Recommended College Programs with These Times?

I don't have any recommendations, but that 1600m time is basically good enough to walk on to almost any team in the nation. Now you probably won't get a scholarship with it at the elite distance schools, but 4:15 1600m opens a lot of doors. That's pretty elite as a sophomore.

He's not getting into an Ivy League school with that GPA, and his times aren't so good as to have them look the other way, so no worries there, pops.

I have been told that Runcruit is not at all accurate and the times listed are way slower than schools actual target times

? Any advice on good college programs ?

Runcruit sucks. You're right.

As it currently stands, I'd go high-D3: CMU, Williams, WashU, Emory. Expensive, but if you can get in, the average salary makes it worth it.

As a few others have said, the 1600 time, if improvement continues, could set you up for decent scholarship opportunities. Given mid-d and given Northeast, I can see a Villanova, Georgetown, or Penn State making sense.

Also, please do me a favor: no one gives a crap about any excuses (mono, etc.); your son's times are what he ran, not what you or anyone else thinks he can run.

Appreciate it, Thanks for taking the time to offer advice.

Context was meant to inform that junior indoor wasn't as good as Sophomore outdoor and that would count against him BUT point taken!

"target times' in general are a bit of a farce. I've had college coaches offer significant scholarship money to some of my athletes who were :30-1:00 off their listed standards for various events. It comes down to what the coach needs for that cycle, how much money he still has available, and what kind of package your son can get academically which of course varies wildly by school.

I would also consider what kind of runner he wants to be in college. His 5k is probably not getting him very far with a school that focuses on XC, but his 1600 suggests he can become a conference scorer on the track in some mid-major D1 conferences, or potentially win conference and make nationals in D2. It really depends on what kind of kid the coach is looking for, and what kind of system your son wants to be in. If he really wants to be more of a 5k/10k/XC guy, some strong 3200 times (think consistent sub-9:00) would go a long way.

All that being said, it's hard to advise specific schools without knowing more preferences like school size, division, or a geographical region.

He's not getting into an elite program just yet; for sure, he has no money. He clearly cares somewhat about school so my advice would be to use running as a way to get into schools that might otherwise be an academic reach.

Top-end D3 schools would be a great option, both academicly strong and he'd be able to go to nats, something unlikley at D1 level. There are several non-ivy D1 but still very good schools in the Northeast (Im thinking Colgate type stuff) that he could use his times to help leverage acceptance. Have a fine career on a bad team but make bank post grad.

However, if running is truly his dream and you're willing to support it, he could probably walk on to decent d1 programs provided he sees linear progression in his times.

My advice would be figure out what he really wants from school outside running. What does he want to study, how academicly inclined in he. From there you can then start using running to find A) community and B) somewhere he can potentially leverage running to get acceptance into a school hes really excited about.

I was a mid student but a very tallented runner in HS an was able to leverage my running to get into a school that on paper I wasnt as smart as but faster than. I'm super happy with my decison. Maybe I'd be running faster somewhere else but academiclly I'm challeneged an because of the school on my degree ill be well off post grad. + I get to travel to big meets and race at nats, something I wouldnt have been able to do as much at my old program.

Out out of high school I went top flight D1 with no regard for academics and on zero money. I ended up miserable and transfered to a smaller less competitive school but significantly better school academiclly and it was the best decision I ever made

St. Peter's in Newark, New Jersey

being a student/athlete is tough. he should choose a school where the academics best meet his interests. still being in HS I'm sure he hasn't narrowed that down yet to a specific field, but hopefully as he researches schools some of the course studies will peak his interest.

Daniel Lincoln ran a 4:16 in HS... and went on to be 14x All American and set the AR in the steeple so anything is possibe.. BUT he was also coached by the GOAT of track coaches