I am sure you are busy and are receiving a lot of information about the college selection process. As a standout golfer, you have no doubt caught the attention of a number of top schools and golf programs. I hope that you will take the time to consider whether being a student-athlete at Harvard is something that might align with your future goals and aspirations.
Our goal is always that students attend the school they most want to attend. Part of that process is knowing your options and fully exploring them. Perhaps you can take a few minutes to determine if Harvard should be on the list of schools to consider.
When most people think of Harvard, they think about academics. Our athletic program displays the excellence that Harvard embodies and is a natural extension of the educational process at Harvard. You would likely be surprised to learn that we have the largest varsity athletic program in the country -- both the greatest number of varsity sports (42) and most varsity student athletes. Approximately 15% of the student body at Harvard are varsity student athletes.
Equally surprising might be that we win national championships regularly. You might have heard about Jeremy Lin. He is one of many Harvard alums playing their sport professionally. The starting quarterback for the Jets (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is a Harvard grad playing in the NFL with several other ex-Crimson football players. We had 17 athletes and coaches at the Rio Olympics. These details along with hundreds of other facts about the excellence of the Harvard athletic program are a surprise to most people.
Harvard could be a good fit for you.
To start determining whether you are interested in playing golf at Harvard, I encourage you to review our web site (www.gocrimson.com). You can find a lot of information about the recruiting process for Harvard Golf in our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of our web site. Our recruiting process is different than most schools and you will be well served to carefully review the information provided.
Additionally, the following link provides information on the Ivy League Admissions and Financial Aid process. Please review the information herein, as I believe it will help you get a better sense of our approach to the recruiting process and what we are all about.
The following link will help you to navigate the "verbal commitment" process better and will help you to make more informed decisions about your future. I strongly encourage you to think twice about any "verbal commitment" -- is it in your best interest or the best interest of the coach pushing for it?
Please let me know if you are interested in opening a discussion about Harvard to determine if it should be on your list of options for college.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Fred Schernecker
Harvard Director of Golf