Admissions and the Cold Slap of Rejection

[Sonny]

By BILL PENNINGTON
Published: December 25, 2005

Kevin Friedenberg was certain he had played by all the rules of the college recruiting game.

A top high school lacrosse goalie from Needham, Mass., he had e-mailed coaches to promote himself and had attended showcase camps and tournaments. An A student who said he had College Board scores equivalent to 1,380 on the two-part SAT, Friedenberg narrowed his choices to three Division III institutions, including Haverford, a small, selective liberal arts college.

Friedenberg twice visited the Haverford campus outside Philadelphia, with astute questions for the lacrosse coach, Mike Murphy: Could he study a year abroad? How many advanced placement high school courses did he need to take? Did Haverford need a goalie? Would the coach support him in admissions?

Assured he was in the top half of the list of athletes Murphy would forward to admissions, Friedenberg completed Haverford's binding early-decision application in November. He spurned overtures from Swarthmore College and Connecticut College.

"I thought I had all my bases covered," Friedenberg said. "But what I got in the mail was a thin letter."

A thin letter, as opposed to an envelope thick with acceptance forms, is code for a rejection.

"I was completely shocked," said Friedenberg, whose application was not among the few deferred to Haverford's regular decision process in the spring. "I didn't know what to do. I have to get back in touch with all those coaches again, but they've probably already recruited their goalies and moved on without me.

"It's going to be difficult to get into these great schools now without the support of a coach. My fear is I'll be left with no place to go, and maybe, not play lacrosse in college at all."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/sport ... rford.html

[AO]

he had College Board scores equivalent to 1,380 on the two-part SAT

The SAT scale runs to 2400, so 1380 isn't in Swarthmore/Haverford/Conn College territory -unless the article is saying that his score would've been 1380 on the old scale(?).

[laxfan25]

I would dare say it was based on the old 1600 SAT scale.

[LaxRef]

he had College Board scores equivalent to 1,380 on the two-part SAT

The SAT scale runs to 2400, so 1380 isn't in Swarthmore/Haverford/Conn College territory -unless the article is saying that his score would've been 1380 on the old scale(?).

I scored 1390 and got shot down by Haverford in 1984, so I don't think he should be that shocked. It helps to be Quaker to get in there (I'm not).

Also, when they say "two part SAT," it seems to me that they're excluding the new section so older readers have a basis for comparison.