William T. Conley
Dean of Enrollment & Academic Services
The Johns Hopkins University
First, it is very important to recognize the difference between Division I and Division III at the college level. For Division I, if the active recruiters are not already contacting you then it is most likely that your athletic talents are not at that competitive, athletic scholarship level. However, Division III is the largest division in college athletics and having small recruitment budgets and being without scholarships, these colleges may only learn about you if you tell them about yourself. For the colleges you are interested in, use their websites to get the e-mail addresses of coaches and contact them with a brief letter and an attached academic and athletic résumé. When you are visiting a campus, contact the coaches to set up an appointment.
Cyndy McDonald
Founder
Higher Educational Consultants Association (HECA)
While you can't guarantee your spot on the team, there are some things you can do to help your case. Here are some tips for getting started.
- Download and use the NCAA reference sheets for athletes at www.ncaa.org
- Start early. Don’t wait until your senior year to begin the process.
- Learn which camps are used for recruiting purposes and go to them during the summer.
- Don’t wait for the college to come calling to you; contact college coaches and express your interest in playing your sport at their school.
- Check out the team roster on the college website. What positions do the seniors play? Is it one of your positions? Will the team need someone next year?
- Learn about the coach. Does his/her philosophy work for you?
- Learn about the team. Will you fit in? how many hours do they spend on study? What support systems are in place for the athletes?