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First of all, I'm very glad I found this board, not only is the information helpful, but it's nice to share this experience with others.

My first question has to do with athletics. While my son (a junior) has excellent grades, takes the most challenging classes offered, and I expect he'll have good test scores, his EC time has been spent mostly in athletics. Because he's multi-sport, he's never had much in the way of after school free-time. He's not a college level athlete so most of the information aimed at college athletes doesn't apply. But he has always been good enough to be a high school starter. What I wonder is, if admissions people take into account the time commitment that is required for multi-sport varsity athletes? I'm afraid that he will look weak in ECs because he doesn't have a lot of other types of school involvement, like student council. Actually the reason he couldn't participate in student council is not because of sports, but because they met during the same (and only) period that his Latin class is only offered.

My other question refers to the Princeton Review site's "Counselor-O-Matic." After entering your stats and preferences, it gives you a list of potential colleges (Safety, Good Fit, and Far Reach). It seems pretty in range for what some of my research has shown. I'd love to hear what others think about how realistic the lists produced are.

By Hautbois (Hautbois) on Friday, April 25, 2003 - 03:50 pm: Edit

Welcome!

Can't answer your first question. My son, now a college junior, did no sports really. Our HS senior daughter does tai chi and tennis but nothing that caught any university's attention.

All my often faulty opinion: regarding PR "COM"... take it all with a grain of salt! If you read some of our old posts here you'll see that some of us experienced a lot of shock as far as the colleges our kids applied to. "Safety" is sometimes truly safe and sometimes not. "Good Fit" means that your child might get in and might get rejected and don't count on anything regarding those, but you can surely give them your best shot. "Reach" ... well, they are usually just what that implies ... big reaches, but perhaps worth the effort.

If we had done COM with my son we would have made the assumption that he wouldn't get into UCLA or NYU. He got in. With my daughter I made the foolish assumption that she would get into both UCLA and UCB and she didn't get into either.

(Side note: she is *very* happy with where she has chosen to go and there is no disappointment here. Just a lot of confusion about the process.)

My biggest bit of advice, though: make your safety schools ones your child will want to attend! Don't let him think of them as loser schools ... they aren't!

I could write more but I know a bunch of other folks here are wiser than I and will give you more advice.

Again, welcome. I've found this group to be helpful, kind, and full of wit and wisdom.

By Momcat (Momcat) on Sunday, April 27, 2003 - 12:43 am: Edit

Thanks Hautbois. I'm definitely taking the results with a grain of salt (or two), but most of the results my son got did seem pretty realistic. It seems to me that finding the safety schools is the tougher job, when you factor in making sure it's a school he would be happy attending. Of course, there are plenty of far reaches that are appealing to him. I anticipate that the school visits will help a great deal.

By Dadster (Dadster) on Sunday, April 27, 2003 - 11:49 pm: Edit

Momcat, colleges still value students who show athletic interests and ability even if not at a scholarship athlete level. These students, they expect, will participate in intramural sports and/or will add some diversity to the population.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, April 28, 2003 - 12:38 am: Edit

Hey, Dadster. Good to see you around...I've missed your phosphors of late.

By Wadad (Wadad) on Monday, April 28, 2003 - 01:43 am: Edit

Momcat,
Depending on where your son ends up going to college, almost any athletic ability could be "college level." At most Division III schools (typically smaller Liberal Arts Colleges) almost anyone can get on the team, even without high school experience. The Division III schools do not generally give athletic scholarships per se, but significant time spend on athletics in high school can work for the student in the application process.

Dadster is right for the Division I schools. At the major universities many players who were stars in high school have trouble making the varsity team, but there are still many opportunities for intramural sports.

By Momcat (Momcat) on Tuesday, April 29, 2003 - 01:45 pm: Edit

Thanks for the responses. He's pretty sure that he wants to attend a larger school with an active athletic program as opposed to a smaller school where he *might* have a chance to play. He's pretty content to play intramurals and concentrate on academics. Truthfully, we've heard a few first-hand horror stories about how enslaved some of the college scholarship athletes can be, the pressure is enormous even for the guys who don't start.
I'm sure he'll be at every football and basketball game he can make, but he won't be playing.