• Make sure you do well academically.  Junior and Senior year grades are your most important.
• Try to take AP or Honors classes if you can.
• Take the SAT’s during your junior year. 
• Take an SAT prep class between your junior and senior year to see if you can get your score up.
• Take SAT II’s right after you take the class.  For example if you take Chemistry during your Junior year – take the test at the end of the school year.
• Take the ACT – a lot of colleges will accept the ACT in place of the SAT.
• Get in touch with the coach at every school you are interested in, either via email or regular mail.
• Visit local schools to get a feel for what you like, ie:  big school, small school, city, suburb, close or far from home.
• Start a notebook with what you like about each school and what you did not like.
• Make a highlight tape/DVD of your play. 
• Do not have a stupid email address.
• Make sure to write your first and last name on every email you send.
• Keep coaches updated on your academic and athletic achievements via email.
• Go to showcases or elite level camps or tournaments and contact coaches ahead of time to let them know you will be there.
• Go to camp at a school that you think you would like to go to.  Again, contact the coach before you go.
• Go to a game, meet, tournament, etc. where the team you are interested in playing for is playing.  This way you can get an idea of the level of play and whether you could play there.
• Plan to take a tour of the school and meet with the coach during your junior year or during the summer between your junior and senior year.
• Always be polite and dress nicely when meeting a coach.  If you are rude to one coach be sure that many other coaches will hear about it.
• Start with a good amount of schools that you are interested in and then try to narrow it down.  I would recommend starting with at least 8 schools.

Senior Year:

 

• By now you should have a good idea of the kinds of schools you are interested in.  Make sure the coach knows who you are and that you are very interested in their school.
• Go to open houses and college fairs and stress to them how interested you are in their school.
• If you have not sent in a tape/DVD of yourself make sure to do so, or if you are a swimmer or runner send your best times.
• Send a copy of your completed transcript through junior year, include senior year classes, a school profile as well as any SAT or ACT scores.
• Volunteer – do some community service work to write on your resume.
• Talk to older kids about why they chose the school they went to and see if you can go for an overnight visit.
• Ask coaches to be upfront and honest with you during the recruiting process.  If the coach does not think you can play for him/her, move on.
• Pick the college first and the athletic piece second.  If you have a career ending injury the first week of the season you want to be happy at the school you picked. 
• Never settle – apply to schools that you think you will be accepted to but also pick one or two schools that you consider reach schools, you have nothing to lose and who knows, you may get accepted. 
• Talk with your parents about financing your education.  Most colleges are going to cost between $25,000 and $50,000, you need to know how you are going to pay for it before you apply. 
• Should the school you are looking at have athletic scholarships then the coach will most likely bring the subject up to you.  If he/she doesn’t then ask if a scholarship is something that he/she sees for you.
• Do not choose your school based on an athletic scholarship.  Make your #1 priority academics, if a scholarship is given on top of that then you are getting a bonus.

 

Good luck!  If you have any questions please feel free to email me at Christine.mcdavitt@tufts.edu