Saved and The Wasp Factory Essay Example

Saved and The Wasp Factory Essay Example Saved and The Wasp Factory Paper Saved and The Wasp Factory Paper Essay Topic: Literature In The Wasp Factory and Saved one obviously apparent theme is the lack of community spirit in the societies. In The Wasp Factory there is no mention of a character who wonders why Frank isnt in school or doing things that other young men do. In Saved there is no mention of anybody making any sort of judgement when Pam goes to meet Fred, somebody who has been jailed for the murder of her baby. Therefore it is important to look into the issue of cultural poverty, as it will make clearer why the characters are who they are and behave as they do. Obviously, Saved is a play and The Wasp Factory is a novel. As Saved is a play the audience physically see characters actions and emotions whereas Iain Banks has to use imagery. The effect of this is that the disturbing images in Saved are there for the audience to see, initially making Saved even more sickening. The setting for Saved is on a bare stage so the plot seems extreme as the setting doesnt dilute the harsh actions and language used in the play but reinforces them. Although harsh actions and emotions are in The Wasp Factory the setting of empty beaches softens these actions, contrasting them with the natural splendour in which they take place. Perhaps Bond is suggesting that his characters have been formed by the environment and uses the setting to illustrate this whereas Banks makes it clear that ugly actions are not dependant on ugly surroundings. The Wasp Factory is written in the first person narrative therefore the reader sees things from Franks viewpoint. The whole book is based on Franks thoughts and actions so the readers perceptions are based on those of Frank. When Frank says that he has killed people he says it casually; the reader isnt as shocked as they should be. Frank says on page 42, Thats my score to date and It was just a stage I was going through when talking about his murders which gives the impression he has no remorse. Saved, as a play on the other hand, actually shows the audience the murder of the baby. Stage directions such as He starts to throw burning matches in the pram and He takes a stone from the pram and throws it at point blank range are actually shown to the audience. Unlike The Wasp Factory there is no escape from, nor sympathy with, the murder of the baby. In both texts the reader feels very close to the main characters and this is due to the language. The Wasp Factory is written in a Scottish dialect e. g. the girl who Jamie meets in the pub says to Jamie Dud he say sumhin er? referring to Frank who is drunk at the time, which makes the novel seem more realistic. This language seems strange to the reader but by using this dialect the language links the book with the time and the setting and this realism involves the reader in the book. In Saved the cockney accent makes the reader feel more involved in the story. In a conversation between Len and Pam on page 82 Pam says None a that ld a appened if yer ain bin ere. Without this accent it would be harder to picture the London setting and characters. Violence pervades in both texts. The extreme details of violence in the texts are sickening to any audience. Even the description of the battle between Frank and a rabbit contains violent images as Frank says how he feared the rabbit tearing the flesh off his finger and how he feared the rabbit biting his nose off. The instances of violence on living things are quite sickening but they pale in comparison to the murder of the baby in Saved and the murders in The Wasp Factory. In Saved when the men are trying to get the baby to sleep Pete says, give it a punch and also that cloutins good for em. These images alone show signs of abnormal behaviour and attitudes. The men then begin throwing stones at the baby with Mike asking Oos got the matches? showing that the characters intend burning the baby, another sickening thought. These disturbing images can also be linked to The Wasp Factory where Frank kills three children. Franks explanation for killing his young brother Paul is on page 67 where he says that Paul was not long for this world. Frank made Paul blow himself up by hitting a bomb with a stick at the age of five. When Franks father asks him about killing living things Frank tells the reader how of course I was out killing things and there just arent enough natural deaths. The innocence of the victims in the texts increases the horror of the audience. The use of innocent victims in The Wasp Factory again highlights Franks mental instability as he almost sees himself as a God like figure. Characters from Saved thought that it was a giggle to hurt the baby and Frank thought that it was his duty to kill the characters in The Wasp Factory for no real reason, all protagonists are seemingly amoral which poses the question whether society is actually amoral. Another point to consider is the portrayal of women in both texts. Frank sees women as weak and stupid in The Wasp Factory and feels that they live in the shadows of men perhaps because Franks mother left at a very early age giving him no real female guidance. Iain Banks wrote The Wasp Factory at the time Thatcher was Prime Minister. Thatcher wasnt a popular figure in Scotland; they saw her as more of a dictator than somebody who was willing to help them. Thatcher had set ideas and didnt really adapt to certain situations. This could be why Banks has chosen to hardly include women in the book at all as he saw Thatcher as somebody who ignored women in his perception. Therefore because of Thatchers influence on Banks life he chose to represent women as a non-existent gender whose only role in the book was to leave their child to live in a one-parent family. However this is ironic as the audience learns at the end of the book that Frank is female, so the destructive character who was anti-female and violent is really a female. When Frank finds this out he says he shivers at the thought of the idea of intercourse and giving birth on page 82; the main female character in The Wasp Factory behaves and thinks as a male. Saved also has a negative image of women. Pam is portrayed as an easygoing woman who would go to bed with anyone. Pam takes Len home without even finding out his name so therefore from the start of the play Pam is portrayed as easy. Pam is reflected negatively, as the audience doesnt have much sympathy for her when her baby dies especially as Pam goes to meet Fred. Fred helped to torture the baby yet Pam still insists he moves in with her, goes to meet him from prison and hopes that they will have a relationship. Pam puts her feelings for Fred above the fact that he helped to kill her baby, which therefore shows how motherhood is represented in Saved. As in The Wasp Factory the representation of motherhood is negative. Similarly Mary is also portrayed negatively by her husband Harry. Harry says to Len that the reason he came back was so Mary could do his washin an cookin', he says that if he left Mary would soon ave someone in my bed so the man to whom she is married dislikes her. It is fair to say that neither Iain Banks nor Edward Bond have any positive images of women in their texts; as they dont include women in any real positive role in their texts as their writing excludes the caring half of society. The majority of the characters in Saved seem unpleasant. Len however contrasts with these characters as he is portrayed as respectable; this highlights the behaviour of the other characters. Len seems a flawless character who acts in the best interest of others. Len explains in scene eight how I lost me job stayin out a elp you when yer was sick! The audience feels sympathetic towards Len, as Pam acts terribly towards him throughout the play. Pam says in scene eleven Es pullin me t pieces. Nothin but trouble referring to Len who was somebody who supported Pam throughout. Therefore in Saved Len is the only real good character, which emphasises the faults in the other characters. There are some very strange relationships in the two texts and it is important to look at these relationships in order to find out why certain characters are shaped as they are. The person who Frank has most contact with in The Wasp Factory is his father, his closest relation. Yet his father tells Frank that he is a man and feeds him male hormones. When Frank does finally find out, through forcing the truth out of his father, he says that his fathers truth had murdered what he was. The man on whom Frank relies is responsible for ruining his life. Therefore it could be said that there are no real relationships in The Wasp Factory and that it is a book made up of individuals. Most characters have their own secrets e. g. Franks the only one who knows about his murders, Eric doesnt tell anybody where he is and Franks father is the only one who knows the real truth about Frank. Frank doesnt really have anybody to talk to apart from Jamie so therefore he spends a lot of time on his own, contributing to his psychopathy. The relationships in Saved are also quite strange. Len moves in with Pam after they had only met once. Pam makes it obvious that she wants Len to leave as she says Why dont e go? and that Lens pullin me t pieces in one of the final scenes in the play. It is Len who stands by Pam throughout the play and looks out for her yet, she would rather have Fred back, somebody who helped to kill her baby. The longest standing relationship in Saved is between Mary and Harry yet Harry says that if he was to leave Mary shed soon ave someone in my bed which shows the lack of faith he has in his wife. Although the characters talk more in Saved than in The Wasp Factory the relationships are still dysfunctional. It could be fair to say that there are more normal characters in Saved (Len, Harry and Mary) than in The Wasp Factory where one of the only normal characters is a dwarf. However for all the talking that is done little of value is exchanged which again highlights the cultural poverty in the text. Linking with relationships is isolation, which is very apparent in both of these texts. Frank is isolated from society as he was never registered as he tells on page 13. This would make him isolated; as he was unable to attend school for example, as officially he didnt exist. However Frank doesnt even want to bother trying to get to know other people, he says in chapter 1 that I dont bother people and they best not bother me and that hes learned to live without people. This could be the reason Frank kills living things. It could be argued to explain his murders, as he was unable to learn societys norms and therefore set his own boundaries. Franks life is based on what Frank experienced. When Blyth killed Frank and Erics rabbits Frank felt the hiding he got from his father was not enough and that Frank wanted to kill Blyth there and then. It is fair to say that as Frank was so isolated he was shaped differently to other people in society. There is a different type of isolation in Saved as the family seem isolated as a group rather than as individuals. The baby is isolated as, apart from Len everybody neglects it. Len says in scene four that he wishes to god that he could take that kid out a this and he listen out for the kid. They ain bothered. The family seem isolated because of the strange events that occur. Stoning to death of a baby and the mother wanting to get back in a relationship with one of the perpetrators seems to go unremarked. As in The Wasp Factory the lack of friendship and communication with other characters from society could have shaped Pam. The only real people she did communicate with that werent family were the people who stoned her baby to death. In both texts the only person to be diagnosed with a mental illness was Eric who was certified insane. Although Franks father says to Frank sometimes I think youre the one who should be in hospital its only Eric who is contained. However Frank obviously has mental problems and perhaps the only reason he hasnt been assessed is down to the fact that he hasnt been registered and therefore he cant see a doctor. Pam suffers from depression in Saved but this is more down to Fred going to jail rather than the murder of her baby. Pam does suffer postnatal depression but this seems to be completely ignored because it poses no threat to anybody but herself. It could be said that based on these texts society only reacts to what threatens society. There is optimism in the two texts, showing perhaps the only way out of the effects of cultural poverty. There are brief scenes of optimism; Frank finding the study door open results in his true identity and Len is optimistic in Saved. He stays with Pam even though she treats him badly. The real optimism however is found right at the end of both books where Frank says, Now the door closes and my journey begins and there are no arguments at the end of Saved, which represents a new peaceful beginning. Lack of education, lack of hope and lack of access to societys norms are all parts of both texts so therefore it is true that cultural poverty is a major theme. Even though shocking images have been discussed I think the ending shows the characters can escape. Frank can start his new journey and the final scene of Saved shows that Pam and Len can fold the radio times without arguing. These two texts are initially very depressing yet we do end in hope. Therefore it could be argued that by the end of both texts the writers offer hope for society and a way forward. They show us that society is our safety net as humanity; if we can be shocked by the murder of a few how can we ignore the needs of many?

SAT Scores for Athletes

How Do Ivy League Schools Recruit ACT/SAT Scores for Athletes SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you a student-athlete hoping to play for an Ivy League school? Then you’re probably curious about the recruiting process. How do Ivy League schools recruit student-athletes? And how can you increase your odds of getting into an Ivy League school as a student-athlete? Read on to learn what the general college recruiting process looks like and how it differs from Ivy League recruiting. After, we'll go over the basic academic requisites you must have to get into the Ivy League, and show you what the typical Ivy League recruiting timeline looks like. Feature Image: Andrew Turner/Flickr How Does College Recruiting Work? First off, what exactly is college recruiting and how does it work?College recruiting refers to the recruiting of student-athletes. Basically, it’s the process of colleges reaching out to current high school athletes (mainly those who have a lot of potential to do well in college-level sports) with the hopes of getting them to apply to and attend their school. Many college sports teams are part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit organization that oversees more than 1,000 colleges and half a million student-athletes. Here’s how the NCAA describes its recruiting process: "Recruiting happens when a college employee or representative invites a high school student-athlete to play sports for their college. Recruiting can occur in many ways, such as face-to-face contact, phone calls or text messaging, through mailed or emailed material or through social media." While colleges that are members of the NCAA may reach out to student-athletes directly, you, too, may initiate contact with colleges and/or coaches you’re interested in playing for. You can read our other guide to learn more about how college athletics recruiting works, but for now, here’s a brief overview of the general recruiting process: Step 1: College coaches make contact with high school student-athletes (or vice versa) Step 2: Student-athletes visit college campuses to learn more about the schools' athletic programs Step 3: Coaches visit high schools to evaluate student-athletes’ performances in their sports Step 4: Colleges offer scholarships to the student-athletes they want to play for them Step 5: The student-athlete makes a (non-binding) verbal commitment to play sports for a certain school Step 6: The student signs a Letter of Intent,a document stating that the student plans to attend and play sports for a certain college in exchange for a one-year athletic scholarship Next up, we’ll look at how Ivy League schools specifically recruit high school students for their college sports teams. How Does Ivy League Recruiting Work? 4 Key Differences We’ve gone over the general college recruiting process, but what about the Ivy League? For the most part, the Ivy League recruiting process is very similar to the process described above. Like other schools,Ivy League schools take time to reach out to skilled high school athletes and evaluate their abilities in their respective sports.After, students offer a verbal commitment to attend the school before submitting their actual application for review. In spite of these similarities, there are four key ways in which Ivy League recruiting differs from general college athletics recruiting. We’ll go over these here. #1: Higher Academic and Athletic Expectations As you likely know, the Ivy League is famous for its academic achievements, low acceptance rates, and top rankings on college lists. On theUS News Best National Universities list, all Ivies are ranked among the top 15 colleges. In addition,acceptance rates for the Ivies range from just 15% (for Cornell) to as low as 6% (for Harvard).These high stakes are evidently part of the reason that academic expectations are so high for prospective student-athletes. While you might assume that strong athletic skills are all you need to play for an Ivy League school, in reality you’ll need to also have top SAT/ACT scores, evidence of a challenging course load, strong transcripts, and an all-around impressive college application. (We’ll go into more detail later about what you need to have in order to get accepted to the Ivies as a student-athlete.) But it’s vital not to forget the importance of athletics in the Ivy League, too. After all, the Ivy League was originally founded as a group of higher institutions that stressed both academics and athletics. Here’s how the official Ivy League website describes the significance of athletics and student-athletes (all bold emphasis mine): "Ivy League schools share a tradition of academic excellence and broad-based, successful NCAA Division I athletics. The Ivy League annually finishes among the top Division I athletics conferences in national competitive rankings, and Ivy League student-athletes earn the country’s best records in the NCAA Academic Performance Ratings, operating under the Ivy League model of athletics as a significant educational component of the student's undergraduate experience." As this quotation emphasizes, the Ivy League isn’t just known for its academia but also for its NCAA Division I sports teams. (There are three divisions in the NCAA- Division I is the highest.) Therefore, what’s ultimately at stake for Ivy League schools when recruiting student-athletes are both their academic and athletic reputations. Women's basketball, Yale vs Columbia (kkimphotography/Flickr) #2: No Athletic Scholarships- Only Need-Based Unlike other NCAA colleges, the Ivy League schools do not give out any athletic scholarships to prospective student-athletes. Rather, they offer only need-based financial aid, and this goes for all applicants- not just student-athletes. Here’s what the Ivy League itself says about this policy: "Ivy League schools provide financial aid to students, including athletes, only on the basis of financial need as determined by each institution’s Financial Aid Office. There are no academic or athletic scholarships in the Ivy League. A coach may assist a prospective student-athlete to obtain an estimated financial aid award, however only the Financial Aid Office has the authority to determine financial aid awards and to notify students officially of their actual or estimated awards." Ivy League schools often give estimates for need-based aid to prospective students and student-athletes.You may compare these offers with any other offers you receive from different schools (including other Ivies). #3: The Academic Index (AI) In order to determine which student-athletes are strong contenders for Ivy sports and academics, the Ivy League established a system called theAcademic Index (AI). This point-based system is used to rank prospective student-athletes on the basis of academic factors, namely GPA and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT and SAT Subject Tests).(It used to include class rank as well, but since fewer high schools calculate this, it’s no longer part of the AI.) According to an article in TheNew York Times, the Ivies created this system in the 1980s as a way to ensure that "no vastly underqualified recruit has been admitted at a rival institution [another Ivy]." While many are aware of the AI, how this number is ultimately calculated is largely a secret. It’s typically said to have a score range of 170 to 240, though other sources claim it usessmaller scales of 1-9 or 1-6, on which either the lowest or highest number is considered best.Due to the confidential nature of the AI, it can be difficult to determine whether you’re likely to qualify for admission as a student-athlete to an Ivy League school. The New York Times article mentioned above states that student-athletes typically need at least a 3.0 GPA and an 1140 on the SAT (this is for the very old SAT from before 2004, however, so its relevance is debatable). Additionally, the minimum AI required for Ivy League schools can vary widely depending on the institution.In other words, the AI needed for admission to Princeton is likely higher than the AI needed for admission to Penn, as Princeton is a higher-ranked Ivy with a lower acceptance rate. You can look for Academic Index calculators online, but know that most are pretty inaccurate and won’t really help you figure out whether you’re on track to getting into the Ivy League as a student-athlete or not. #4: The Likely Letter The final big difference between the Ivy League recruiting process and the general college athletic recruiting process is what’s called the likely letter. This letter is sometimes issued before an official admission decision is given out and basically just says that a student is very likely to be admitted,provided there are no sudden issues with the student’s college application, academic performance, etc. Here’s what the Ivy League website states about likely letters: "This letter means that as long as the applicant sustains the academic and personal record reflected in the completed application, the institution will send a formal admission offer on the appropriate notification date. Only the Admissions Office can issue a likely letter, and only after receiving a completed application and all required materials. Likely letters may not be issued prior to October 1 of the prospect’s senior year in high school." Likely letters are often issued by Ivy League schools in place of Letters of Intent. Since Ivies don't offer any athletics-based financial aid, they cannot offer Letters of Intent(which specifically agree to give student-athletes admission and a year of athletics-based funding). That said, note that likely letters are not always issued to prospective Ivy League student-athletes, and not getting one doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be admitted. In addition to Ivy League schools, other tier-one colleges in the NCAA might offer likely letters to student-athletes they want to attend their schools. However, the majority of schools follow the general recruiting process and use Letters of Intent. Women's swimming, Dartmouth (D Allen/Flickr) What Do Recruits Need to Get Accepted to the Ivy League? Just being a great athlete doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get accepted to an Ivy League school; you also need to have a strong academic record, complete with a good GPA and high SAT/ACT scores (including SAT Subject Test scores, if required). And you don’t want to flub your application by submitting a subpar college essay or lukewarm letters of recommendation. Below, we explain exactly what you should have to increase your chances of getting accepted to an Ivy League school as a student-athlete: #1: A Rigorous Course Load All applicants to the Ivies, whether you’re a student-athlete or not, should definitely havea record of succeeding in challenging courses.Here’s what the Ivy League states on its website in regard to admissions criteria for student recruits: "Ivy League schools base admissions decisions on each candidate’s academic achievements as well as personal strengths and accomplishments, such as athletic achievement, other extracurricular activities and community service. Remember: To best prepare for admission to an Ivy League school, and as a strong basis for a rigorous college education, you should take the most challenging high school classes available to you throughout secondary school. The following courses are recommended: four years of English; four years of a single foreign language; three years of history/social science; four years of mathematics; four years of science; frequent practice in writing expository prose. Consult the website of each institution for more specific recommendations" These are the general recommended courses for prospective student-athletes to the Ivy League.As noted, be sure to consult individual schools directly for more information on what specific classes you should take to further increase your odds of getting accepted. #2: A High GPA Besides a rigorous class schedule, you’ll have a stronger chance of getting into the Ivy League if you have a high overall GPA. Ideally, you’ll have at least a 3.0 GPA, or B-average. This is a minimum recommendation, though, so know that it's probably better to aim for something closer to a 3.5 (or even higher).Check out our guidefor tips on how to raise your GPA. #3: Strong Standardized Test Scores Part of your Academic Index number will be based on your SAT/ACT scoresand SAT Subject Test scores(if you took any Subject Tests- most Ivy League schools require or recommend them). But what scores specifically should you aim for? Unfortunately, we can’t give you an exact answer as to what good ACT or SAT scores for Ivy League athletes are. What we can do, though, is show you what kinds of SAT/ACT scores admitted applicants to the Ivy League typically get.The following chart giveseach Ivy League school’s 25th and 75th SAT/ACT percentiles: School 25th %ile SAT 75th %ile SAT 25th %ile ACT 75th %ile ACT Brown 1440 1580 31 34 Columbia 1470 1590 32 35 Cornell 1410 1570 30 34 Dartmouth 1410 1580 30 34 Harvard 1470 1600 32 35 Princeton 1470 1590 32 35 Penn 1450 1570 31 34 Yale 1490 1600 31 35 As a student-athlete, you shouldn’t need to aim as high as the 75th percentile, which, at all Ivies, is extremely close to (if not) a perfect score (though there’s of course nothing wrong with aiming this high!). Rather, it’ll be more helpful to use the 25th percentile score for the Ivies you’re applying to as a general benchmark for what you should aim for. And if you can score higher than that, even better! But what about SAT Subject Test scores? Again, it’s impossible for us to give you exact scores to aim for. Generally speaking, though,most admitted applicants to the Ivy League (including non-athletes) score in at least the 700s (out of 800) on their Subject Tests. While you likely don’t need to aim this high on your SAT Subject Tests, definitely shoot for a score that’s above average- if possible, in at least the 75th percentile. Men's rowing, Princeton (Princeton University Rowing/Flickr) #4: An Overall Impressive Application Finally, you’ll need to make sure that your overall application is impressive. This means you should have the following: A cogent and well-written personal statement/essay A strong extracurricular background (Pro Tip: Don’t worry if most of your extracurriculars are sports-related- in fact, this "spike" is exactly what Ivies are looking for in applicants!) Effective letters of recommendation A good interview (if required) Just like any other Ivy League applicant, you must take care to craft a compelling application that will make the school want to admit you.Don’t just assume that your athletic prowess will automatically get you accepted. Even the most skilled student-athletes can get rejected for things such as sloppy essays or poor interviews! Ivy League Recruiting Timeline Overview Now that we’ve gone over what you need to raise your chances of getting into the Ivy League as a student-athlete, you're probably wondering what the Ivy League recruiting timeline looks like. The exact timeline will likely vary depending on the Ivy League school(s) you’re applying to and on what sport you play. For example, look at the differences between the NCAA’s 2017-18 calendars for Division I Football and Division I Men’s Basketball. For the most part, though, the biggest and most important aspects of recruiting will happen during your junior year of high school. There will also be lots of different periods of recruiting, which are defined as follows: Dead Period: Coaches may not have any face-to-face contact with prospective student-athletes but may communicate by email, mail, and/or phone. Quiet Period: Coaches may only meet in-person with student-athletes on-campus and may not visit students’ high schools. They may communicate by email, mail, and/or phone. Contact Period: Coaches may come to students’ high schools to watch them play and may have in-person contact with them, either on- or off-campus. They may also contact student-athletes by email, mail, and/or phone. Evaluation Period: Coaches may come to students’ high schools to evaluate their athletic performances and skills but may not meet with them in-person off-campus. However, they may continue to reach out to student-athletes by email, mail, and/or phone. Here is a very general overview of what you can expect in the Ivy League recruiting process at each grade level in high school: 10th Grade and/or Earlier Prospective student-athletes can make contact with Ivy League schools and Ivy League coachesto express their interest in applying as a student-athlete. (You may begin this part of the process even earlier, in 9th grade.) Students take unofficial campus visits to Ivy League schools they're considering playing for. Wrestling, Cornell (Jenn Vargas/Flickr) 11th Grade September to November: This is generally a quiet period for college recruiting. This means that while Ivy League coaches may not come to your high school to watch you play, you may visit the campuses directly to speak with coaches and may contact coaches via email, phone, and/or mail. Considertaking your first SAT/ACT at this time. December to February: This is typically a contact period, meaning coaches from Ivy League schools may come and watch you play and may meet with you in-person. Spring: Around this time, student-athletes are typically offered at least one official campus visit.This is also usually an evaluation period during which Ivy League coaches may come to high schools to evaluate prospective student-athletes' skills. There will typically be some dead periods thrown in, too, making this is an ideal time toretake the SAT/ACT. 12th Grade July 1 (before applicant’s senior year of high school): This is when Ivy League coaches may give prospective student-athletes' information, such as their transcripts and test scores, to Ivy League admissions committees for a preliminary evaluation. Fall: Students begin officially applying to colleges/Ivy League schools. Read our guide to learn when the most common college application deadlines are. Consider taking the SAT/ACT one last time before your applications are due. Winter/Spring: If you get a likely letter, you'll get it after October 1 but before the school’s official admission decision (which is usually around March or April). Remember that not all Ivies give out likely letters, so not getting one doesn't necessarily mean you've been rejected. Recap: How Do Ivy League Schools Recruit? The Ivy League has some of the most prestigious colleges and also many successful sports teams. As a result, Ivy League schools often look for applicants who are gifted in both athletics and academics. If you're a student-athlete considering applying to the Ivy League, you’ll need to have a strong GPA, evidence of a rigorous course load, and high scores on the SAT/ACT and SAT Subject Tests. Here are the biggest differences between Ivy League recruiting and general college recruiting: The Ivy League has much higher expectations in terms of academics and test scores The Ivy League offers only need-based scholarships- no athletic scholarships The Ivy League uses something called an Academic Index (AI), a point-based system to rank student-athletes based on their GPAs and test scores The Ivy League (and other NCAA Division I schools) often offer likely letters to prospective student-athletes who are likely to be admitted As for the Ivy League recruiting timeline, expect to have the most important events happen during your junior year of high school. This is when Ivy League coaches may begin contacting student-athletes and visiting high schools to evaluate their skills. What’s Next? Got more questions about the college recruiting process? Take a look at our in-depth guide to college athletic recruiting to learn even more about what the process entails. Curious about the NCAA?Read about the differences between the different NCAA divisions, and get the full lists of NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III schools. Interested in sports but not sure which ones to pursue? Our guide offers tons of helpful tips to help you pick the best high school sport for you. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: