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September 2004 – Athlete’s Advisor Newsletter :
Resources for College Bound Student Athletes and those that support them

in this edition...                 

New Articles- In the News - Elite Colleges: Do They pay - Things College Coaches Said -
NCAA Changes - Web Sites to help you search out colleges - Campus Visits - Being Recruited -Links

New Articles
Interview with Next Step Magazine's Editor Laura Jeanne Hammond - some interesting tips on admissions from Ms. Hammond and a mag/website resource worth checking out.
Excerpt from Joe Newton's Coaching Cross Country Successfully- Newton has won 24 consecutive Illinois state championships!
Nutrition - Peanut Butter: A Super Sports Food - the latest from Nancy Clark.
The Most Popular Nancy Clark Nutrition Article on this site - Healthy Weight Gain
The Coach's Advisor Vol. 1 - a new column created for CompuSports

In The News...

US Ranks Poorly on Higher Ed Affordability...really? Huh?   "In New Hampshire,  college costs amount to 32 percent of average family income compared to 23 percent a decade ago...

New book on Ivy League Recruiting has 'em squirming!  "Our book is about much more than sports: it's about ethics and politics; secrecy and hypocrisy; the influence of money; the loss of autonomy; perception versus reality; and the controversy in higher education over the place of athletics on campus" 
     The publishing company sent me a copy of Playing The Game Inside Athletic Recruiting in the Ivy League by Chris Lincoln and I think that it would be an informative read for someone interested in the Ivy League schools. However, l also  think this is a witch hunt that is a little misguided.  Why so much concern over a hard working kid with a 1,300 SAT being heavily recruited by Harvard, Yale and Penn?  There are a few controversies, I admit, but there are far worse things going on in college sports. 
  Again, on the plus side - it is educational about how the process works - but it is not a recruiting guide, nor  was it meant to be. There are several good interviews with coaches and administrators.  So, if you are Ivy minded, read it - if not, there are other things to concern yourself with.  In my humble opinion of course.
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Opening game suspension for athlete a matter of interpretation..UF Gator Style! The truth is, winning is what matters at the higher level of college sports. Understand this when you are getting involved. (As a FSU Seminole, I could not resist this one).

Student's Bus Powered By Vegetable Oil -I wonder if Middlebury's D-III NCAA Champion Men's and Women's ice hockey teams will travel to games in this bus?

Elite Private Colleges...Do they pay? 
According to information provided by College Admissions Consultants Road to College, there are several factors related to long term earning potential. The question they encourage you to ask is. How will my degree impact my earning potential and long term financial well being?  Start with the level of education you earn:
 
Table-I: Personal Income by Education Level (2001 US Census Data)

The next factor to consider, based on the their sources, was the selectivity of the college. I don't have a list of what schools fit in each category, but I do know that the Rank 1 Private would include Ivy League, Duke, Stanford, MIT, and several small liberal arts colleges like Williams, Swarthmore, Amherst, etc.

Table-II: Career Income by Selectivity - in 1997 dollars

The author of the article, Chuck Hughes, a former Harvard Hockey Goalie, admissions counselor for Harvard and author of What it Really Take to Get Into the Ivy League and Other Highly Selective Colleges summarized the findings:
     "While finances and the earnings potential are important factors in the decision making process, one should note the importance of finding a school where the student will excel and develop his/her academic and personal experiences in a manner that will support the students short and long-term goals. The financial implications for the students and parents are real, but they must be examined by comparing the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges of each institution to one another in the college search, selection and admissions processes."
     Personally, you can make an argument for and against any type(s) of college.  But this comes back full circle to the Chris Lincoln book mentioned above. The way the systems are in place at top tier schools, being a recruited student athlete CAN improve your chances of getting admitted beyond your chances if you just applied without athletics backing. You can't be off the charts from the norm, not by any stretch, but it increases your chances.
   The key is to find  the right environment for you and find a program that covets you as an athlete. The big name school is not always the best one for you, in fact they can often be the worst if you go there for the brand name only. 
     A great book to read, if you are troubled with the competitive college search issue, is Harvard Schmarvard - Getting Beyond the Ivy League for the College That is Best for You by Jay Mathews...the first 10 of this list of 100 underappreciated schools reads: Elon University (NC), Earlham College (Ind), Clark University (MA), College of Wooster (OH), Kalamazoo College (MI), Rhodes College (TN), Guilford College (NC), Occidental College (CA), Washington College (MD), and Illinois Wesleyan University.

Coaches I spoke with recently had this to say....
   Pete Egbert, Fitchburg State College, Baseball, Head Coach - "At a state school, I recruit differently. They type of kid I get is different from Fairfield where I used to be. I recruit one player per position, plus pitchers, because you never know who is going to be here from semester to semester - for a lot of reasons....athletes need reality checks about the level they can play at with some success; a good experience...I watch kids play who would be a great fit at the Division III level, and they don't want much to do with us because they got a letter from a D-II or D-I program...they don't realize how competitive a lot of D-III schools are...that's why I like Junior College kids...they know their talent level, they are experienced and they come in ready to play...a lot of those kids who wanted D-I end up calling programs like ours after their 1st or 2nd years on the bench anyway...
     Paul Enfanto, Salem State College, Girls Basketball, Assistant Coach, also a high school guidance counselor -  (I promised Paul I would email my write up before I posted it, so I can only say a little in this space)..."we look everywhere for players, this staff works very hard to watch summer tournaments, go to as many games in-season as we can, follow-up on every inquiry we get from players, referrals from other coaches, and even recruiting services, we try to look at everything...you never know why a player is interested in your program.  For example we have an excellent nursing program and that draws some players..."

NCAA Changes
   1) There is strong support at the Division I level to grant a 5th year of eligibility and abolish the practice of red-shirting. Since most college student take about 5 to graduate, the NCAA feels it makes sense to allow coaches to play athletes as freshmen as needed without worrying about losing red-shirt status. 
   2) The NCAA has revamped it's web site and it appears to be much more user friendly. Here is a good one to book mark - The Recruiting Resources page. Definitions, Calendars, National Letter of Intent, and more. Plus a new guide for college bound athletes.
  3) When can coaches call you?  It used to be after 7/1 following your junior year. Starting August 1, 2004, Division 1 coaches may make one phone call to a prospect during the month of March of a prospective student-athlete's junior year. The 7/1 date still applies for D-I and D-II.

Still confused about what colleges to look that meet you needs as a student and an athlete? Poke around a few of these sites:
   www.d3football.com - make sure you click on the team names and review their historical records and check out some of the other teams in the conference.
  www.laxpower.com - the ultimate in lacrosse rankings, recruiting and rumors. Find out what kids are going to which colleges, a ton of info.
www.ncaasports.com - every sport has a home page with links to articles, and most useful, rankings. Who have the top programs?  For example Women's Cross Country http://www.ncaasports.com/crosscountry/womens .
National Field Hockey Coaches Association - new to me, if you know of others please forward.

Campus Visits - before you know it, college coaches will be saying "if you are really interested in us, you should apply early decision, I can really support you with admissions."  This might be a good idea if you love the school, and you can live with whatever financial aid package you get, but you'd better see the place first and maybe compare it to your other front runners.  This is the time when you need to carve out time for campus visits, especially if you plan Early Decision or Early Action. 
  Schools vary in their deadlines, but early decision deadlines can be as early as 11/1/04 - one month away!

Are you being "recruited" by a few schools but do not have any kind of an "offer" yet?  You'd be surprised at the games college coaches play balancing recruits...in some cases, you are not their first choice at a position and they want to keep you in the mix in case their top recruits go elsewhere, but they do not want to commit to you and scare the others away.  A lot of times, once a school "offers"  the rest follow right behind and then the pressure starts..."we can't wait all year, we need to know now/soon/today/next week..." and other things like that get bantered about...there is no cookie cutter way to handle these situations other than do your research into academics, social life, athletics, playing potential, position coach, and the many other factors, PLUS factor in what school/coach really seems sincere in their interest...being wanted is a good thing!

Links -
Choosing a College Savings Plan - summarizes and compares State 529 Plans, 529 Prepaid Plans, Independent 529 Plans, Coverdell  Education Savings Accounts, and more
Independent529plan.org - a complete site dedicated to the Ind. 529 plan - private schools
NCAA.com now links to www.ncaasports.com
NCAA.org  is their official business site - rules, publications, etc. Let's hope they make that site a little user friendly as well.
Campus Dirt - where college students tell you how they really feel! Need to register but it is free.
NextStepMagazine - Life after High School, great for students and parents.


Recommended Services and Tools
College Coaches On-line - Directory of all college coaches. A must have to start your proactive college search.  Save $5 with code AA123
Collegiate Choice Walking Tours - an inexpensive way to see a campus!
estudentloan.com - the Lending Tree of student loans- comparison tool.
webball.com - baseball nuts will drool over this site!

Next Month - A close look at Division I, II and III and what they mean to you as an athlete. Recruiting dictionary.- Prep Schools- A close look at the NESCAC conference - How scholarships really work.

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