# Ivy League Soccer



## oh canada (Jul 23, 2019)

What do the womens' teams do after the fall season?  ie, January - May.  Completely off?  Practice 2x/week but no games?  Practice and a few sporadic games but nothing like the Div. 1 schools?

Same for the men?


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## MakeAPlay (Jul 23, 2019)

oh canada said:


> What do the womens' teams do after the fall season?  ie, January - May.  Completely off?  Practice 2x/week but no games?  Practice and a few sporadic games but nothing like the Div. 1 schools?
> 
> Same for the men?


The Ivy League is D1.  @Zerodenero would probably be the one to ask about that.


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## soccerobserver (Jul 25, 2019)

MAP is right you should pm @Zerodenero.  I think they do lifting and conditioning and practices with a handful of scrimmages. Some will use the second half of their junior year to study abroad. So you get this mix of freshmen and sophomores to train with since the seniors are checked out(!)  and the juniors are abroad.


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## Zerodenero (Jul 27, 2019)

oh canada said:


> What do the womens' teams do after the fall season?  ie, January - May.  Completely off?  Practice 2x/week but no games?  Practice and a few sporadic games but nothing like the Div. 1 schools?





soccerobserver said:


> MAP is right you should pm @Zerodenero.  I think they do lifting and conditioning and practices with a handful of scrimmages. Some will use the second half of their junior year to study abroad. So you get this mix of freshmen and sophomores to train with since the seniors are checked out(!)  and the juniors are abroad.


Canada, you and soccer-o pretty much summed it right. Add a day or 2 on training and 3-4 spring games/scrimmages vs local NE colleges.

Probably the most noticeable thing I’ve observed so far is that many of the players in this conference are aware of and eager for the next phase in their life path.

The ivy student athlete is often lured/pulled by the private/public sector to do internships or enticed with travel by spending a semester overseas at other top universities around the globe....which in my laymen opinion is understandable given the environment and historical trajectory of the graduates from this league.

But to get back to your question, no. It’s not like a power 5 program (_unless your player is going to be Tiger in the state of NJ)_.

Feel free to PM me w/any detailed Q


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## oh canada (Jul 28, 2019)

Zerodenero said:


> Canada, you and soccer-o pretty much summed it right. Add a day or 2 on training and 3-4 spring games/scrimmages vs local NE colleges.
> 
> Probably the most noticeable thing I’ve observed so far is that many of the players in this conference are aware of and eager for the next phase in their life path.
> 
> ...


Great info ZD, thanks!  I'm sure it's helpful to many forum readers coming up the HS ranks.  So they do practice as a team (with the coach) the 1-2x/week throughout the 2nd semester?  Or, does it actually start in earnest after the weather turns, say in March?  And then when do they have to report back in the summer for training before the Fall semester?

Makes sense that the ivy players are getting a more diverse college experience and more time to spend on academic pursuits.  Your player finding the rigorous academic schedule manageable with soccer?


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## espola (Jul 28, 2019)

oh canada said:


> Great info ZD, thanks!  I'm sure it's helpful to many forum readers coming up the HS ranks.  So they do practice as a team (with the coach) the 1-2x/week throughout the 2nd semester?  Or, does it actually start in earnest after the weather turns, say in March?  And then when do they have to report back in the summer for training before the Fall semester?
> 
> Makes sense that the ivy players are getting a more diverse college experience and more time to spend on academic pursuits.  Your player finding the rigorous academic schedule manageable with soccer?


The Ivy League was, I believe, the first organized athletic conference.  The original idea proposed by the Presidents of the institutions involved was to set up a system of fair contests that were less likely to result in injuries to students and interference in their studies.  Later, other colleges organized conferences (just about anything with "Big..." or a number in its name, for examples) along similar lines, to hold down costs to a level that could be tolerated by all so that they didn't just spend themselves into bankruptcy trying to win the Homecoming or Big Rivalry football games every year.  Now the NCAA has grown into a staff of hundreds of lawyers and accountants who occasionally have to remind themselves and the members that the primary aim of an institution of higher education is higher education.  The Ivies still seem to have their priorities straight* (or at least straighter than the famed Power 5, et al.).  If a player doesn't get a professional soccer career out of his playing time at Harvard, he still has that Harvard degree to fall back on.

*Although sometimes leakages occur, such as with Ned Harkness' time coaching Cornell ice hockey and lacrosse, when he found out that the New York State Agriculture College, adjacent to the Cornell campus, and sharing classes and social (and especially athletic) life, was not subject to the Ivy limits to scholarships.


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## momofgk (Oct 23, 2019)

Does anyone have any insight on the Ivy process??  My daughter is considering one, but also other schools and just trying to figure out the process.


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## espola (Oct 23, 2019)

momofgk said:


> Does anyone have any insight on the Ivy process??  My daughter is considering one, but also other schools and just trying to figure out the process.


Apply.

https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/college-planning/admissions/ivy-league-admissions.htm


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## Zerodenero (Oct 23, 2019)

momofgk said:


> Does anyone have any insight on the Ivy process??  My daughter is considering one, but also other schools and just trying to figure out the process.


Yes. Feel free to post q/a or pm me.


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## momofgk (Oct 23, 2019)

So explain the likely letter, chances of admission- and I know there aren’t athletic or merit scholarships, but have heard there are other means of obtaining money.  Not sure on the accuracy of that.


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## momofgk (Oct 23, 2019)

She is weighing a larger scholarship possibly at a less rigorous institution academically vs trying to go for ivy and potentially have to pay a lot more out of pocket.  Also balancing the more competitive academic environment while playing soccer, positives and negatives to both.


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## gkrent (Oct 23, 2019)

Zerodenero said:


> Yes. Feel free to post q/a or pm me.





momofgk said:


> She is weighing a larger scholarship possibly at a less rigorous institution academically vs trying to go for ivy and potentially have to pay a lot more out of pocket.  Also balancing the more competitive academic environment while playing soccer, positives and negatives to both.


They don't call him ZeroDenero for nothing!!  

Kidding!  My kid isn't in an Ivy, but she has a friend who went to Princeton and they have very reasonable needs based financial aid programs and usually will make it work for your family's income level.  I think it was rated the best value school in the nation because of this.


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## espola (Oct 23, 2019)

gkrent said:


> They don't call him ZeroDenero for nothing!!
> 
> Kidding!  My kid isn't in an Ivy, but she has a friend who went to Princeton and they have very reasonable needs based financial aid programs and usually will make it work for your family's income level.  I think it was rated the best value school in the nation because of this.


The boundary line for an Ivy League school or any school that pretends to the local "Ivy" is that if you can get in, they will make sure you can afford it.


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## oh canada (Oct 23, 2019)

great info, please keep the conversation public...for Princeton, and I believe other Ivy's similar, if your annual income is $150K or less you get free tuition but must pay room/board.  If making less than $70K or thereabouts, then room/board free too.  Of course, if you have 7-figure assets and just no income, then you're not getting any freebies.


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## MWN (Oct 23, 2019)

Many Ivy league schools have massive endowments on their books, meaning tons and tons of money available for the right students.  For example, the Harvard Endowment fund is somewhere like $37 Billion.  Yale $30 Billion.   Compare that to University of Oregon at $912M or UCLA endowment at $5Billion.   A 37 Billion dollar fund throwing out at 5% is 1.85 Billion dollars.  The Ivy Leagues like Harvard now set their tuition based on need.  You get in and pay what you can, the endowment covers the rest.

Full disclosure ... my kid will likely go to technical school in Alabama and study internet scams.


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## Zerodenero (Oct 23, 2019)

momofgk said:


> So explain the likely letter, chances of admission- and I know there aren’t athletic or merit scholarships, but have heard there are other means of obtaining money.  Not sure on the accuracy of that.





momofgk said:


> She is weighing a larger scholarship possibly at a less rigorous institution academically vs trying to go for ivy and potentially have to pay a lot more out of pocket.  Also balancing the more competitive academic environment while playing soccer, positives and negatives to both.


Momo- Not to be curt, but the likely is just what it says...likely. As long as your player continues the same trajectory Of getting the  letter, your in. It’s just insurance on their end to ensure your kid doesn’t go off the deep end.

As for the  “Kwon” $$, it’s there. But as others have mentioned, you need to look and ask.

Since  canada mentioned Princeton, here’s the first place to look: https://admission.princeton.edu/cost-aid/financial-aid-estimator

All of the Ivy’s have them (est fin calc) , but the big 3 who have the biggest endowments probably hand out the most. When our DD was in the recruit process, we were told she would likely receive about 8%  more than the estimate. We found that to be accurate. And even when it was officially granted, we petitioned and she received additional funding. But every family & players situation is a unique, case by case file.

Couple things to remember re varsity sports in the Ivy’s . Presuming you’re not using Rick Singers contact list (oops)....sports are the Backdoor to get in. And when you player is in, the $$ they receive  is not contingent on playing the sport. My player had a great 1st season, but 2 concussions (late season & spring ball) forced her to rethink her long term goals. This year she isn’t playing, sitting out a year and considering playing different,  non-contact varsity sport.....thank goodness for old timers on this forum sharing words of wisdom of picking the school 1st, soccer/sport program 2nd. She legit loves the school, experience, diversity, history  etc etc....total tangent story but sort of relevant.

I’d summarize simply as this, have your player start with the end in mind. Does the Ivy school that’s recruiting your player benefit your player in achieving his/her Long term goals? If so, do what u gottta do. If not, all good. Many roads lead to Rome.

Hope this helps. Best of luck to you/your player


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## momofgk (Oct 24, 2019)

Thank you for your insight.  This does help.  My players current grades are enough to get in, first pass at testing on ACT was not good enough, but close.  She did zero prep, so I think she can get there if that is what she really wants.  I guess that is the bigger question for her, is that where she really wants to be and is she willing to do what is needed to get there.  We will see!  



Zerodenero said:


> Momo- Not to be curt, but the likely is just what it says...likely. As long as your player continues the same trajectory Of getting the  letter, your in. It’s just insurance on their end to ensure your kid doesn’t go off the deep end.
> 
> As for the  “Kwon” $$, it’s there. But as others have mentioned, you need to look and ask.
> 
> ...


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## soccerobserver (Oct 24, 2019)

momofgk said:


> Does anyone have any insight on the Ivy process??  My daughter is considering one, but also other schools and just trying to figure out the process.


@Zerodenero is the expert on all things Ivy League soccer. Another resource is the website for the Ivy League sports. 

Here is the link: 
https://ivyleague.com/standings.aspx?standings=1162

You can look up each season to see which teams has done well consistently etc. Brown is atop the standings this season and I think their coach is only on her 2nd or 3rd season there. Princeton got a new coach about 4 seasons ago and he helped propel the team into the NCAA D1 later rounds (Sweet 16 elite 8 or something like that). 

My daughter flew to Princeton’s recruiting clinic. She received videotape of her play, specific comments on what to work on and they asked to see her more. Ultimately she decided that a smaller school fit her better and the HC is kind of intense in a good way. Her Princeton experience made a very strong positive impression on her. They were the most crisp sophisticated and organized camp she attended.


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## MakeAPlay (Nov 11, 2019)

The Ivy league could end up with 3 bids into the tournament.  My money is on 2 Brown and Harvard with Brown getting #4 seed.  They don't really deserve the seed but I wouldn't be surprised to see them get it.


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## oh canada (Nov 11, 2019)

Only Brown makes it in - 1 Ivy.


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## soccerobserver (Nov 12, 2019)

oh canada said:


> Only Brown makes it in - 1 Ivy.


Going undefeated in the Ivy League is a great accomplishment for the coach who is in her 4th season with Brown. Not sure how they will compete with Monmouth though.


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## gkrent (Nov 12, 2019)

What happened to Princeton?  They were so good last year.


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## eastbaysoccer (Nov 12, 2019)

This a a Monmouth team the beat down TX 4-0.   Great season Brown!  Monmouth got a great 1st round draw and a TOUGH 2nd round opponent.

Other Ivy's have caught up to Princeton.


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## soccerobserver (Nov 13, 2019)

gkrent said:


> What happened to Princeton?  They were so good last year.


Their leading scorer for the previous 4 years graduated in 2018. M Asom typically scored 10-12 goals in each of her 4 years at Princeton. To put that in  perspective, this season the Tigers leading scorer had 5 goals. Maybe there were injuries and other factors but losing Asom was a big deal. Someone once told me she turned down power 5 offers to play for Princeton.


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## MakeAPlay (Nov 14, 2019)

soccerobserver said:


> Going undefeated in the Ivy League is a great accomplishment for the coach who is in her 4th season with Brown. Not sure how they will compete with Monmouth though.


Monmouth is going to beat Brown.  The committee wasn't fooled by their paper thin resume.  I think that this weekend will be enlightening to those that don't realize the difference between the Power 5 teams and everybody else.  I have Santa Clara going to the Elite 8 in my bracket though.  Every year that my kid has played their has been an outsider type team that has gotten that far.  This year it is the Broncos (they got a dream draw!).


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## soccerobserver (Nov 14, 2019)

@MakeAPlay  nevertheless, I am going to root for the underdog Brown


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## soccerobserver (Nov 14, 2019)

soccerobserver said:


> @MakeAPlay  nevertheless, I am going to root for the underdog Brown


Wait...Brown is ranked higher than Monmouth:

USC Ranking:    Brown *#16* and Monmouth @_Unranked_
Massey Rankings: Brown *#31* and Monmouth *#58*
Hero Sports ranking: Brown *#34* and Monmouth* #49*

As for their resume they did tie #22 Texas A&M...


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## soccerobserver (Nov 16, 2019)

B


soccerobserver said:


> Wait...Brown is ranked higher than Monmouth:
> 
> USC Ranking:    Brown *#16* and Monmouth @_Unranked_
> Massey Rankings: Brown *#31* and Monmouth *#58*
> ...


Brown wins in PK’s to advance


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## eastbaysoccer (Nov 16, 2019)

Go ivy.  They are going to get smashed in round 2.


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## Glen (Nov 16, 2019)

eastbaysoccer said:


> This a a Monmouth team the beat down TX 4-0.   Great season Brown!  Monmouth got a great 1st round draw and a TOUGH 2nd round opponent.
> 
> Other Ivy's have caught up to Princeton.


good call on this one.


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## Glen (Nov 16, 2019)

gkrent said:


> What happened to Princeton?  They were so good last year.


Penn won the IV last year.  Penn will continue to be good if the coach sticks around.  Princeton was very good two years ago.  Harvard could be nasty in a couple years.  Harvard has a couple of young studs already, but they also have the best recruiting class in the country coming in next year.


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## soccerobserver (Nov 16, 2019)

Glen said:


> Penn won the IV last year.  Penn will continue to be good if the coach sticks around.  Princeton was very good two years ago.  Harvard could be nasty in a couple years.  Harvard has a couple of young studs already, but they also have the best recruiting class in the country coming in next year.


They always have the most decorated recruiting class in the IVs but lately that has not translated into the best team in the IV. We shall see.


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## Glen (Nov 16, 2019)

soccerobserver said:


> They always have the most decorated recruiting class in the IVs but lately that has not translated into the best team in the IV. We shall see.


Harvard has the best recruiting class in the country next year.  No IV league team ever had this much talent coming in.  They also finished second in the IV league this year, with a freshman as their best player.


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## soccerobserver (Nov 16, 2019)

Glen said:


> Harvard has the best recruiting class in the country next year.  No IV league team ever had this much talent coming in.  They also finished second in the IV league this year, with a freshman as their best player.


Are you suggesting Harvard has recruited a better incoming class than say Stanford ??


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## Dos Equis (Nov 16, 2019)

If you are to believe Topdrawer Soccer, Harvard appears to have the #1 recruiting class next year in D1.  I take most of those rankings with a grain of salt, and think there are many schools with very good classes (both UCLA and USC have some legit talent on the way), but the Harvard class appears to be legit.

That being said, the Harvard studs will be competing in a league with no post-season tourney, travel restrictions while classes are going on, only one way into the NCAA tourney (winning the league), and nowhere near the level of conference competition of a power 5.  And you are not on athletic scholarships, so most Ivy coaches come to realize sports is a third priority for their student/athletes, behind academics and socializing (you are also at an IVY to make connections and to become part of that alumni network, not play soccer). There is an art to keeping Ivy athletes engaged which needs to include enjoyment and fun, that is different than coaching at Duke or Stanford, and does not typically include a shared goal of doing whatever it takes to win a national championship.


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