Ivy Track Recruiting

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

If all continues well, one of my children may be a recruited track and field athlete.  I have some questions that I hope some of my Cornell sports brethren can help with.

Of course, Ivies can't offer scholarships, but I know that some teams have the advantage of admissions preference for a limited number of their recruits.  Do you know if Cornell or the other Ivy track programs get a few gold stars to put on applications?  Just curious if anyone has any knowledge about this.  

The child I mentioned is only a H.S. freshman, so it's not a pressing matter, but it's something to consider.

[Swampy]

[quote Scott Kominkiewicz]If all continues well, one of my children may be a recruited track and field athlete.  I have some questions that I hope some of my Cornell sports brethren can help with.

Of course, Ivies can't offer scholarships, but I know that some teams have the advantage of admissions preference for a limited number of their recruits.  Do you know if Cornell or the other Ivy track programs get a few gold stars to put on applications?  Just curious if anyone has any knowledge about this.  

The child I mentioned is only a H.S. freshman, so it's not a pressing matter, but it's something to consider.[/quote]

Scott,

At the very least, your child will be a legacy. Probably not as good as a gold star for athletics, but it did wonders for Dubya at Yale!

[billhoward]

At some of the smaller elite colleges, student athletes make up a big fraction of the student body - 25%? - so if he or she runs a pretty good 400 meters, that's a leg up at Amherst over the same SAT score / same GPA not athlete.

I think the advantage would come apply itself as many as three times over at Cornell: first, because it's something the HS student has done over four years and stuck to it; second, if he or she appears to be able to make the team, in which case the person fills two slots (student, athlete); and third if he or she would be a standout on the team.

You can get a boost on admissions in odd ways. A friend who's active among Princeton football alumni tells me a talented woman a couple years back was a very good HS football team manager, really wanted to do same for the Tigers, and that combination was enough to have the football staff enthusiastically recommend her for admission, and she got in. She had the grades regardless and the special activity got her over the top among others with equal academics.

I don't see how I'd ever get into Cornell if I had to apply with the current caliber of applicants. But then I don't know how I made it the first time.

[KeithK]

[quote billhoward]I don't see how I'd ever get into Cornell if I had to apply with the current caliber of applicants. But then I don't know how I made it the first time.[/quote]
We wonder that sometimes too... (I kid, I kid.)

[billhoward]

Actually, I was New York State school photographer of the year three years running. I wasn't that good, but I guess it was off years for the competition, or Larry Baum forgot to enter. Maybe Cornell thought I'd be a good yearbook photographer and marked that slot [X] filled. Heh! They got a sportswriter instead.

Seriously, the thing that really helped was applying to be an exchange junior year, and the guidance counselor (who handled an entire class, not say students A-F for grades 9-12) had lots of time to write glowing recommendations junior year for AFS and YFU ... but had to hustle to write semi-glowing recommendations senior year, so he just recycled the junior year recommendaton as a college recommendation. The rest worked out well for me if not for the rest of Cornell or, now, poor eLynah.

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

Three years ago I posted this in reference to my daughter.  (I re-discovered this on a Google search.)  I got my answer, and it is yes.  She will be throwing for Dartmouth in the fall.  I'm very proud of her, although I wish she wound up at Cornell.  I can't argue much about her choice though.

[RichH]

Congratulations to you and your daughter, Scott!

[KeithK]

Congratulations to you and your daughter, Scott!

Yeah, congrats! Even if we'll have to root against her anytime she competes against Cornell. :-)

(Not that I have the foggiest idea when Cornell track and field competitions are. But still...)

[Trotsky]

Congratulations to you and your daughter, Scott!

Yeah, congrats! Even if we'll have to root against her anytime she competes against Cornell. :-)

(Not that I have the foggiest idea when Cornell track and field competitions are. But still...)

They are scheduled whenever you want to cut through Barton Hall.

[Scott Kominkiewicz]

Thanks for the well wishes.  Next year if you want to cut through Barton and there is a track meet in progress, and there are people wearing green uniforms with a large D on them, go to the throwers cage and say hi to Corinne.

I know what you mean about cutting through Barton.  To get from my U-Hall to Teagle for practice I would walk through the Campus Store, Statler, Barton, and across the street to Teagle. Didn't know about the tunnel then.

[Killer]

I know what you mean about cutting through Barton.  To get from my U-Hall to Teagle for practice I would walk through the Campus Store, Statler, Barton, and across the street to Teagle. Didn't know about the tunnel then.

I preferred to stay outside on my walk to practice.  The cold air kept my ice cream from melting.

[Swampy]

I know what you mean about cutting through Barton.  To get from my U-Hall to Teagle for practice I would walk through the Campus Store, Statler, Barton, and across the street to Teagle. Didn't know about the tunnel then.

I preferred to stay outside on my walk to practice.  The cold air kept my ice cream from melting.

And my hair, coming from Teagle. ::drunk::

[Willy '06]

And my hair, coming from Teagle. ::drunk::

It kept your hair from melting?

[Swampy]

And my hair, coming from Teagle. ::drunk::

It kept your hair from melting?

After gym class, I used to take a shower. Usually my hair would freeze after a few minutes in sunny Ithaca weather. Killer said he preferred not to cut through Barton Hall because by staying outside the cold air kept his ice cream from melting. So I said, [it also] kept my hair from melting. Get it?

[Jim Hyla]

And my hair, coming from Teagle. ::drunk::

It kept your hair from melting?

After gym class, I used to take a shower. Usually my hair would freeze after a few minutes in sunny Ithaca weather. Killer said he preferred not to cut through Barton Hall because by staying outside the cold air kept his ice cream from melting. So I said, [it also] kept my hair from melting. Get it?

Yeah, now.