GET THE FACTS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: ADMISSIONS & APPLICATIONS
Here at NCSA, we believe in the power of recruiting education. The recruiting process has been rapidly changing over the past 10+ years, and knowing how the process works today can mean the difference between earning a scholarship and not competing in college. To help set you up for success, we’ve put together some valuable tips about the admissions process!
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
APPLICATIONS: THE PROCESS WHERE TO APPLY Before you start the application process, you need to identify which schools you will be applying to. We recommend that you apply to 2-3 reach schools (where you may not be athletically qualified), at LEAST 2-3 realistic options (where the coach is seriously recruiting you) and at LEAST 2-3 safe schools (where the coach really wants you and you are confident of your ability to be accepted). Many states have college funds or scholarship opportunities to encourage students to remain in-state for their college education, so be sure to check with each school to see if they have reciprocity with your home state. In some situations you can combine state funds and scholarships and still be able to apply the in-state award to the out-of-state cost. For example, Illinois has reciprocity with Minnesota and Indiana. This means schools from Indiana and Minnesota will honor at least a portion of the money which would have been available to students from Illinois had they chosen to remain in-state. Many times reciprocity will not be available, but for those occasions when it is available it can be a great option to help cover some of your college expenses. Once you finalize the list of schools you’ll be applying to, we recommend reviewing which schools accept the Common Application. The Common Application is a general application you can fill out once and send to any number of participating institutions. You can review which schools accept the Common Application and fill out your application at www.commonapp.org.
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: APPLICATIONS & ADMISSIONS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
APPLICATIONS: THE PROCESS CONT. COST With the average cost of a college application around $50, applying for colleges can become a costly endeavor. The good news is that there are ways you can avoid high application costs by communicating with college coaches. Sometimes a college coach will have the ability to waive your application fee. The easiest way to find out is to ask the coach directly whether or not the coach will be able to waive the fee. If the answer is no, it doesn’t necessarily mean the coach isn’t interested. If the coach can’t waive the fee or you have financial hardship, you can ask your high school guidance counselor for a Fee Waiver Request Form/Financial Hardship Waiver. The waiver can also be downloaded for free at: http://www.nacacnet.org/studentinfo/feewaiver/Pages/default.aspx.
If you download the waiver, your high school guidance counselor will need to sign the fee waiver.
APPLICATION PROCESS 1.
Identify the schools application deadlines
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Identify the schools that use the common app
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Contact the coach a. Ask when you should apply b. Ask how you should apply (online or paper)
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Prepare application
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Review application with parent
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Submit application according to coach’s wishes
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Receive acceptance letter and inform the coach
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: APPLICATIONS & ADMISSIONS
WHEN TO APPLY Now that you know where you’ll be applying, it’s time to start the application process. Whether it’s on the Common App’s website or on the college’s website, your first order of business is to find out when the application deadlines are. You don’t ever want to miss out on an opportunity, especially for reasons that are within your control. And as an athlete, there isn’t much a coach can do to help if you miss a deadline. Next, you should contact the coach at each program. If you have been receiving serious
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
APPLICATIONS: THE PROCESS CONT. EARLY DECISION TIPS OF THE TRADE
We recommend that you only apply early decision if you are positive the school is your first choice. Remember that if you have made a commitment, there is no more room for bargaining
interest, it is likely you will be asked to apply around the time you visit the campus. In this case, ask if the coach wants you to apply before or after you visit the college. Keep in mind that every coach has his/her own recruiting timeline, so a coach asking you to apply before or after your visit might not reflect the coach’s interest in you. Some coaches may even encourage you to apply early decision or early action. Applying early action usually means that you will find out your admission status in December your senior year (before most applicants). With early action, you are not committed to attend the institution if you are accepted. Early action can be a great way to find out where you stand without jeopardizing other opportunities. On the other hand, early decision is binding, which requires you to attend that college if you are granted admission. Colleges typically honor each other’s early decision policies, so your commitment will be taken very seriously. If you are not getting seriously recruited by a particular coach, but are still considering applying as a potential walk-on or for academic reasons, make sure you let the coach know when you are sending in your application. This will show the coach that you’re seriously interested in their program and may open up the lines of communication. It might not turn to serious interest but it can lead to a walk-on opportunity. It’s also important to ask the coach how you should submit your application. Some coaches may tell you to send your application directly to them and other coaches may prefer that you apply on-line. Once you have all the necessary information, fill out the application, review it with your parents to make sure it is completed accurately then submit the application according to the coach’s wishes.
TIPS OF THE TRADE
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TRACK YOUR APPLICATION If you receive an application in the mail, make sure the coach knows when you’re applying so the coach can track your application and help you through admissions.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: APPLICATIONS & ADMISSIONS
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
ADMISSIONS: THE PROCESS Once your application has been sent, the admissions office at the institution will make the final decision on whether or not you get accepted. Every college and university has their own admissions criteria but generally grades, test scores, personal statements, essays and extra-curricular involvement play the largest role in the admissions process. Most coaches have some degree of influence with the admissions process but every college athletic program is unique and some coaches use their pull more frequently than others. And in order for a coach to help you through admissions, you must meet the school’s minimum admission requirements. If a coach is not seriously recruiting you, the reality is that your athletic ability will not help you bypass the regular admissions process. Ask the coach if he/she will be supporting you through the admissions process, and if so, how heavily. Depending on which school you’re applying to, an admissions interview can help. It shows the admissions committee that you are serious about attending the school and this interview gives you an opportunity to personally meet someone at the school besides the coach. You may consider asking the coach if he/she recommends that you schedule an admissions interview.
ACCEPTANCE LETTERS If you are applying to a school that has rolling admissions, your application is reviewed on a first come first serve basis. In most cases, the earlier you apply, the faster you receive a decision. Typically you hear back within a few weeks or months, around late winter or early spring. If you are being heavily recruited and the coach is assisting you through the admissions process, he/she can often let you know whether or not you get accepted before you hear from the admissions office. Once the admissions office clears your application, you will receive an acceptance letter in the mail. Keep in mind, this letter is meant to inform you that you may attend the university. It has nothing to do with scholarship or aid money awarded. If the coach asked you to apply, make sure to inform the coach when you receive your acceptance letter. As you get into more colleges, you can use them as leverage in your recruiting process, you can begin the financial aid process or start building a list of schools you can fall back on if things don’t work out with your reach schools. If you are wait-listed, you are neither accepted nor rejected. In this case, the college is waiting to see how many students accept their offer, and as new slots become available the school will fill them with students from the wait-list. If you are wait-listed, go straight to the coach and ask what this means. If they are seriously interested in you, they may have some insider information. During this time you should still be pursuing other opportunities to make sure you have other options in the event things don’t work out. For more detailed information on everything recruiting, from admissions to communicating with coaches, visit the Resource Library under the Recruiting 101 tab in your RMS or contact our Recruiting Coach team (email: recruitinghelp@ncsasport.org Phone: 877-845-6272).
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT: APPLICATIONS & ADMISSIONS
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For more detailed information on everything recruiting, from communicating with coaches to financial aid, visit the Resource Library under the Recruiting 101 tab in your RMS or contact our Recruiting Coach team (email: recruitinghelp@ncsasport.org - Phone: 877-845-6272).