Ivy question

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Mar 22, 2010
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My dd got a 1530 on her SAT. She's is targeting NESCAC schools where she would be more of a "role" player. She wouldn't be able to play at the D1 level. I have heard in other sports in Ivy and Patriot Leagues of kids who were brought on the team strictly for their grades with the understanding that they would never see the field. Have others heard of this - particularly in softball?
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
My dd got a 1530 on her SAT. She's is targeting NESCAC schools where she would be more of a "role" player. She wouldn't be able to play at the D1 level. I have heard in other sports in Ivy and Patriot Leagues of kids who were brought on the team strictly for their grades with the understanding that they would never see the field. Have others heard of this - particularly in softball?

I know it happens in softball. I’d be surprised to see it in the conferences like the Ivy though where all their kids are smart enough to keep the team GPA high.
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
My dd got a 1530 on her SAT. She's is targeting NESCAC schools where she would be more of a "role" player. She wouldn't be able to play at the D1 level. I have heard in other sports in Ivy and Patriot Leagues of kids who were brought on the team strictly for their grades with the understanding that they would never see the field. Have others heard of this - particularly in softball?

Great SAT score!

There are a couple of Ivy schools in softball that I certainly suspect do this especially based on how (and sometimes who) they walk kids into admission. I haven't seen any of the Patriot league do it but then I haven't looked as close there.

Ivy's require their incoming class to average the same test score as the average incoming student at the school... ACT is easier to demonstrate...

Lets call the target score 32.
If I have 3 incoming players I need their combined ACT score to add up 96
So if I can get a couple of 34 ACT outfielders, I can bring in a 28 ACT pitcher.

Now having said all that, frankly unless their is a very specific program your DD is pursuing or there is a specific Ivy environment she wants to attend, personally I would probably prefer to do what you are already doing - pursuing the schools in the NESCAC, NEWMAC and similar D3 academic conferences and get to play even as a role player than go to an Ivy. But then everyone's DD journey is their own.
 
Jan 31, 2015
249
43
First I've heard of that practice, but in general there are schools where softball comes first especially if they give you an athletic scholarship versus schools where academics comes first. Since Ivy league doesn't give athletic scholarships, obviously academics come first.

All you have to do is look at the majors of the roster. If you see a bunch of kinesiology majors, sports management, and other *soft* majors, it's a great indicator that softball comes first. Look for rosters with hard core majors (engineering, chemistry, biology, computer science, etc.) for
programs where academics come first.

IMHO, the Patriot League schools are the best of both worlds. They are D1 and academics come first like the Ivy League but they give scholarships.

My sophomore DD just had a great showing at Bucknell's fall camp. She had the best hit (triple to the wall in right/center field) in all of the scrimmages, and she K'd 8 in 4 Innings giving up zero runs with no BBs and only 2 singles 1 of which was an infield hit.

DD dreams of playing D1, goes to a prep school and is going to be a computer science major which I have yet to find on any D1 roster. I was a computer science major and have concerns about how a D1 sport would be possible especially in cold weather schools where they usually play the vast majority of their games on the road.


My dd got a 1530 on her SAT. She's is targeting NESCAC schools where she would be more of a "role" player. She wouldn't be able to play at the D1 level. I have heard in other sports in Ivy and Patriot Leagues of kids who were brought on the team strictly for their grades with the understanding that they would never see the field. Have others heard of this - particularly in softball?
 
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
First I've heard of that practice, but in general there are schools where softball comes first especially if they give you an athletic scholarship versus schools where academics comes first. Since Ivy league doesn't give athletic scholarships, obviously academics come first.

All you have to do is look at the majors of the roster. If you see a bunch of kinesiology majors, sports management, and other *soft* majors, it's a great indicator that softball comes first. Look for rosters with hard core majors (engineering, chemistry, biology, computer science, etc.) for
programs where academics come first.

IMHO, the Patriot League schools are the best of both worlds. They are D1 and academics come first like the Ivy League but they give scholarships.

My sophomore DD just had a great showing at Bucknell's fall camp. She had the best hit (triple to the wall in right/center field) in all of the scrimmages, and she K'd 8 in 4 Innings giving up zero runs with no BBs and only 2 singles 1 of which was an infield hit.

DD dreams of playing D1, goes to a prep school and is going to be a computer science major which I have yet to find on any D1 roster. I was a computer science major and have concerns about how a D1 sport would be possible especially in cold weather schools where they usually play the vast majority of their games on the road.

The Patriot League is great, but don’t rule out other schools over false stereotypes. Academics come before softball at almost every school at every level, including the P5’s.

ISU is definitely a cold weather school and here are our majors. Engineering(4), Biology(2), Business, Finance, Communication, Elementary Ed, Criminal Justice, Kinesiology(3) and Liberal Arts. If you look at cold weather schools in the Big 10 you’ll see this is pretty typical. You’ll also have a hard time finding a one without a Computer Science or closely related major.

BTW, Kinesiology is NOT a soft major. Many of those kids are moving on to get their masters and work as physical therapists or other professions in the medical field.
 

ArmyStrong

Going broke on softball
Sep 14, 2014
87
8
Pacific NW
My dd got a 1530 on her SAT. She's is targeting NESCAC schools where she would be more of a "role" player. She wouldn't be able to play at the D1 level. I have heard in other sports in Ivy and Patriot Leagues of kids who were brought on the team strictly for their grades with the understanding that they would never see the field. Have others heard of this - particularly in softball?

Great SAT Score! Congratulations!! Regardless of her choice of school, please tell me she's still applying for admission to some of the Ivies. If she were to get in and the picture may become more clear, the decision making process may change a bit.
 
Mar 22, 2010
128
28
Great SAT Score! Congratulations!! Regardless of her choice of school, please tell me she's still applying for admission to some of the Ivies. If she were to get in and the picture may become more clear, the decision making process may change a bit.

Softball is not driving the process so she will be applying to Ivies if that is of interest to her but she's a 2020 so we have some time.
 
Jan 31, 2015
249
43
If you're getting a full ride to an major program then you're there to play softball first. DD's old club has an older pitcher a few years ago who only dreamed of playing for Florida all her life. Supposedly, she was offered a partial scholarship by them but she also wanted to be pre-med and was told that's fine but you're here to play softball first. Instead she took a free ride from Binghamton since they said academics come before softball.

As far as soft majors, by *soft* I meant work load related. It's not just about memorizing medical or law terms. Other than engineering and biology all of those majors you listed below are soft including kinesiology.

And several Big 10 schools are on my DD's list (many more than Patriot League) but none of them have a computer science major on the roster.


The Patriot League is great, but don’t rule out other schools over false stereotypes. Academics come before softball at almost every school at every level, including the P5’s.

ISU is definitely a cold weather school and here are our majors. Engineering(4), Biology(2), Business, Finance, Communication, Elementary Ed, Criminal Justice, Kinesiology(3) and Liberal Arts. If you look at cold weather schools in the Big 10 you’ll see this is pretty typical. You’ll also have a hard time finding a one without a Computer Science or closely related major.

BTW, Kinesiology is NOT a soft major. Many of those kids are moving on to get their masters and work as physical therapists or other professions in the medical field.
 
Last edited:
Nov 18, 2013
2,255
113
If by “major” you’re talking top 10 softball schools it would be extremely difficult for a girl to keep her talent high enough to see the field and the grades high enough to get into med school. In a case like that I’d say she chose academics over softball so essentially we’d agree. If by “major” you’re including the rest of the P5’s I can tell you for a fact its academics first. I’ve heard stories of coaches who wouldn’t allow certain majors or said softball comes first. I’ve never heard it directly or from any parents or girls who actually played for one of those schools. Doesn’t mean they don’t exist, I just have reason to doubt it based on firsthand experience.

We’ll just have to disagree on “soft” majors. Good luck to your DD whichever path she takes.
 

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