- As you probably know, the summer between your sophomore and junior years in high school is a great time to visit schools. At this point, you should have whittled down your list to about 5 schools that are showing interest in you that you could see yourself attending, and these are the schools you should visit. Junior year is really challenging academically, so it’s good to visit as many schools as possible during the summer before your junior year starts because you’ll have limited time during the school year
- When you begin making campus visits (you may choose to begin these as a sophomore), consider taking a tour offered by the admissions office. These are sometimes more informative than walking around with a coach.
- When talking with a school about a scholarship offer, make sure you’re aware of what is covered. For example, does it cover tuition for a fifth year, summer school tuition, actual cost of attendance, medical expenses?
- Talk with coaches about where you stand on their list. This can be done in person during campus visits or on the phone.
- Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. You’ll eventually need to provide transcripts and test scores (after you take the SAT or ACT).
- Register to take the SAT/ACT. And remember, once you get our scores back, you’ll be sending them to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
- Research non-athletic financial aid. If you really like a certain school and think you can play there, don’t give up just because they can’t put you on money as a freshman. Lots of non-athletic scholarships exist, and if you qualify, it may allow you to attend a school that wouldn’t otherwise be possible – and then prove yourself to the coaches. To get the necessary info, go to a school’s scholarship page and see what’s offered in terms of need-based and merit aid. Keep in mind, many elite schools offer only need-based aid. The earlier you apply for financial aid, the better. It’s a lump sum of money, and it’s generally distributed on a first come, first-served basis.
You can also check out the freshman, sophomore and senior checklists for athletes who want to play in college.
