Best overall Ivy?

Was on the women’s team at Yale a while ago and absolutely loved it. I loved the social scene, academics, and the day to day life there. The academics were great and also not too intense (grade inflation). The Yale name absolutely sets you up for life after graduating too.

The track team was pretty much always last at HEPS when I was there but I didn’t care. I enjoyed my teammates and the process. The team atmosphere wasn’t toxic like it was at other teams at the time (Harvard). The coaches have all turned over since then so I can’t comment on them, but it seems like the team is performing better now.

Don’t let the bus out to the track deter you. It’s actually a really nice 10 minute break to chill and it’s great to get off campus and into nature. There are really nice forest trails out there for long runs.

Base your decision off what school you like, not which team performs the best.

I think it’s clear you should focus on Princeton. Try to get a more clear understanding of your admission chances. And pick a #2 option.

A good thing to remember is these are all great schools. If you’re a well adjusted kid open to new experiences and exclude stuff that obviously turns you off (it sounds like Dartmouth did), you are going to have a good time around 1000 other bright kids your age.

Also, you need to decide after official visits where you stay overnight with a student on the team. An official visit is a totally different experience than just taking a tour of the campus.
I was dead set on one school after a general tour, but completely changed my mind after an official visit.

Found the Vanderbilt alum.

Actual Ivy: Big Green Dartmouth College

Little Ivy: Polar Bears Bowdoin College

State Ivy: University of Michigan

Yes I did speak with D3s and also visited D3s. Sorry, I didn’t like any of them. I have my reasons but I’m not going into that because that’s not the point of this thread and I don’t want to change the subject

UNC Chapel Hill alum. The best of all worlds.

You sound like you may have a difficult time fitting in with a college team and college coach.

I can’t wait.

I have to ED to a school whose offer I accept. It’s just how it works. And obviously I would be guaranteed to get right in fully coach supported.

If I accept no offers, I have to ED to Princeton on my own. Legacies always do better in ED.

So I need to decide something before ED deadlines (Nov 1st). Take an offer of ED to Princeton?

I appreciate it but RDing anywhere doesn’t make sense

Duke and Vanderbilt would be awesome, but I tried. No response/interest from either

Why, because I said I don’t like the D3s???…

I like plenty of schools. I have four Ivies still in the running. I like lots of other schools (actually more than the Ivies) too and reached out but didn’t get any interest (UVA, Duke, Vanderbilt), or didn’t even try because I knew they were too good (ND, Stanford). I would love to go to all those places. And no I can’t apply and walk on because I wouldn’t get in. Princeton legacy gives me the best chance there.

I am actually still engaged with two D3s as well. Because I’m basically being called uncoachable and a misfit, I guess I have to explain why I don’t like them a lot.

A lot of them (YES I KNOW NOT ALL) are barely even a step up from high school programs. They have hour restrictions on the practices they can hold. Running isn’t nearly as important as academics to the kids on the team. I want it to be equally important. That’s what you get at the IVIES NOT D3.

I also visited and they were really small, didn’t like the locations, teams didnt seem like they had fun at all. I have some friends on D3/NESCACs teams (not just XCTF) at and they do not like it. There’s more but I’m tired and don’t want to type it right now

This I would also love but again super fast. Didn’t even reach out

What are your 15/16 and 3k/32 track times?

exactly. he's implying this is a total preference game. it never is unless you put numbers aside. there is no all things being equal. an elite brains and legs guy might try stanford or ND like you suggest. the weaker you get in some facet, the more power, patriot, or d3 would come into play.

also, the anti d3 snootiness of the framing is odd if it's highly academically driven. you're like only these serious schools. if it's just about schools UAA, nescac, hopkins, MIT, caltech, and the claremonts should be in play.

it's then odd to say none of the ivy plus d1s with better running programs if you're like above d3 in your head.

that's setting aside the unwillingness to give times or even a range to me feels pot stir.

and yeah it's interesting to compare schools in the abstract but that's not how recruiting works so details matter.

Wash U, U Chicago, Johns Hopkins are all the same size as Ivies and runners are serious about competing.

Unfortunately, I think the legacy influence is waning. In fact, I think several top schools have dropped this explicitly or are banned by state law. I think PU gives some preference, but it's marginal. I'm also surprised by your D3 comment. I don't follow the women so closely, but for example over the last few years the Pomona men would have beaten every Ivy team except Harvard or PU. They would destroy bottom feeders like Yale or Brown. I suspect the sand is true for the top women's teams like MIT or U Chicago. You may not like these schools, but their teams are far more serious than teams at several Ivies.

Pomona is too far away from where I’d like

~4:55 and ~10:35

you're either full of crap or not as fast as you imply. there are ivies with nationals level teams. at an individual level their venns overlap with stanford and ND.

or you don't understand how XC works. your guys intersperse with mine. i beat you because our cumulative finishes are better. but none of the options are like 1 2 3 4 5 = 15. you're for some reason pretending either (a) you're awesome but every ivy would want you but you somehow can't even be a squadie for stanford, which is crap or (b) that if you're not to that standard -- where you can't even be squadie there -- that you're somehow a sure thing at every ivy and you're somehow above d3.

nah. bull.