Being recruited to play sports in the Ivy League? Make sure to ask these 2 questions right away!

The Ivy League, which was initially organized in 1945 to regulate football and then formalized in 1954 to cover all intercollegiate sports, is comprised of eight highly selective colleges and universities. Their long-standing athletic traditions pre-date the founding of the Ivy League and go back all the way to the 19th century. Today, their athletic departments are among the largest in the NCAA, with each institution fielding dozens of intercollegiate teams, many of which compete at the highest level of Division I.

If you are a high-achieving student and an athlete with aspirations to compete at the national level in collegiate sports, the Ivy League might be an attractive option. But be sure to understand two foundational Ivy League principles that continue to dictate the nature of these schools’ athletic competition: athletes granted admission must be strong students, similar to the rest of the admitted class (indeed, overall only 5-10% of applicants are admitted at the Ivies) and there are no athletic scholarships. If you’re being recruited (or are positioning yourself to be recruited) by an Ivy League coach, try to get these two questions answered with a “yes” early in the process:

1.     Can I be admitted?

Let’s be clear. Ivy League coaches do NOT make admissions decisions nor can they communicate those decisions to applicants. Both of these roles are the sole responsibility of each school’s admissions office. But coaches do have influence in the process and their guidance and advocacy can potentially make a huge difference, significantly increasing a recruited athlete’s chances of gaining admission. One way coaches can help you right off the bat is to give you feedback on where you stand, not only in terms of their interest in you, but in how the admissions office views your academic credentials. This early feedback does not replace your official application nor is it the same as an official acceptance letter. But receiving encouraging comments at this stage is a good sign you are on the right track. As part of our program of working with students at Arthur Smith Advising, we’re here to help you gather and develop the important academic materials you need for this process and to help you understand the intricacies of the recruiting steps that follow. 

2.     Can I afford it?

Ivy League schools have large endowments and provide generous need-based financial aid packages that make it possible for students from a wide range of backgrounds to attend. A common misconception is that athletes get preferred packages. A bedrock philosophy of the Ivy League continues to be that there are no athletic scholarships. Instead, student-athletes get evaluated for financial aid in the same way all students get considered: aid is based 100% on their family’s demonstrated need and official aid packages are not released until after a student has been officially admitted. Coaches do not control these purse strings, but similar to the admissions process, they can guide you to the information that you need. You won’t get a better package because you’re an athlete, but if you’re in touch with a coach, they may be able to give you early access to colleagues who can help you understand your likely financial obligations. 

What’s the next step?

If you can get information that makes you feel that “yes, I have a very good chance of admission” and “yes, we can afford this” – then full steam ahead. On the other hand, if the feedback the coach provides from the admissions and financial aid offices is not encouraging, better to know that early in the process so you can focus on addressing any issues they’ve identified or instead turn your attention to the hundreds of other amazing schools out there where you can get a great education and still play sports. Not asking these questions upfront could very well result in disappointment and heartache later in the process and lead to needless time spent on the complicated Ivy League recruiting process, which could take away from learning about life-changing opportunities elsewhere.  

At Arthur Smith Advising, we’re here to help guide you on the best way to work with coaches to get the important answers to the questions of Ivy League admissibility and affordability and to help you take the steps after that to best position yourself to be a student-athlete in the Ivy League.