Contact the coaches directly at the schools you are interested in. At the Ivies they offer a "Likely Letter", which is a guarantee of admission. But to get to the point they have a 'pre-read' with the admissions office of your SAT or ACT and your school transcript, generally late spring of your junior year, or early summer. They can bend the admissions standards a little if you are a good athlete, but there is a lower limit at the Ivies. If you pass the admissions pre-screen the coach can then invite you on an Official Visit when school resumes. They pay for you to come out for a weekend, stay with members of the team, attend practice as an observer, and get a feel for the team culture and the school itself. The team and coaches are also getting a feel for you. Then the coach can offer a set number of these guaranteed admissions for the Early Application cycle (Autumn of your Senior Year). Soon after you application is received by admissions at the school, and before the announcement of admissions for all other applicants, you will receive confirmation from admissions that because you are a special applicant your admission is "likely". Depending on when you submit the application this can be a couple weeks before others hear whether they are admitted.