When to begin to be concerned about college showcases

[diamond14]

"typically IVY league schools won't talk serious with prospects until their SR year to make sure they have the grades to get in first"

This is misleading and my DD fell for this misinformation. She did not attend UPenn camp until late fall of Jr year. Her (our) thinking was that it allowed for more softball development and by then she could demonstrate grades/SAT/ACT. While all that was good strategy, and she certainly was in the academic profile, that die had been cast.
It was clear at least three girls there were committed to Penn's application process (and the coaches to them), the players said as much. Those three girls are now on the roster including a pitcher who flew up from TX that OS probably knows.
Additionally, she played a team this summer that had a pitcher that Vertigo probably is familiar with who had just finished her Jr year and had committed to Yale mid-winter Jr year.
So, if your DD is serious about Ivy schools (D1), start contacting coaches early and be able to demonstrate both academic and softball abilities appropriate to that level. Do not miss the recruiting window that others claim starts later.

 

[Vertigo]

How does a girl make it on the Harvard softball team?

Saw them a couple years ago, as well as other Ivies, at New England’s Finest summer and fall showcases.

Have to start getting on their radar no later than sophomore year of high school. Very important to go to their camps and then email them your showcase schedule as soon as it comes out so they can see if it fits their travel plans for summer/fall. Take SAT/ACT around beginning of junior year as a baseline to see how much more focus (tutoring) you will need to commit to these tests. Take as many honors/AP classes that you can comfortably handle and ones that you are specifically interested in. They absolutely will start contacting their top recruits on Sept 1 of their junior year, so obviously the fall and summer travel seasons right before then are extremely important!

Diamond - I do know who you are talking about. Faced her a few times in travel. My DD’s HS and hers were in the same county, and her team played BT’s DD’s team in the state finals.

 

[benjey]

So, which has more value? Camps or Showcases?

In my experience it is not one or the other but both as they work hand in hand. IMO camps are the best way to get on a coach's radar as they get to work directly with you for an extended period of time but you can't just show up unannounced you should be emailing the coaching staff well before you show up at a camp. You want them to know your name before you arrive. This doesn't happen with one email. Your DD needs to be consistently contacting schools she may be interested in.

The goal of attending the camp is to show enough potential that the coaching staff will come watch you play. Make use of the handshake line at the end of the camp for something more than the photo op. Ask the coaches what tournaments/showcases they will be attending. Let them know which of these you will be playing in. Be sure to email them your schedule before each tournament even the ones they will not be at. If they come see you play they have some interest.

 

[benjey]

Definitely don't wait until senior year if your DD is interested in an IVY. Most(not all) of the spots in IVY recruiting classes are filled by then. Just browse Twitter and you will see plenty of 2023 recruits who committed to Ivy league schools since September 1 this year. My DD and her travel teammate both committed to the same Ivy in early September last year as juniors.

Coinciding with this advice is you need to be contacting them and attending camps well before junior year. Also ignore your schools advice to wait until fall of junior year to take the SAT or ACT. Early and often is my advice if you are interested in high academic schools including Ivies.

 

[Vertigo]

Also ignore your schools advice to wait until fall of junior year to take the SAT or ACT. Early and often is my advice if you are interested in high academic schools including Ivies.

This is the only thing I’m not so sure about - reason being it is highly recommended that you have at least one semester of Algebra 2 before sitting for the SAT/ACT. Not sure if most juniors do or not. Most HS recommend SAT/ACT testing for the first time the spring of junior year - after they have taken the PSAT. Of course this is for non-athletic recruits.

I’d say if you are advanced in math and have time to prepare for the test beforehand, then taking it late sophomore year might be feasible - but it is not typical.

 

[PapaBear]

"typically IVY league schools won't talk serious with prospects until their SR year to make sure they have the grades to get in first"

This is misleading and my DD fell for this misinformation. She did not attend UPenn camp until late fall of Jr year. Her (our) thinking was that it allowed for more softball development and by then she could demonstrate grades/SAT/ACT. While all that was good strategy, and she certainly was in the academic profile, that die had been cast.
It was clear at least three girls there were committed to Penn's application process (and the coaches to them), the players said as much. Those three girls are now on the roster including a pitcher who flew up from TX that OS probably knows.
Additionally, she played a team this summer that had a pitcher that Vertigo probably is familiar with who had just finished her Jr year and had committed to Yale mid-winter Jr year.
So, if your DD is serious about Ivy schools (D1), start contacting coaches early and be able to demonstrate both academic and softball abilities appropriate to that level. Do not miss the recruiting window that others claim starts later.

Nothing misleading about what I said and you confirmed exactly what I said. I stated that you'll see girls say that they started the application process to an Ivy League School. I didn't say they wouldn't be contacted on Sept. 1st, mine was contacted by Yale, Harvard and Cornell. I just said they'll get serious about recruiting their SR year or leading into SR year.

 

[Vertigo]

Nothing misleading about what I said and you confirmed exactly what I said. I stated that you'll see girls say that they started the application process to an Ivy League School.

What these players are stating is that they are committed to the “application process” at an Ivy as they cannot state that they are committed to the school itself before they actually get accepted to the school (unlike other D1 programs where you can state you are verbally committed to “x” school). It’s a matter of semantics. They will usually state this their junior year on or after 9/1.

The coaches definitely have serious talks with recruits prior to their senior year, as most Ivy recruits know well before senior year that the school wants them if they can get get through admissions, and will advise the recruits what they need to do academically to get through admissions. These schools also know which recruits are most likely to get in based on grades and test scores prior to senior year.

 

[radness]

In my opinion showcases in general are not all that important. Camps are what gets you recruited.

Camps are great to get your name in front of the coach. Showcasing is great to play against competition you may never get to see and get lots of games in that will be live-streamed for the coaches to watch both on a set schedule and video replay.

 

[PapaBear]

What these players are stating is that they are committed to the “application process” at an Ivy as they cannot state that they are committed to the school itself before they actually get accepted to the school (unlike other D1 programs where you can state you are verbally committed to “x” school). It’s a matter of semantics. They will usually state this their junior year on or after 9/1.

The coaches definitely have serious talks with recruits prior to their senior year, as most Ivy recruits know well before senior year that the school wants them if they can get get through admissions, and will advise the recruits what they need to do academically to get through admissions. These schools also know which recruits are most likely to get in based on grades and test scores prior to senior year.

I’m on board with what you’re saying. Mine as soon as midnight was getting messages from Ivy League. Setting up calls and zoom calls for 9/3. Where we differ is the term serious interest, different schools may have different views of how they go about the process. Cornell for example said they wouldn’t seriously talk with two of our players until SR year, a player being recruited was a 4.6 GPA, 34 ACT and the other was a Top 100 player, 3.8 GPA 26 ACT. This team finished Top 10 PGF in 2019. Yale right out of shoot on 15 min call said almost the same thing as Cornell did, SR year (as soon as last pitch of HS clicks into SR year) summer all the way until NSD or after. But to get back to the original question, don’t wait but make sure your player is geared towards Ivy League requirements as soon as possible to shorten any delay.

 

[diamond14]

PBear,
If I misunderstood you, I apologize. Just wanted to make sure players did not make seem error our family did based on information we gathered. The high academic schools are a tough nut to crack and it helps to work every advantage your player/student has in her favor.