use track to get into good college, quit team

Not to worry. Princeton will have a fine team without you.

However, I'll say this: People who are on teams get higher GPAs (on average) than do those who are not; and they get higher GPAs (on average) when their teams are in season, compared to how they do during the off-season. So if you're interested in academic success--particularly at a school that's an academic stretch for you--being with a team is probably the way to go.

of course this is possible, however it isn't right and is very unfair to the coach who is spending effort and a spot to help get you in. he is expecting you will do well for his program in return.

why would you not want to run for the team after you are admitted? is the team bad or what?

would you feel bad doing this? im sure you'll do what you want regardless, but i dont think this is the best thing to do

I used running to get into a great school and then quit the team after two years. It was D3 (no scholarships) so once I matriculated I had the same opportunities and obligations as everyone else in my class.

I would highly recommend using whatever permitted means available to get into the best school you can.

Unless you are ultra fast, there isn't really a "spot" for you.

This might be on average, but only if you study something ridiculous like psychology or English. I highly doubt engineering majors would do better if they spent an addition 10-20 hours a week running for a team.

kibitzear wrote:

Not to worry. Princeton will have a fine team without you.

However, I'll say this: People who are on teams get higher GPAs (on average) than do those who are not; and they get higher GPAs (on average) when their teams are in season, compared to how they do during the off-season. So if you're interested in academic success--particularly at a school that's an academic stretch for you--being with a team is probably the way to go.

Once you've been accepted to a school they can't kick you out for leaving the team. You can get kicked out for other things (failing, violence, criminal activity, etc).

This is a very dishonest thing to do, but yes, you could easily use running to get accepted to a school and then quit the team after first semester if you really wanted to. Personally I would give it some time as you might change your mind.

I think this is an extremely dishonest thing to do, especially given that it looks as if you are already planning it.

If you are not academically qualified to enter the school on your own merits, but use a recruiting slot to get in - and have no intention of running- this is very dishonest. You have not only lied to the coach but also hurt your future teammates and also have stolen a spot from someone else.

If you are planning on doing this, I suggest being honest and sharing your little scheme with the coach.

An athlete certainly has no obligation to participate all 4 years, but taking a recruiting spot under false pretences is the same as lying and, in my opinion, stealing a spot. If you're ok with that, go ahead.

I think kibitzear was spot on, especially for degrees like engineering.

Training/Racing with a team gives you time away from studying, gets your mind on something else, allows you to socialize with others who have a similar interest outside of school, and provides structure for that time off.

If you're not in a sport, it's tough to know when to stop goofing off (or to at least have the self-discipline to do so) and when to get back in to your studies on a daily basis. I got my degree in Mech Eng at Michigan and don't believe I would have done as well as I did without being on the team.

To the OP:

Please don't run in college if you don't really want to. You're going to make everyone including yourself miserable for awhile if you don't want to be there.

You also piss in the corn flakes of every runner who comes after you in your program that might want to run at that school.

Have some integrity.

Once you gain admission you can attend the school until you graduate or fail out regardless of whether you are on the track team or not. The question is why would you want to go to a school you cant even get in to academically? You realize that means you will be the least academically oriented person in virtually of your classes. Meaning you will probably get poor grades and eventually have to leave the college. I recommend you go to a school you will succeed at. Also I highly recommend you try running in college wherever you go. I thought I didn't want to run in college when I was a senior. I even spent the whole summer before college drinking and smoking (not proud of this) and not running. Long story short a guy I used to compete against (who was on the team) convinced me to go out for the college team and it was one of the best experiences of my life. I enjoyed running in college far more than I ever did running in high school. It was a totally different experience. Everyone on the team wanted to be there and loved to run, this feeling was really contagious. Also we got to travel all over the country on all expense paid vacations to compete against the best runners in the country. I learned so much more about what running means and how to train. Just try it for a season I promise you will be hooked.

practically every student athlete is majored in undeclared till well into their 3rd year.

[quote]Engineer wrote:

This might be on average, but only if you study something ridiculous like psychology or English. I highly doubt engineering majors would do better if they spent an addition 10-20 hours a week running for a team.

How are Psychology and English ridiculous?

Of course you can. Its just a question of keeping your scholarship if you have one. If you don't have a schollie than I think you are overrating what the school thinks of your running and underrating your academics.

Dear OP,

YOLO, so do whatever you want.

The wall street journal wrote in article about affirmative action and minorities in challanging majors, and it potientaly relates to you in this example.

Kids of minorites were getting admitted into schools they wouldnt normally get into because of their race. (for you it would be getting special admitted into a school for track).

But on average those kids would be below the curve and alot more likely to drop out, or more likely they'd just switch to an easier major like sociology(i forget the #'s, but they wernt good) And then the article followed up by saying similiar minority kids that went into schools they naturally were admitted into, had better sucess and were more likely to graduate with their challanging major.

If you want a science major, i'd go with a school you earned with academics. If you want something soft, go wherever.

Being on a team helps because often you'll have your own academic staff, access to more individual facilitys, or maybe private tutors.

But i wouldnt reccomend taking something that isnt meant for you. If your intentions arnt to run, then you havent earned the higher school your trying to go to.

For you, i'd figure out what happened with your running. Maybe you can get the best of both worlds. There is a lot of joy in the comradery a sport provides.

You'd be suprised, a lot of really good athletes struggle with what you feel.

^I'm not familiar with the article you're referring to specifically but the question is called the academic mismatch question http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/10/the-painful-truth-about-affirmative-action/263122/ and an amicus curae at Fisher Vs. UT says that much of the research is in disputehttp://www.utexas.edu/vp/irla/Documents/ACR%20American%20Educational%20Research%20Association%20et%20al.pdf - discussion begins in earnest on p. 39

You say

"there is not way (academically) I could get into this very competitive school"

I am sure while you are on the team you would also recieve academic support to make sure you stay in that school and leave with a degree. Leave the team and I bet you will not longer have that support. Plus it is just a scumbag thing to you.

College_student wrote:

[quote]Engineer wrote:

This might be on average, but only if you study something ridiculous like psychology or English. I highly doubt engineering majors would do better if they spent an addition 10-20 hours a week running for a team.

How are Psychology and English ridiculous?

Ask us again when you're trying to use one of these degrees to get a job.

Oh hey Jacob Burcham