Victory Collegiate Consulting

Recruiting Strategies to Kick-off the New Year

2012-01-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

A New Year is upon us and opportunity lurks. That being said, those who organize best, execute well developed plans and beat the bushes will maximize their success in college recruiting. You have the chance to create change, new commitments, a clean slate and fresh opportunity to approach the recruiting process with renewed passion. This article attempts to outline general “class tips” that current prospective student-athletes can use in maximizing the college search in 2012.

Seniors
The early decision and signing periods are behind you and if you were not picked up in admissions or offered an athletic scholarship you now have new life in the regular decision and regular signing periods.

Will the regular recruiting period be competitive? Yes. Will there be plentiful opportunities? No. Try not to focus on that, which was not accomplished during the early recruiting process, but re-group and control your playing field in the regular period. Cast a narrow net in selecting the colleges you will pursue and focus on the following:

• Meet all admissions application deadlines.
• Update your personal profile with any pertinent academic and athletic information.
• Edit your recruiting highlight video with footage.
• Connect regularly with the coaches and avoid incommunicado.
• Ask your club or high school coach to reach out on your behalf to speak directly with the college coaches.
• Take another road trip to your top schools and setup a meeting with the coaches.

Your strategy and operative should be vigorous. Provide the coaches with the unique resources to help them see you in a new and unique light that will convince them to recruit you more earnestly.

Juniors
An operative that juniors should reference regularly as you build the recruiting effort it is momentum. As a junior prospect, you want to remain highly visible on the college coach’s radar and provide them with regular updates with your academic and athletic progress.

If you are that blue chip kid that many of the college coaches are pursuing, you are not going to run into too many hurdles and there is a good chance a large percentage of these boys and girls have received verbal commitments. If, on the other hand you are the kid in the “B” file of prospects, you will need to go above and beyond to remain competitive with the other prospects in the file. I suggest you focus on the following:

• Update your YouTube video with new highlights that will get the attention of the coaches.
• Be sure you are on target academically and registered for and preparing for standardized testing.
• Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
• Line up a campus visits and work with the college coaches to include a possible overnight stay as part of the trip.
• Cultivate relationships with each of the coaches you have connected with. The “grey area” character component can evolve here and help separate you from the rest of the pack.

Re-assess your recruiting strategy and look at the “end game.” Identify your ultimate goal in the recruiting process and use it as your catalyst. From here, work backward and identify working targets, each building from one to the next until you reach your present point of reference. Now start from your new “launch point” and surge forward and work the plan, one brick at a time.

Sophomores
Information gathering and learning the new language of college recruiting should be the mantra for the sophomore prospect. As I mentioned early in this article, the college search for athletes has accelerated to a mind bending rate and one way to keep pace is to embrace and understand it.

That aside, the education of the prospect and family can be complimented by taking a few simple, but time consuming steps. Remember…Lift-off is the most demanding part of any worthy project, where time and energy are used at a premium. I suggest focusing on the following:

• Develop a cliff notes version of NCAA rules and procedures. Go to the NCAA website (www.ncaa.org) and download the recruiting manuals and pay close attention to the chapters on recruiting, financial aid and eligibility.
• Put yourself down on paper by creating a 1 page personal profile and developing a 4-5 minute highlight video.
• Do a self-evaluation (I have a great 10 question assessment I ask all my students to answer before we launch) and get a grip on what you are potentially looking for in the college experience.
• Develop a group of 20-25 colleges, diverse in community, academic offering and athletic strength (D-1, 2, 3). Locate the home and athletic websites and poke around to get a feel for the different environments.
• Take 3-5 campus road trips during the year. Don’t just show up. Be sure you have introduced yourself to the coaches through regular communication and line-up face to face meetings.

The start of 2012 presents new opportunities. Developing a positive mental approach, similar to gearing up for a new season, is a proactive step in the right direction in the college search. In the final analysis, you want to create a clean slate to begin anew and with that, every opportunity to push yourself to achieve great things.

Copyright © 2012 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

Decision Time-lines for Prospective Student-Athletes

2011-10-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

November is fast approaching and with that, early deadlines for college applications. Current seniors who have dedicated themselves to connecting early on with college coaches in providing them with the necessary evaluation tools coaches need to determine “potential matches” have narrowed their list to a few or even one institution they feel is a perfect fit.

Nowadays, college coaches, in many cases are encouraging prospects to commit early to their institution in an effort to wrap up recruiting and outdistance the competition. This article attempts to shed light on a variety of “options” prospects and families can embrace moving forward in the ever changing college search for athletes.

Essentially, student-athletes have 3 choices in the college application process. They can 1) apply early decision or early action, 2) Consider a rolling decision option or 3) Choose to apply in the regular decision pool of applicants. Deciding which option to choose depends mainly on one’s readiness and comfort level to apply and how far along they are in the recruiting process.

Early Decision/Action should be considered a viable option for prospects that have their ducks in a row in the college search. Based on early and proactive communication and giving Coach the opportunity to do a thorough and complete evaluation, prospects and families should have a strong feel for where they stand from an academic and athletic standpoint.

Typically early applications are due on or about November 1 of the senior year and applicants are bound to applying to only one institution. If everything works well with the early decision applicant, the prospect will be committed to attend. On the other hand, a positive response in admissions for the early action applicant allows the prospect the opportunity to apply to additional colleges during regular decision. Final decisions are mailed in mid-December of the senior year.

Rolling Decision provides prospects with the chance to get their applications in for an early read by admissions without being bound to commit. Simply stated, the sooner your application is received, the sooner you receive a decision from admissions.

Regular Decision applicants are read by admissions with a larger pool of students and applications are due on or around January 1. This is a fine option for prospects who might be a little behind or unable to pinpoint the “perfect fit” just yet! Final decisions are typically mailed in mid-April of the senior year.
Regardless of which application period one chooses, as an advisor, I always try to take a fun and informative approach with organizing my students for the college search. Below are simple and useful tips I utilize:

• Exploration: This phase is really the launch phase of every college search effort for my students that includes a strong “information gathering” component. After students fill in a 10 question assessment (academic, athletic and personal college goals etc.) to determine their start point, I research and deliver a group of colleges that potentially match with the prospect. By navigating academic and athletic websites they begin to grow an appreciation for the different “flavors” the colleges offer.

• Proactive Communication: Once the student gets a feel for each institution we grow a detailed contact list for all college coaches. From here we develop a plan of action moving forward where regular and concrete communication are the tools they use to get on the radar and begin to build momentum.

• Evaluation: College coaches are swamped with administrative tasks and team commitments. Considering the current state of college recruiting, it will serve prospects and families best to assist Coach in doing an initial student-athlete evaluation. Whether it is the provision of a personal profile, portfolio or a link to your YouTube skills video, providing Coach with a simple yet informative way to accomplish this can go a long way.

The college athletic landscape has shifted during the past 10 years and so too has the recruiting process. It’s downright competitive out there and early decision options are becoming more popular. Committing to a well-defined recruiting plan that is executed proactively and passionately will give prospects and their families a clear edge over the competition and position them best to determine the right and best admissions option moving forward.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and President of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he advises prospects and families on college recruiting. Tom is the author of “Reaching for Excellence” An educational guide for college athletics recruiting. For further information visit: www.victoryrecruiting.com.

Copyright © 2011 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.

College Recruiting 101

2011-06-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

The college experience is, in many cases, the most important four years in our children’s lives, as it will shape their future personal and professional direction. That being said, securing admission to a college or university that best match students’ desires, strengths, and aspirations is essential. Today more than ever, high school athletes are strategically marketing themselves to college coaches not just for scholarships, but in hopes of gaining entry into their top college choices in a highly competitive arena. And it’s working. By realizing the potential leverage families of prospective student-athletes have in the college admissions process, especially as it pertains to non-scholarship schools and for student-athletes who may not qualify for athletics aid, should develop increased confidence and hope as families begin the college quest. Then, knowing how to close on this opportunity is, without question, essential.

Student-athletes bring a unique quality to the table when it comes to college admissions. They offer a special talent that can improve the institution’s visibility and raise the level of popularity among future attendees. College officials understand this and in many cases, offer strong support to student-athletes both in admissions and financial aid.

The college recruiting process can be a daunting effort if it is not well planned and executed with organization and enthusiasm from start to finish. As a coach of a Division I team for 19 years, I would say that roughly 75% of my former student-athletes gained entry to the university because, in part, they were viewed as “special interest.” I’ve learned, first hand, what works and what does not. What follows are insights on how to maximize the student athlete’s best chances in gaining admission to their top college choice.

Gather Information Gathering information is critical to the successful organization of any worthy project. Building a college recruiting information base can begin as early as the ninth grade as a family hobby and increasingly grow into a highly organized, disciplined project by the end of the junior year.

Begin by gathering information on the student-athletes colleges of choice including team and coach profiles, statistics, ranking, and academic offerings. Continue to update and maintain individual e-files on these favorite college programs.

Build your Team Parents, prospect, high school/club coach, college advisor, guidance counselor and a personal mentor should all be part of your team in the college recruiting process. Each team player will have a specific role to play in order to ensure the prospect’s best chances. Advance goals should be set with clarity and purpose that compliment the organizational structure of the recruiting process.

Team members will need to oversee the following:
• Financial aid/scholarships
• Admissions
• Development of target calendar
• Research (schools, majors, athletic programs, rankings)
• Video and profile development
• Planned communication and contact log
• Campus visits
• Scheduling standardized testing
• Organizing communication “role play”
• Researching college profiles and determining potential compatibility

By selecting the team approach, the responsibilities are equally distributed to the area experts. All assignments should be clearly spelled out and communication between the team members should be frequent and consistent. This will help streamline the college quest and assist in avoiding any confusion that could contribute to unclear thinking, misdirection and potentially poor choices.

Develop and Execute your Plan A knowledgeable consumer will have a clear edge in the pursuit of the attainment of any worthy product. I believe that the same holds true in the college search and I encourage families to make every effort and commitment to organize pertinent information regarding this process and to execute well-designed plans.

Develop timelines that will target general events in the beginning of the college search (making unofficial visits, maintaining your data base, and attending competitions) and continue through more specific events (compiling a video and player profile, communicating with coaches, and making official visits, etc.) as time progresses. This will increase the chances of “hitting targets” throughout the process.

Communication Effective communication between the family and the college coach can be critical to the decision made by the coach. It can make or break a coach’s decision to offer an athletic scholarship or to provide that extra “push” in the admission process.

If your mission is clear, communication becomes the vehicle to move with definite purpose in your chosen direction. On the other hand, ill-prepared communication can cause confusion and misdirection. Your ship moves, but with a weak rudder.

Communication should be initiated early on by the family and by the prospect. Although college coaches have clear restrictions as to when and where they may contact prospects, a prospect may call or e-mail a coach early, with few exceptions.

An initial letter of introduction accompanied by a profile is a great way to begin, but it is very important to follow this up by e-mail and by phone. The prospect that practices persistence with respect, will grab the college coach’s attention.

Provide the college coach with everything he or she requests (profile, DVD, transcripts etc.) in a timely manner. This will make the evaluation of athletic talent and academic credentials an easy task for the coach, and they will develop a level of appreciation that could be the “tie breaker” when it comes down to support for the prospect. Remember: cultivating a strong and genuine relationship with coaches, based on honesty and sincerity, is critical to building trusting relationships.

Player Profile As one can imagine, college coaches receive hundreds of personal profiles annually from prospects, and they will begin to prioritize their recruiting file based on the initial cover letter and profile. These documents will usually be placed in one of three files of importance:

“A” file: blue chip, top-tier recruits
“B” file: second-tier recruits; still have excellent opportunity
“C” file: little chance of impact; admissions risks

It is important to streamline your portfolio into a comprehensive and efficient format that stands above the rest. Keep your profile simple, neat and professionally formatted. Make the job of initial evaluation easy for the college coach by highlighting pertinent information including:
Personal and school contact information
Academic standing, awards, and test results
Physical characteristics
Athletic clubs and level, showcase tournaments, and elite camps
Athletic Statistics, Records, and Awards
Mission Statement
Coach’s Comments

Maintain a copy of your generic player profile to send to the majority of schools and then personalize 5-10 profiles to be sent to your top schools with additional information that will help you gain admission and/or scholarship attention, such as family legacy or a connection to the coach indirectly through your club coach, for example. Commit to making a strong impression with a professional approach in all written correspondence. Remember, your goal is to move your profile to the “A” contact folder.

Videos A video is another means of developing a first impression and trust me when I say that first impressions are remembered. Typically, a coach will roughly evaluate a recruit within the first 2 minutes of the video. They need to! Along with the hundreds of profiles, they are being bombarded with hundreds of videos.

Make your video succinct, professional, and yet attention grabbing. Follow these guidelines:

• Introduction: Tell coaches who you are, where you are from and what your specific goals are. Show confidence and project a mature image (20 seconds).
• Video footage: The coach will have a good indication of your talent within the first 2 minutes of your video. Highlight outstanding moments and technical mastery of your talent, which will grab the coach’s attention.
• Show 5-7 minutes of your finest game clips, along with training highlights.
• Finish your video with 15 seconds of direct contact information for you, your club and/or high school coach.

Keep in mind that as individual collegiate sports differ, it is important to communicate with the college coaches about their requirements for DVD footage.

The profile and video will initially define you in the eyes of the college coach. These tools should be crisp, clean and to the point. Give the coach every reason to filter your information into the active recruit file.

Be sure to continue with timely communications to the coaches. Inform them of new awards, accolades, records, or landmark achievements. Don’t call after every big competition; keep your communications succinct and focused. Remember: cultivating a strong and genuine relationship with coaches, based on honesty and sincerity is critical to building trusting relationships.

The college recruiting process is both exciting and potentially overwhelming. It requires a disciplined and yet flexible approach, especially when timelines get tight and situations become challenging. Developing and executing plans are crucial to the success, no different from preparation for a championship competition! Communication (both offering and receiving) is vital, and the working participants should build a mutually strong and respectful relationship in order to maximize results.

The bottom line is that through a systematic college recruiting process, you and your child can identify, work toward, and hopefully secure admission to the college of his or her choice – one that is an ideal academic and athletic “fit”. It will be well worth your efforts knowing that you were part of a team that guided your child as he or she embarks an important and meaningful process that will have great effect on their future careers and personal growth.

Tom Kovic is a former Division I college coach and the current director of Victory Collegiate Consulting, where he provides individual advisement for families on college recruiting. For further information visit www.victoryrecruiting.com. Additionally, Tom recently launched www.collegerecruiting.tv to assist families in developing an information base as they prepare for the college quest.

Copyright © 2011 Victory Collegiate Consulting. All Rights Reserved.