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The right fit is a big deal for college prospects.
Fortunately, the NCAA allows prospects to go on an unlimited number of unofficial visits. In turn, they should go on as many as possible. However, prospective D-I student-athletes can’t start going on unofficial visits until September 1 of their junior year in high school.
There’s much more to choosing a college than which coach and team a prospect likes best. The long-term consequences of selecting a specific school must be a primary concern, too.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) provides a full list of things to consider when making a college choice in the article “Determining the Right College Fit.” Every college athlete should become familiar with that list.
Prospects must get to know college campuses, which have some of the same characteristics as humans: personality, character and energy.
In working with college prospects for nearly 14 years as scout for National Scouting Report, I can attest to the fact that nearly every one of them — before and after a college visit — first said either they either liked or disliked like the campus. Then they discussed the coach and team.
What does that tell you? The connection between a campus and a young person matters, perhaps more than people think.
For that reason alone, I constantly advise prospects to take as many unofficial visits to college campuses as possible. They should begin as soon as they enter high school. When the opportunity arises, parents of prospects should make it part of their ongoing agenda to expose them to college campuses on vacations, during tournaments, combines, showcases or day trips.
Doing this presents invaluable evidence to the prospect. He or she can see how it feels to be on a small, intimate campus or a large one. Spending time on rural campuses versus those in metropolitan settings can be eye-opening. Knowing the difference between a state-supported school and a private college further educates the athlete, and family, to perhaps the financial obligations they could face.
Freshman and sophomore visits are essential. That way, when college coaches come calling in earnest during the junior and senior years, well-traveled athletes already have an idea what a campus may be like. Size, location, philosophy and reputation all come into play in the end.
The NCAA Division I manual defines an unofficial visit as “a visit to a member institution by a prospective student-athlete that is made at the prospective student-athlete’s own expense. The provision of any expenses or entertainment valued at more than $100 by the institution or representatives of its athletics interests shall require the visit to become an official visit.”
A prospect does not have to be invited for an unofficial visit. While that is advisable if the prospect has been communicating with a coach or receiving legitimate recruiting materials, he or she may show up unannounced and walk around campus without having contact with coaches, players or school officials. However, time permitting, we suggest that a visit is far more beneficial if the family calls the admissions office several days or weeks prior to the visit and arranges for a campus tour.
Gathering as many details about different campuses can be to the prospects’ advantage when decision time finally arrives.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.