How to maximize your college visits
This is step #9 in the 10 step BRC recruiting formula!
How to Maximize Your College Campus Visits
Take advantage of any chance you get to go visit a college campus that is or could potentially be on your Hot List (list of realistic colleges that are an overall good fit for you on all levels).
When you are visiting these schools there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you make the most of your trip.
First and foremost, if you can set up a meeting with the baseball coach while you are visiting the campus that is the best.
To do that, make sure you reach out to the coach ahead of time via email and/or the phone. Just remember that a coach cannot call you back until July 1st after your junior year. If you call and the coach doesn’t answer than just try calling him back at another time.
When you actually get on campus, it will be important to take some good notes and good pictures. Trust me, previous college visits will blend together if you don’t have good notes to refer back to later on in the process.
Here are some important things to check out when you are visiting a college campus…
Some main points to keep in mind at every school:
- Take time to picture yourself spending the next 4 years on that campus
- Take the time to ask questions to players and coaches
- After each visit, make sure to take 15 minutes or so to rank the latest school 1-10 in the following categories. If you don’t do this while it's fresh in your mind, it will be easy to forget or get some of the schools mixed up later on.
Academics
- Take time to attend a class when possible
- Ask players about the academic experience and balance
- Ask coach how many players are majoring in business
Food
- Eat at a dining hall if at all possible
- Ask players where they eat most of their meals and how they like the dining room food
Coaches
- Make sure to find out which coach works with the infielders
- How do you like the coaches personality?
- Ask players how they enjoy playing for coach ______
- Can ask coach again if there is an opportunity to compete for a starting job as a freshman
Baseball Facilities
- Weight Room
- Locker Room
- Field
Living Situation
- Check out a dorm if possible
- Ask coach if most players live on or off campus
- Is there a certain amount of years students are required to live in the dorms?
Official VS. Unofficial Visits
Recruiting visits to the campus of an NCAA school fall into two categories:
- Official Visit (Paid by the University)
- Unofficial Visit (Not paid by the University)
Here is a quick overview of each:
Official Visits
- A prospect can make an official visit to a Division I school starting on the first day of their senior year in high school.
- Can be paid all or in part by the athletic department at the school.
- Transportation, meals (maximum of three a day), hotels, three game passes to home athletics contest, entertainment ($40 per day) can all be paid for.
- A prospect can only take one visit per school.
- A college baseball program can host up to 25 official visits per year (August 1 – July 31).
- In order to take an official visit a high school prospect must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, submit a PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT test score to the school, submit a high school transcript to the school and must be placed on the school’s institutional request list (aka IRL, this gives the school access to all of the academic/amateurism information you submit to the Eligibility Center).
- An official visit cannot last longer than 48 hours starting from the time the prospect first arrives on campus.
Unofficial Visits
- A prospect may take an unlimited number of unofficial visits to an unlimited number of schools.
- A prospect can take unofficial visits prior to their senior year in high school.
- The school can provide three game passes per prospect to a home athletics contest.
Unofficial visits have become a much more important part of the D1 baseball recruiting process because players are verbally committing earlier and earlier.
Once a prospect is on a college campus the coaches can speak with them and their parents in person whether its before or after July 1st of their senior year (the first day a coach can place a call to or talk to a prospect off-campus).
That is why a lot of D1 college baseball coaches try to get as many top underclassmen prospects on campus (unofficial visit) as possible.
BRC College Visit Checklist
Potential Questions to Ask While on Your Visits
- What would a typical daily schedule look like for a player on your team (Fall, Winter, Spring)?
- What date do you usually have your recruiting class finalized by?
- Do most of your players play in a summer wooden bat league?
- What do look for in players at _______ (position)?
- What position do you see me playing in your program?
- At my position, what does the depth chart look like?
- How would you describe your coaching style?
- What type of players succeed here in your program?
- What are some of the common majors your players choose?
- Are there team study halls and/or tutoring for baseball players?
- Do most baseball players live on or off campus? Are there requirements that students need to live on campus for a certain amount of years?
Two Questions You Should Use at the End of EVERY Conversation with a Coach
- What are the next steps?
- Do you need anything else from me?
