5 Things Recruits Should Do for Planning Unofficial College Visits
When should I take a college visit? You should start to organize unofficial visits beginning in your junior year of high school. Ideally, visits should be scheduled during a time of year when the team is training so you have the opportunity to watch a training session or game. April 2018 saw new legislation with regards to unofficial visits. Unofficial visit with athletics department involvement (e.g., contact with athletics department staff, athletics-specific tour, complimentary admission) shall not occur with an individual (or his or her relatives or legal guardians) before September 1 at the beginning of his or her junior year in high school.
Should I contact the coach prior to my visit? Contact the coach ahead of time. One of the main reasons for a college visit should be to interact with the coaching staff and gain exposure. Otherwise the campus visit is worthless in regards making connections with the coaching staff.
How and when should I contact coach regarding a visit? Consider reaching out to the staff with a hand written note several weeks or more in advance. A handwritten note may be helpful in capturing the attention of coaches who are often overwhelmed by email correspondence. Coaches often do not have the time to respond to every email and that means you can get lost in the shuffle. After sending a handwritten note, you can call the office to introduce yourself and then follow it up with an email organizing a time to meet on campus. Your email should include a player resume and link to a highlight video if available. (See our Freebies page for a template resume).
What can I expect to happen on a visit (unofficial/official)? The nature of unofficial visits depends mainly on whether the visit is organized by the coach (in the event they are actively recruiting you) or the prospect who is initiating contact.
If a coach is organizing the visit the following may take place: campus tour led by coaching staff, overnight accommodations in a dormitory of a current student athlete, visit to college class with current student athletes, opportunity to watch a training session, meeting with academic support and/or academic departments of interest, and discussions with the coaching staff on financial aid, academic fit, acceptance standards and your potential role on the team.
If the prospective student athlete is initiating the contact, the following may take place: campus tour through admissions office and meeting with coaching staff to discuss the program (if pre-organized or the staff happens to be available). If the team is training on the day of your visit, you may be able to attend a training session if you have asked permission of the coaching staff beforehand. If you do have the opportunity to meet the opportunity to meet with the coaching staff, ask questions about the recruiting needs of the program (number of players being recruited to your class and recruited positions. You also want to use this opportunity to discuss whether the coaches have watched you play (at a tournament or by viewing your highlight video) and see if you can coordinate a future event where the coach may be able to watch you play.
How can I maximize my visit? Make sure to plan in advance. Visit the school’s website and pre-book a campus tour. Coordinate a time to meet the coaching staff beforehand and hand deliver your player resume and highlight video if they don’t already have hard copies. If possible and with the permission of a coaching staff, watch a training session while you are on campus.
WARNING: Remember that the coaching staff is evaluating you while you are on campus. They are interested in learning about your demeanor and interest in their school. They are also looking to see how you interact with your parents and whether you appear respectful and are enjoyable to be around.
