News & Features

Nadim Naser, 6 April 2015

Special from WAM Sports

It is that time of the recruiting process again where the majority of student athletes are about to make the decision on what university to attend; although many try to do this during early decision week in November of the previous year, the April through August period is still very popular. This time can be filled with anxiety and pitfalls involving recruiting visit experiences, unexpected scholarship shortfalls, and admission uncertainties.

Before we start, an easy decision of where to go is not presented to everyone; matter of fact it is likely that most student athletes are not sure where to go at one point or another. That is completely normal and should not cause you to be alarmed. The key is to make your decision only once and if you have identified a university that offers the best academic, athletic and social fit for yourself and are confident in your choice. Otherwise, you are likely to fall into one or more decision-making pitfalls. The following three rather major and common ones stand put for me and that's why I'd like to share them with you so you maybe well prepared before you put pen to paper. Remember, this is your future, not theirs. Get all the information before you decide!

So, what are the three common recruiting pitfalls that students encounter year in and year out?

The Recruiting Visit Experience

What happens when the university you held in highest regard and were sure was "The One," turns out to be "not all that" once you visit? Visiting a prospective university (officially or unofficially) is a useful and necessary element of the recruiting process. In fact, I personally would never encourage a student athlete to commit to a university - no matter how prestigious the school or tempting the scholarship offer - without having visited the campus. Not even the most experienced consultants, coaches, or mentors can tell you what you will or will not like, where you will or will not fit. You need to experience that for yourself.

The "first choice college" often gets crossed off a student athlete's list when seen in person. Perhaps parents, coaches and athletes alike tend to judge a book by its cover and a university by its reputation. Make sure to:

• visit with the team to see what they are like. How do they conduct themselves? Are these people you would like to know? Observe how they train and compete, but also consider their social life and academic responsibilities.
• talk to the coach. You want to have a good notion of where and how you fit into the team, what the coach stands for personally, how he/she leads the team, conducts practices, sees his or her own coaching style.
• ask for a campus tour that allows you to visit classes, athletic facilities, living quarters, dorms, and cafeterias. Ideally you will meet professors and/or admissions staff (preferably together with one or more of your future teammates or coaches)
• watch or practice with the team
• spend a night or two with your teammates to see how they conduct themselves in their off time and whether you have a good chemistry. After all, these will be the people you will be spending 95% of your next four years with!

Remember, college is more than just the sport, just the studies or just the social life. You have to fit into all of it in order to be happy! If you find your fit, say "yes," but if you see that one or more of your top choices are not what you thought they would be, learn to say no and move on to better things.

Scholarship Shortfalls

Most student athletes do not visit a university until they have deemed it a serious option as a possible "best fit" college. That normally only happens once the scholarship and financial aid situation has been considered. There may be scholarship opportunities presented to you by college coaches who are trying to recruit you, by admissions departments, and by award donors who have qualified you for financial aid based on your academic records, sporting achievements, and needs.

Know this: nothing is certain with financial aid or scholarships until all the paperwork has been signed, stamped and filed. In other words, events out of your control may cause scholarship offers and financial aid opportunities to fall through unexpectedly. You should have scholarship and financial aid offers in writing when possible, but never place all your eggs into one basket when it comes to choosing a university. This will help you avoid finding out at the last minute that some promised financial support won't be there, after you have closed the door on other options.

Admission Uncertainties

Although I am mentioning this point last, all student athletes face an obstacle with college admissions. It needs to be at the top of every student athlete's list when deciding on a university: before you find out what scholarships you qualify for and before you go visit, you need to know about all criteria regarding your personal admissions status.

No one would argue that it is important to know what your chances are on admission, but many student athletes hold off on finding out exactly where they stand. What the admissions department think about your credentials is most important. College coaches who want to recruit you and do so enthusiastically can unwillingly signal a deceiving sense of security. In the end, neither the coach nor you will know whether you can actually participate on a team at any university before you receive the thumbs up from admissions. So know the expectations regarding your standardized test scores, GPA, and other qualifications.

In closing, note that these pitfalls are very common today. Many student athletes and coaches alike are forced to re-adjust last minute to either find another university or fill another roster spot, respectively. More often than not, these unexpected complications can be avoided. Make sure you pay close attention to what you can influence. Prepare accurately in regards to making sure where you stand with admissions (at more than one university) from the get-go. Be aware of your true scholarship and financial aid options & qualifications early on by sending in your documents. Take the time to visit more than just your top choice college before making a decision on where to go. If you do these things and communicate frequently and proactively with college coaches and admissions departments, you will be well on your way to finding your best fit college.....and actually go there!

Pay close attention to these helpful tips during your college selection process. Numerous student athletes before you have benefited from them. Share your thoughts with me on this or any other subject matter.

If you like what you have read you can contact me via email at [email protected], and visit our website at www.wamsports.com, to find out more about the recruiting process.

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Final Profiles

In our last few days before Signing Week, we still have a couple more commitment profiles to bring you. Tomorrow we take a look at 4-Star senior Morgan Stone of Marietta, Ga. - who talks about his decision to head West to Santa Clara.

Come back for that article - and check out all the other great content that Tennis Recruiting has brought you on the Countdown to Signing Day!

• Mar 13 - Countdown to Signing Day
• Mar 14 - Erica Oosterhout Commits to the Crimson
• Mar 16 - Chris Jones Heads East to Tufts
• Mar 18 - Allie Sanford Commits to the Rebels
• Mar 20 - Rutledge Goes East to Join Demon Deacons
• Mar 23 - Previewing the Top 100 Girls
• Mar 25 - Sameer Kumar Heads to the Cardinal
• Mar 26 - Reto Heads to Melbourne and Florida Tech
• Mar 27 - Recruiting - the D-III Perspective
• Mar 28 - Conversation with Williams Champ Urban
• Mar 30 - Previewing the Top 100 Boys
• Mar 31 - Coach Roundtable on College Transfers (Part 2)
• Apr 1 - Yangeng Jiang Continues Journey at Bowdoin
• Apr 2 - Toledo Commits to Iowa State
• Apr 6 - Three Recruiting Pitfalls to Avoid
• Apr 7 - Morgan Stone Heads to Santa Clara
• Apr 8 - Jacqueline Carr Commits to the Herd
• Apr 9 - SFA Interviews Virginia Tech Coach Thompson

About Ethos School

We are excited to have Ethos School as the title sponsor of the Recruiting 101 series of articles at TennisRecruiting.net.

Ethos School - Transforming Education for Athletes

Ethos School is an online school committed to preparing next-level athletes with next-level learning opportunities through flexible, high-quality courses in a faith-based environment. Our online platform offers over 100+ a la carte courses for 4th-12th grade students, allowing families the freedom to pick and choose what course(s) they would like their child to take through either a fully homeschool or hybrid model. To date, Ethos boasts an AP pass rate of over 80%, with student-athletes going to universities such as the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Dartmouth, Auburn University, and more.

One of the unique aspects of Ethos School is our commitment to providing a holistic educational experience. Our students participate in a live 1-hour video session with their teacher and peers each week. These sessions offer enriching activities, opportunities to ask questions, discuss coursework, and present projects.

We are thrilled to extend an exclusive offer to TRN recruits like you. If you decide to enroll your child at Ethos School, we will waive the $95 enrollment fee. Additionally, we will provide a complimentary Academic Counseling session with one of Ethos' Academic Deans to plan out your child's educational journey to ensure they are on the right path for college and beyond.

To learn more about Ethos School, please visit EthosSchool.org - or connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube, If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Ethos can meet your child's educational needs, please schedule a call here.

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