So many surprises..... I thought I was paying attention and sort of knew how it worked, but I didn't and still don't, but I guess I understand it a little bit more. A few things that are probably obvious to many but...
* There is a lot that is random/doesn't make sense. A school that you think is out of their league may pay her more attention that one where your kid would be the best on their roster.
* Along the lines of the above, you may think a school is well within reach, and your kid may be talking with the coach, and then four girls will commit and you may find yourself looking them up scores and videos that make you wonder "why them?" You may never quite figure it out, or maybe you will, but it doesn't really matter either way.
I think that for the kids at the very top -- maybe the top 10 or 15 recruits - it may be really clear and rational. Beyond that, I think it gets murky. I think that just as it's frustrating for a gymnast to try to get on the "list" of their favorite school's coach, it must be frustrating for some coaches to get the attention of favored gymnasts. I've reminded my daughter of that ("Coach X has been liking your videos for three years and there's nothing wrong with their school other than, with other schools that you like better, it doesn't make sense for you focus on them. It's probably the same with the coaches.")
And one piece of advice is to try to stay focused on what you/your kid wants. It's easy to start spinning. You see people commit to schools that were never on your kid's list and start second guessing yourself. But if you start with a list that is grounded in rhyme and reason, and then keep going back to that, it helps a lot.
Keep us posted and best of luck to your girl! It's an exciting time!
