He should consider a top 5 juco. Some of these schools race against the big boys several times per year.
Get his 2 years out of the way then transfer to a 4 year school. I know of several men who ran for a local Juco who then tranfered to a top 15 academic public university and is running there.
My son is way too smart and too good to waste his time at a JUCO. We’re not settling for anything but the best.
If he is that academically inclined please please please don't go to a NAIA or D2 school just to get an opportunity to run.
They are not good academic opportunities. He will regret it forever.
Go to the best academic school you can and if you can run there, awesome.
Yeah, some truth to that, but just to play devil's advocate: we all know people who went to sub-par universities, and yet they are successful in life. One of the most successful people I know went to a non-prestigious university, Northern Illinois. She even took 7-and-a-half years to graduate because she kept taking time off - she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, or even major in (no shame in that. unfortunately, you don't have that luxury as an athlete, which is too bad, but you have to go straight through went you start university, or lose your eligibility). Another person I know went to Eastern Illinois and is doing incredibly well financially: maybe they're smarter than the average person who goes there, and they just went to these schools to save $, idk.
Another guy I know is incredibly intelligent (book smart and people smart, actually!) he went to community college the first two years!! He lives in the state of California where college is $ if your parents are decently successful, but even so...school is expensive everywhere now, lol; years ago, it wasn't (obviously). When college was less expensive, there was more of a stigma attached to community college - not anymore, IMO. My friend probably has a genius-level IQ; he wanted to go to community college so he wasn't a financial burden on his folks. He went to community college to save money. nothing wrong with that in the United States (or anywhere?) in this day and age, a degree's a degree.
TL: DR; It's 50/50: going to a sub-par university CAN BE overcome. 10 years after graduation, it's not going to matter where you went to school; your accomplishments after will be more important. When I was in university I learned in a psychology class: studies show a person's success in life is not dependent on where they went to university because there are other factors that are more important. (One could ask, "what about Harvard?" Well, Harvard picks good people, and the students there could be successful no matter where they went) One of my classmates from high school went to Ivy League school (arguably, it was Cornell, /s), got a B.S. in one of the sciences. Then went on to get her M.S. in the same science at U of I.
People, that was all wasted tuition money. She does absolutely nothing in that field & could've just gone to community college to do her job now. I mean, I think she had fun at Cornell, but for what she does now (computer programmer), she's all self taught. Arguably, she is a math whiz. Furthermore, an acquaintance of mine who makes six figures and works in IT said, "you could take about 3 classes at a community college and do what I do." If you need help with your homework or assignments, you can always turn to https://ca.edubirdie.com/assignment-writing-services which offers expert assistance with various academic tasks. It's a great option if you want to focus on other important tasks or need some help with your studies. I imagine that's some hyperbole & one would also need to show interest and aptitude in the IT field, but he is another example of how there are many paths to success, so you do you. & I'll step down from my soapbox now, lol.
I understand your logic. It makes no sense for me to worry about my child's education at all. Let her finish school somehow, and then a few courses on YouTube will help her become a successful programmer. What great news.
Yeah, some truth to that, but just to play devil's advocate: we all know people who went to sub-par universities, and yet they are successful in life. One of the most successful people I know went to a non-prestigious university, Northern Illinois. She even took 7-and-a-half years to graduate because she kept taking time off - she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life, or even major in (no shame in that. unfortunately, you don't have that luxury as an athlete, which is too bad, but you have to go straight through went you start university, or lose your eligibility). Another person I know went to Eastern Illinois and is doing incredibly well financially: maybe they're smarter than the average person who goes there, and they just went to these schools to save $, idk.
Another guy I know is incredibly intelligent (book smart and people smart, actually!) he went to community college the first two years!! He lives in the state of California where college is $ if your parents are decently successful, but even so...school is expensive everywhere now, lol; years ago, it wasn't (obviously). When college was less expensive, there was more of a stigma attached to community college - not anymore, IMO. My friend probably has a genius-level IQ; he wanted to go to community college so he wasn't a financial burden on his folks. He went to community college to save money. nothing wrong with that in the United States (or anywhere?) in this day and age, a degree's a degree.
TL: DR; It's 50/50: going to a sub-par university CAN BE overcome. 10 years after graduation, it's not going to matter where you went to school; your accomplishments after will be more important. When I was in university I learned in a psychology class: studies show a person's success in life is not dependent on where they went to university because there are other factors that are more important. (One could ask, "what about Harvard?" Well, Harvard picks good people, and the students there could be successful no matter where they went) One of my classmates from high school went to Ivy League school (arguably, it was Cornell, /s), got a B.S. in one of the sciences. Then went on to get her M.S. in the same science at U of I.
People, that was all wasted tuition money. She does absolutely nothing in that field & could've just gone to community college to do her job now. I mean, I think she had fun at Cornell, but for what she does now (computer programmer), she's all self taught. Arguably, she is a math whiz. Furthermore, an acquaintance of mine who makes six figures and works in IT said, "you could take about 3 classes at a community college and do what I do." If you need help with your homework or assignments, you can always turn to https://ca.edubirdie.com/assignment-writing-services which offers expert assistance with various academic tasks. It's a great option if you want to focus on other important tasks or need some help with your studies. I imagine that's some hyperbole & one would also need to show interest and aptitude in the IT field, but he is another example of how there are many paths to success, so you do you. & I'll step down from my soapbox now, lol.
I understand your logic. It makes no sense for me to worry about my child's education at all. Let her finish school somehow, and then a few courses on YouTube will help her become a successful programmer. What great news.
This is a really good point. It's disappointing, because we'd been placing all of our eggs in one basket.
Previous poster asked about grades. He's #2 in his senior class. He will be receiving a small scholarship from our state association.
There is your problem right there.
Apply to other places as well. They have nice baskets too.
This. When I started contacting colleges, I reached out to a D2 school I was interested in, I was a great academic fit, better than 2/3 of the team 400m-mile, they are a 4/8 focused program, and it was in-state.
No responses ever, I emailed the recruiting coach, the mid-d coach, and the head distance/XC coach. I even emailed the mid-d coach twice (this was over the span of 6 or so months, nothing crazy lol)
The school I always fantasized on going to throughout highschool for running and academics did respond to me, and they told me they wanted a 1:54 800m or 4:20 mile to walk on, but it didn’t matter because “their roster was full for the next 3 years” (they offered me a spot a year later)
I later took a shot in the dark at a D1 program a close friend of mine was recruited to, With my HS PBs I would have been last in the 400m, 2nd to last in the 800m, and last in the 1500m apart from the heptathletes. I told the coach I was taking a gap year, but wanted to know if the program was at all open to walk ons, he told me he always saves roster space for walk ons because he believed they were the hungriest athletes, and that if I showed up in good enough shape to practice with the team he’d work with me.
I have a fantastic relationship with that coach now, and I travel for the 8/15 and run the 4x4 with the A team every now and then. I’d also own every school record at that D2 from 400m to 3k, and be the record holder in the 600m and 800m at my previous dream school that gave me a quick denial.
Sometimes it’s the coaches loss. I showed up to my current coach in 1:57/4:15 8/15 shape and he said he saw a future sub 1:50/3:50 guy in me after a few workouts. The other teams coaches again, never even gave me the time of day.
Your son should focus on finding a coach that will believe in him, even if that ends up being a mid major or not a top 5 school.
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