IV League admissions through fencing

[andreraf]

So i will be applying to college next year
I have been fencing since freshman year and I recently got my E
I qualified for Summer nationals and now fence 3 times a week to get ready.

How good do you really have to be, with decent grades, to get into an Ivy League for fencing?
thanks!

[AndrewH]

As an E? Forget about it...

I mean, if your grades/SAT's/activities/etc are good enough to get you into an Ivy, then sure. But being an E who fenced for 3 years won't get you any sway anywhere, much less at an Ivy school.

If you do get in on your own merits though, feel free to go out for the team, you may be able to earn a spot as a walk-on depending on their needs at the time.

[KD5MDK]

With merely decent grades? (say, 3.2 GPA, 1200 SAT)
I'd say you need to be top 32 FIE Junior Points.

Great grades? A lot lower.

[sabrelion]

Not even top 32 USFA Junior points?

[KD5MDK]

I was lowballing the grades and SAT pretty hard for an Ivy.

[catwood1]

I agree with AndrewH. If you are an E, you will not get into an Ivy because of your fencing. If you are a great student, and get in anyway, you may still be able to fence on the team (depending on the school of course). But, dont' count on your fencing getting you in.

[brtech]

Just went through this. A "B" is not enough. A "B" and 1450 and a top 2% and 40s NJPS and excelllent references and good essays and ... is not enough.

An A and top 16, and 1400 something and ... may be enough, dunno.

I also helps to be female and interested in engineering; another girl with nearly identical stats got into an Ivy and my daughter didn't; that was the biggest difference we could see.

It is, however, a real cr**p shoot. If you are competitive but not stellar, you wont know why you did or did not make it.

[AndrewH]

Yea honestly Ivy's don't have much rhyme or reason to their admissions, even if you're a straight A student with amazing SAT's an an activity list a mile long, you could be rejected for no particular reason. If that's where your heart is set on, apply to lots, maybe one of them will be looking for someone of your background/character.

[hello?]

No matter what, fencing or no fencing, you will never know why you did or did not make it into any school, Ivy or not. Some kids I know did not get into NYU (applying early) and got into Columbia, some did not get into Sacred Heart and got into Georgetown....Not that I am putting any of these schools down, it's just to say it varies. Also, a coach might help you with admissions if he is low in your particular weapon (or if, believe it or not, the other fencers on the team tell him they know and like you). It all depends. And it varies from year to year, with fencers graduating, etc. The only thing you can do is try!

[thrush]

Honestly, it's better to try to get in on grades alone. But *do* talk to the head coach--you'd be surprised what he or she can do for you! I can tell you my head coach pulled some strings for me and I wasn't on Jr Points at the time either. Most head coaches will help you out as much as they can if they see you're dedicated to academics, really interested in the university, and passionate about fencing. And, yeah, the head coach won't go to the same extremes to get you into the university as he would with one of the top fencers in the country who regularly competes internationally and makes results--but it definitely doesn't hurt to try.

--thrush--

[Peach]

It's basically a lottery at this stage because they get so many qualified applicants.

[sabrelion]

It's nearly all about connections and quotas...and money, of course.

[Phaeton]

Well...I hear needing surgery or comprehensive medical treatment is a great way to get into the IV league.

[Wingate85]

Yea honestly Ivy's don't have much rhyme or reason to their admissions, even if you're a straight A student with amazing SAT's an an activity list a mile long, you could be rejected for no particular reason. If that's where your heart is set on, apply to lots, maybe one of them will be looking for someone of your background/character.

This is not true. If you are a recruited fencer (high on the junior point standings) with the mandated academic credentilas, dedicated to the sport, and the kids on the team like you your chances are very good that you WILL get in.

[piste off]

This is not true. If you are a recruited fencer (high on the junior point standings) with the mandated academic credentilas, dedicated to the sport, and the kids on the team like you your chances are very good that you WILL get in.

What AndrewH posted was close to correct (there is always a reason, even if it is what Peach says, in that there are so many other qualified candidates). Note that he did not have the added stipulation of someone also being a "recruited fencer."

Rick

[freerider258]

If you're looking at fencing on any college team, (I know I am being vague here) what should your fencing resume have in it. Like, what rating is acknowledgable to get in, (on scholarship and not), and do you have to go o national events. Broad and vague question, I know. Looking for same kind of answer.
Thanks

[epeelion]

Usually a B, preferably an A ranking for the ivies and big state schools. Points list is good, Division II and II results are usually not very important.

For Division II programs, or programs that don't have enough fencers, I'm not sure. Probably depends a lot on the coach.

[brtech]

If you're looking at fencing on any college team, (I know I am being vague here) what should your fencing resume have in it. Like, what rating is acknowledgable to get in, (on scholarship and not), and do you have to go o national events. Broad and vague question, I know. Looking for same kind of answer.
Thanks

If you are looking for a fencing scholarship, you need a DIV 1 school. Generally speaking, to get that scholarship, you need an A and a very high ranking on the points list.

To use fencing to get you a leg up on the other 10,000 applicants, you need a B or an A, and some kind of decent standing on the points list. Coaches know what they can work with. They will ask you about your grades and scores. From there, it depends on what the coach needs. If the team has several strong male epees, then you probably have to be top 3 to get his attention. If he really desperately needs foilists, and you are a decent foilist, you may be higher on his list. Every coach gets to put a small number of fencers on his top list, where the admissions committee will give serious weight. In one Ivy I am familiar with, that number is 3 (total, not per weapon or per sex). Most coaches who know how to work the system will get several more fencers in if, and only if, everything else on the resume really is at least middle of the pack of accepted students. If you are lower quartile, that won't be enough to get you in.

As with all other threads on this subject, first pick your schools based on academics. Then on how you feel when you are there. Then maybe think about fencing.

Fencing helped two of my daughters stand out. If you are dedicated, and have the results, it can help you.

[fencerbill]

As far as your fencing goes, it would be a big help if you just got back from Sicily.

The influence a coach has with admissions varies widely. And can change with change of head of Admissions. George K. seems to be able to get people into Columbia/Barnard. Coachs at other schools complain they have little influence.

And a coach has to choose his battles, he won't go to the wall for 10 kids. If he wants one fencer badly, that may be the only one he fights for.

There is a slight difference due to gender. Cornell and Tufts have Women's varsity teams but the men have only a club, if they are lucky. Not sure about Temple at the moment. Dartmouth doesn't have even a Women's varsity team, only a club.

I assume you are referring to colleges "like" the Ivies. There are others beside just the 8 Ivies. MIT and Brandeis are just a couple local to me. For the military academies, Air Force has NCAA varsity, West Point has a strong club but I don't think Navy has anything.

Get in on your grades. Then if you have time, enjoy the fencing also.

Coaches at schools like MIT and Brandeis are sometimes pleasantly surprised by who walks in the fencing room door. It is not unheard of for people to start fencing at such schools and contribute strongly to the team by the time they are Seniors. Strongly motivated people can improve their fencing a lot at a school with a full time coach. He has a lot of time to give lessons.

[AlphaFire X5]

Pick a college based on academics, not on fencing.