Recruiting the Student Athlete: A Workshop on College Admissions

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Recruiting the Student AthleteA Workshop on
College Admissions
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Recruiting the StudentA Workshop on College
Admissions
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Recruiting the AthleteA Workshop on College
Admissions
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• A few important opening words
• Our priority in the college counseling program at
  Minnetonka High School helping the student
  (athlete) find the right fit!
• College is a match to be made, not a prize to be
  won!
• Every student (athlete) is encouraged to follow
  this rule
• You apply for admission to a college because
  you want to go (play) there!

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• Initial Eligibility
• Any athlete who wishes to compete at the Division
  I or Division II level must be cleared by the
  NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse
  (established in 1993).
• www.ncaaclearinghouse.net
• The NCAA Clearinghouse serves
• Prospective student athletes
• High school administrators, coaches, and
  counselors
• NCAA member institutions

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• Initial Eligibility, continued
• Sixteen core courses
• 4 English
• 3 Math
• 2 Science
• 1 more from English, Math, or Science
• 2 Social Science
• 4 more from above, foreign language, religion or
  philosophy

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• Initial Eligibility, continued
• GPA/Test Score sliding scale
• 3.55 core gpa with 37 ACT (adding up the 4
  sections)
• 3.00 core gpa with 52 ACT
• 2.50 core gpa with 68 ACT
• 2.0 core gpa with 86 ACT
• NOTE test score sections can come from more
  than one test date!

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• Initial Eligibility, continued
• GPA/Test Score sliding scale
• 3.55 core gpa with 400 SAT (adding reading
  math)
• 3.00 core gpa with 620 SAT
• 2.50 core gpa with 820 SAT
• 2.00 core gpa with 1010 SAT
• NOTE A grade of B is the same as a B-. Both
  are calculated as a 3.0.

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• NCAA colleges and universities -- 560 million in
  revenue in 2006!
• Division I 326 institutions
• Division II 290 institutions
• Division III 443 institutions
• For example, in mens ice hockey
• Division I 60 institutions
• Division II 7 institutions
• Division III 71 institutions

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• Division III programs
• 80 private 20 public institutions
• Average enrollment 2,000 (range is from 400 to
  over 40,000)
• No financial aid related to athletics
• Athletic focus is on in-season competition
• Student athletes experience the full range of
  college life and programs
• Student athletes play because they have a passion
  for the sport

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• Division III programs, continued
• D-III sports are not glorified intramurals
  think about this weekends game (St. Olaf vs. St.
  Johns)
• Coaches can slot student athletes for their
  teams, so they have a voice in admissions
• Pressure exists for students to apply early
  decision
• Financial aid inconsistencies i.e., leadership
  scholarship
• Recruiting rules are not clearly defined

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• Division I programs
• Head count sports
• Student athletes have large scholarships
• Limited number of counters on each team
• Football 90
• Mens Basketball 13
• Womens Basketball 15
• Womens Volleyball 12

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• Division I programs
• Equivalency sports
• No limit on number receiving countable aid
• Athletic scholarships are smaller
• Mens soccer 9.9
• Womens soccer 14
• Baseball 11.7
• Softball 12

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• Division I programs
• Recruiting process in an ideal world!
• Coaches identify talented players
• Coaches court the player
• Player likes the coach and wants to play for
  him/her
• Player makes a commitment to attend and signs a
  letter of intent
• Student athlete is awarded a scholarship
• Student athlete enrolls at the university!

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• Division I programs
• Recruiting process in the real world!
• Mass mailings, beginning even in grade 9
• Communications to all-conference and all-state
• Once personal visits can begin, a coach can make
  the player feel like he is the golden boy.
• All the recruiting attention can stop in an
  instant once another (better) player signs.
  Or, an injury occurs.

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• Division I programs
• College visits
• Official visits
• Registered with NCAA Clearinghouse
• Financed in part (or whole) by college
• Limited to 5 (one visit per school maximum of
  48 hours)
• Unofficial visits
• No limit on number
• College cannot pay any travel expenses

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• Division I programs
• National Letter of Intent (NLI)
• Binding one-year agreement/contract
• Prospect must attend institution for one year
• University must provide prospect with athletic
  financial aid (which is renewed on a year-to-year
  basis)
• Signing dates vary www.national-letter.org

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• Walking through the process -- action items in
  the 11th grade
• Talk with your coach, your parents, and your
  guidance counselor about your plans
• Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse in June
• Research summer camps, regional showcases, ODP
  programs to work with certain coaches
• Create a master list of college coaches, with
  contact info and roster information

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• Action items for Grade 11, continued
• Create a resume or web site, which lists your
  academic and athletic achievements
• Send a letter/email to all coaches in the
  winter/spring, with your resume attached
• For some sports, develop a highlights video
• Visit college campuses. Talk with coaches, when
  possible, and as many students as possible
  including non-athletes

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• Action items for Grade 12
• Remain strongly committed to school work
• Continue communication with coaches
• Promptly return phone calls and emails
• Cut off contact at institutions you are no longer
  interested in
• Accept the situation when coaches are no longer
  interested in you

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• Action items for grade 12, continued
• Apply to colleges that you are interested in
  attending and where you are a strong candidate
  as a student and athlete
• Update your resume and athletic profile/web site
• Consider the early decision/early action option
• Make a final decision based on a holistic
  review of your options.

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• Role of the counselor
• Honor the dream respect the reality!
• Be an objective listener to both the student
  athlete and the parent
• Help students sell themselves to the college
• Communicate with all students, starting in grade
  9, about the core courses
• Develop relationships with the coaching staff

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• The final word!
• The general rule about applying to college as a
  student athlete you should apply if the school
  is the right choice for you.
• For more information attend our program on
  November 13, with Mr. J.T. Bruett, the compliance
  office at the U of Minnesota.
• Phillip Trout
• College Counselor
• Minnetonka High School
• 952-401-5746
• collegeguy_at_minntonka.k12.mn.us 10-03-07