contacted you. I would also suggest to contact the Lacrosse Federation and get on their mailing list.

Good luck to you!

By Curtisny (Curtisny) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 06:05 pm: Edit

"The reality is that nobody can tell Allison if she has a chance or not, and that starts with you. "

If we arn't entitled to telling her if she has a chance or not then why is she asking us?

By Alejandro (Alejandro) on Saturday, June 05, 2004 - 06:14 pm: Edit

touché

By Caliel130 (Caliel130) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 12:22 am: Edit

Well, being a recruited athlete and a URM she has a chance, but unless she goes to a highly competitive magnet schools her GPA is very low, and her current SAT score is too low...sorry but its true, and I hate seeing people who aren't academically qualified get into good schools.

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 12:36 am: Edit

Touché? Not quite?

She did not post in the What are my chances forum where the one-eyed attempts to lead the blind.

She asked for advice about being a recruited athlete and was not looking for a "Are you out of your mind" quip.

Learn to read the question that is asked and show some respect.

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 11:24 am: Edit

I would just add that many coaches are very leery of students who attempt to "use" sports as a way to gain admission to schools that might not otherwise admitt them with the "hook," "support,' or "bump" that a coach's input can have on the admission decision.

I know in my son's case, although he played his team sport for 9 years, the caoshes still wanted to meet with him and gauge his interest in continuing to play after gaining admission. So, years playing is a factor, but you would also be hard pressed to find a college basketball coach who would turn down a 7-footer with only one year of experience if that coach felt the student would actually play if admitted.

Having said all of that, the thing that concerns me in the OP is the statement: "I'm really only interested in playing a sport in college if it would help me get into a top college though." If that sentiment come throug to the coach, he or she might not be will to take a "chance" on her.

By Curtisny (Curtisny) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 11:34 am: Edit

xiggi- i don't need to "learn" how to read the question because i already know how to read.

a direct quote: "Any advice on becoming recruited would be appreciated"

Now, when one considers the fact that the poster tells us ALL of her stats and mentions the ivy league, i think it's fair for one to assume that she would like to know her chances.

And i gave her advice about becoming a recruited athlete. I advised her to get her head out of the clouds...good enough for you, hotshot?

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 03:33 pm: Edit

You know what they say about people who "assume".

As far as your advice, it was on par with the rest of your posts on CC. Keep it up!

Sincerely,

Hotshot

By Desrtswimer (Desrtswimer) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 03:41 pm: Edit

Ouch.

First of all she took her SATs ONCE. How many people on this board can say that? My friend got an 1120 the first time and a 1370 the second time WITHOUT studying. At all. No class. No books. Sometimes people just have a bad day.

Her GPA is not terrible, she doesnt say if that is weighted or not, and you dont know how competitive her high school is. For all we know she could be ranked in the top 5% of her class with that GPA.

She also could have a valid reason for her GPA drop that she could state in her essay. And even if she doesn't, a 3.3-3.5 means some B's. NOT the end of the world! We're not talking D's here people.

AND maybe she has qualities that Ivy League/LACS will want. Something special. Who knows? Stats arent everything. I hate on this board people who are like "oh you got in? What are your Stats?" because posting Stats isnt going to help you understand who got in and who didnt. 1600's are rejected. 1200's are accepted. Anything above a 3.5 shows dedication to schools. Reading the Stats to people who got accepted to Northwestern with me got me downright depressed. And made me feel like i didnt deserve to be admitted. But you know what thats ridiculous, because above a certain SAT score, everything is the same. And good grades in school, frankly, does not mean you are smart.

Maybe an Ivy league/LAC will be looking for a girl like her who writes in the teen section of her newspaper and finds the time to start a new sport as a junior and excell.

Anyways, back to the OP:

Several students from my school were recruited athletes. One, did absolultely nothing, because he is the state champion in several swimming events and is going to the olympic trials. Schools came to him. The other filled out forms as you are doing. In fact, my best friend, actually was recruited for tennis at Syracuse and Vassar. She was told that while it is not a guaranttee for admission, it would put her application in a smaller stack than the masses. The coaches called her a few times, never came out to see her play (she is regionally ranked... like Number something in the southwest). All she did was fill out some of those forms and she did get calls from the coaches.

So yes, get a book, research some more, and good luck!!

By Cd1400 (Cd1400) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 05:28 pm: Edit

Having been a recruited athlete and knowing plenty of them, your overall grade & SAT scores are ok. They can't get you into an Ivy league like Columbia unless you pull that SAT score up (around 1250 and above, trust me on this one).For liberal arts schools you could get in with what you have right now, if the coach is really interested in you. If you have any questions please list them.

By Curtisny (Curtisny) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 06:21 pm: Edit

"'You know what they say about people who "assume'. "

What do they say about people who assume? My only explanation for that brilliant little quip is that you were trying to sound clever. Not only did you fail miserably in that but you also failed to negate any of the arguments i made.

Good show. You are certainly a quick one.

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 06:37 pm: Edit

Athletes in team sports have a tougher time getting recognized if they are not on a "hotshot" team. Many of the kids I know who have gone the college recruit route are on club teams if they are considering getting attention from college coaches EVEN if they are from school teams that traditionally place kids on college teams. Swimming and other individual sports are a lot easier to get a handle on where an individual stands in relationship to a college team because there are national ranking systems and times that make assessment simpler.

Good point Xiggi, about the recruitment period. The NCAA does not permit coach contact with an athlete unless initiated by the student until after junior year. Most coaches have their regular feeder sources for their team, however, and have an eye out for the top candidates. If you are not on the radar screen, you need to make the effort to be noticed. OP is doing this by contacting the coaches of some schools where she is interested. But to focus her field of more narrowly, she needs to know at what level her playing is, and the easiest way to get this info is from her fellow athletes in the sport in the area. Are there any former players who are playing college? Are any of the current players, not necessarily from her team, looking to play college, and are any on some private clubs right now? These people can share a wealth of info to the OP and give her a better picture of the level of playing that she is in right now.

By Sobland1 (Sobland1) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 06:51 pm: Edit

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I really appreciate it!

Let me clarify on my GPA. I was just estimating earlier, and I was pretty close, my final average for this year will be a 3.5. Freshman and sophomore years it has been a 3.8. That's unweighted and I take a pretty challenging AP/honors curriculum in a small but competitive private school. I'm not really uncomfortable with my GPA, that's fine to me.

My SAT score I guess I expected it to be higher because that is virtually the same score I got on my PSATs and I always read that SATs scores rise an average of about 150 pts from PSATs. Maybe I just had a bad morning, I don't know.

I realize that coaches are looking for athletes with a strong dedication to their sport, and I know that with only one year of playing I don't have that. I've been playing basketball my whole life, and was even captain of the basketball team this year, and if I could play competitive basketball somewhere I would be so happy... but I'm just not good enough, maybe I could play at a D-II school, but then the academic program wouldn't be as good.

I think I could get into some schools I want to without playing sports, I think I have a lot to offer, I'm not just some meathead jock. I'm in NHS, NLHS, National Forensic League, I am captain of the debate and forensics team, president of a diversity club at my school, I run several websites, summer programs.. whatever, whatever, I do a lot of stuff. That's a big reason why my GPA has dropped this year. Next year I'm just going to concentrate on sports, newspaper, and being student body president.

Well anyway, I do have some questions...

The coaches at Tufts and Amherst invited me to visit with them, "if in the area", or something like that. How important would a visit be?

Is it appropriate to call the coach? e-mail?

If the coach tells you that you are "recruited", does this essentially mean that you are accepted into the school?

If you play a sport at LAC, do you have time to pursue other interests, or is it like a job?

By Sobland1 (Sobland1) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 06:55 pm: Edit

In response to Jamimom:

I'm really not sure where senior players in my conference are playing in college if they are playing, but several other girls selected for 1st team all conference were invited to join the Virginia Championship team as well, so I suppose that is kind of like a private club.

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 07:03 pm: Edit

"'You know what they say about people who "assume'. "

What do they say about people who assume? My only explanation for that brilliant little quip is that you were trying to sound clever. Not only did you fail miserably in that but you also failed to negate any of the arguments i made.
Good show. You are certainly a quick one.

In order to fail to negate your arguments, you should have one to begin with. Your post contained nothing but an unwarranted and negative remark about issues that you know little or nothing about. Considering your uneducated opinion to represent sound advice is a ridiculous proposition at best.

Feel free to post positive and useful advice on how to become a recruited athlete and especially an URM one, now that you discovered a few weeks ago what an URM really is.

By Curtisny (Curtisny) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 07:38 pm: Edit

"In order to fail to negate your arguments, you should have one to begin with."
I’m going to take a few quotes from earlier in the thread and repost them here. Try to follow along if you can...

-Exhibit A: "‘the reality is that nobody can tell Allison if she has a chance or not, and that starts with you. '
'If we aren’t entitled to telling her if she has a chance or not then why is she asking us?' "

-Exhibit B: "Now, when one considers the fact that the poster tells us ALL of her stats and mentions the ivy league, I think it's fair for one to assume that she would like to know her chances. "

That being said...are you done making yourself look foolish or what?

By Jamimom (Jamimom) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 07:47 pm: Edit

A visit can be very important for you to assess the situation as well as for the coach to meet you. It would be wonderful to take a trip up to Mass and visit some of the colleges where you are interested. A recruited athlete generally has his expenses covered for a recruiting visit, but many of the D-1 schools do not cover transportation. It would be useful for you to see the teams practicing as it will give you some idea of the level of their skills.

My friend has a son who wanted to play football in college but was small. When the family toured several colleges and checked out the teams, he quickly got a good idea where he would fit. Something that no amount of "jawing" from everyone and anyone could make that kind of difference. He initially did not want to go to a small LAC, but visiting made him rethink the entire situation and has happily been playing football in one and enjoying his college experience immensely.

Do buy an athlete's guide to college. Then start putting together a college list without regard to your sport and then start culling the list by rating the sport at those collegs. You should include several selectivity ranges including safeties that do not take into account the possibility that you may be a recruit. Then e-mail the coaches so they can get you on their list. Ask for info from the admissions offices. In other words, start a file as all kids in your situation should be doing. Get that athletic resume together. On the college sports web pages you can get a roster of who is playing your sport. Do you know any of those kids? Do any of them come from your league? Or from the VA Champ team from prior years?

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 07:53 pm: Edit

If you do not have anything positive to add to the OP's question, just stay out of the discussion.

Do you KNOW anything about the issue? Didn't think so!

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 08:04 pm: Edit

Sobland1

Check this LINK.

On the site, you'll find many links to colleges, background of lacrosse recruits, and a very active forum.

As far as a sport being a job, I am sure that most students will tell you that students-athletes tend to do better in school and learn to balance their schedules. However, not all sports and not all colleges are identical. That is why it is important to follow Jamimom's advice and start compiling your list. The term "recruited" will indicate that you have garnered the interest of the coaches. However, there are several levels of "recruited" and not all of them equate automatic admissions. It is still very good news!

By Dadx (Dadx) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 08:58 pm: Edit

Find out the camps that the coaches recruit from. There are several. Go to one or two of them. It will cost you something. The coaches can get an idea of where you stand in the scheme of things. If you have specific schools in mind, contact their coaches and ask them what camps they will attend, and when.

Make this summer count. With Lax being a spring sport, all of the recruiting interest will be from this season and the camps. Senior year is too late for spring sports.

By Cd1400 (Cd1400) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 11:01 pm: Edit

TO answer back to Sobland1 (Sobland1) :
The coaches at Tufts and Amherst invited me to visit with them, "if in the area", or something like that. How important would a visit be?
A visit really shows that your interested in their school,and if those schools are on top of your list, you should go, plus you get to learn more about their school and their athletic program. Unless it's not feasible to go, you should really try going.
Is it appropriate to call the coach? e-mail?
Yes, totally, if you e-mail, e-mail a lot, they get lots of e-mails.If you call, they will pay more attention which is good.

If the coach tells you that you are "recruited", does this essentially mean that you are accepted into the school?
No, that means your on their list of "Athletes", this list is given to the admissions office, and goes through its own special process,so it will help you get in.To get rejected when you're on the list is pretty hard, most athletes get in.
If you play a sport at LAC, do you have time to pursue other interests, or is it like a job?
Yes, LACs are cool that way. They know that people have other activities to do, and they make sure athletes have time to do other stuff

By Sauronone (Sauronone) on Sunday, June 06, 2004 - 11:46 pm: Edit

I was recruited for swimming at Amherst. Great coach, great school. I got in.

Basically, sports at Amherst pull a lot of weight. It is a liberal arts school and, in that sense, it does put a lot of emphasis on extracurricular activities and stuff that brings out your personality. The coach told me he pretty much emphasized my unique aspects to the admissions committee without actually saying "He's an officially recruited swimmer." If your stats are good, he doesn't need to spend a recruiting spot on you.

The coach at Penn, for example, follows many, many swimmers, but only a few gets accepted. He basically tells all of them they're recruits and then most of them are left in the dust. It's really up to the moral quality of the coach -- so check out the coach and see if he seems like a nice guy. Instinct will probably tell you. Otherwise, talk to some people that know the coach (including some club coaches in your area).

By Concerneddad (Concerneddad) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 12:57 am: Edit

"It's really up to the moral quality of the coach" A double halleluyah (sp?) on that one. My son had the good fortune to meet some very moral and honest coaches, and some that would make a used car salesman blush. The problem, of course, is figuring out which is which before it is too late.

I wish I could give you advice on how to tell the difference between the moral coaches and the ones who just use kids, but I can't. I will say that the honest ones (especially those at the top LACs) made no promises other than telling my son his application would be "supported" by the program and that it was still an admissions office decision. The ones who were less than honest led him to believe that could, or would, do more than they did.

By Judy (Judy) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 09:16 am: Edit

Dadx- How do you go about finding the camps coaches recruit from? Many state on their websites that they have college recruits there but how do I really know it is truly legitimate?

By Dadx (Dadx) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 02:03 pm: Edit

Not every coach can attend every camp. In mens lacrosse, there are a handful that they look at. I would ask the college coach directly if they expect to attend, instruct, or scout at any particular camps and make notes. Email them with a what camps do you expect to he at for what sessions. You could also call to see if they are in their offices. Most coaches are remarkable accessible.

Ask 4-5 coaches and you'll find where they'll be. We've had several kids from our boys HS lacrosse team recruited as a result of camp performances.

For girls, I'm not sure. Do some legwork. The Loyola and Hokins camps are going to be very good, but do check with the coaches of places you'd like to apply to. They can't be everywhere and some of the New England coaches may stay closer to home.

By Xiggi (Xiggi) on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 03:52 pm: Edit

You can use the filters on this LAX CAMP 2004 LINK.

Prepare a generic email and send an email to the persons listed. List the colleges that you're interested in on your email. The legit camps won't have a problem telling you the coaches who visit their camps.

I would also encourage you to read the forums or post questions. LAX is rather small world and it is quite easy to verify reputations.