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Get Scouted Scouting CareersThe NCAA early signing period is in full swing. The regular signing period is in just a few months. And student-athletes will be going off to college soon after that.
The early decision application period has begun. The regular decision application period is quickly approaching. You have application deadlines to meet.
You want to play college sports. But you have yet to receive any offers.
What should you do?
So, should you go ahead and start applying to colleges? Maybe you should contact the coaches? Should you hold out for offers?
Answer: all of the above.
“You have to cover all of your bases for admission,” said Alan Parham, NCAA compliance officer for National Scouting Report, the world’s oldest and largest high school scouting and college recruiting organization. “The earlier prospects can apply to and be accepted by colleges, the better off they are.”
High school guidance counselors recommend study apply to at least five schools. Probably because many student-athletes ultimately decide where to attend college based upon the financial aid packages they receive.
If a prospect is being vigorously recruited, college coaches encourage them to apply. Application fees — the average is $37.88 — can add up quickly, but many coaches offer an athletic waiver to cover the cost.
Once a prospect applies, he or she should contact the college coach immediately. The coach needs to know how much academic money the student-athlete qualifies for, so the coach can decide how much athletic’s aid to add to the package.
What if you don’t have any college offers?
If a student-athlete has no offers, Parham said, he must take a proactive approach. The athlete should apply to the schools he/she has interest in — academically and athletically — and receive an initial financial aid package.
“If a prospect has a high GPA, test scores, and class rank and receives a significant amount of academic money, that could sway a coach to make an offer,” Parham said. “It doesn’t put as big a strain on the coach’s athletic budget to make school affordable. That gives prospects a competitive advantage over others with similar athletic skills.”
If a prospect doesn’t apply to a school before the application deadline, he or she still can receive an offer from a college coach and, ultimately, sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) with that school. NCAA Division I and II schools hold spots in school for student-athletes.
“It’s rare when a coach hasn’t made an offer before the start of the regular signing period in February (football, soccer and men’s water polo) or April (all other sport),” Parham said. “However, prospects can be admitted to a school all the way up to the start of the next school year if they haven’t signed an NLI with another school.”
The most important thing, Parham said, is for prospects to stay in touch with college coaches as long as possible. You never know when another student-athlete may back out, opening the door for somebody else.
“You must continue working the [recruiting] process,” Parham said. “That way a coach knows you are still interested. You may be the first one he turns to.”
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.