FAQ'S - Frequently Asked Questions
What should we be doing now to help in my
son’s/daughters college decision process?
We haven’t heard from our top school
in a while, what should we do?
What is the NCAA Clearing House and why do
I need it?
We haven’t been contacted by the schools
we wanted?
As an underclassman, what should I be doing?
I am a rising senior, is it too late for
me?
Our high school coach is not helping us that
much, what should we do?
What should we be doing now to help in my
son's / daughters college decision process?
As a rising senior you should follow up on all contact you have
received from those schools you have an interest in attending. Try
not to be concerned about what level of play that is but rather if
that school fits all of your needs. E-mail any coaches you have been
in touch with and let them know if you want to go there. Narrow your
list of choices to your top three realistic schools and make sure
you are happy with those decisions. Keep one or two dream schools
on the list because you never know what may happen. Look at the admissions
forms and see if you are allowed to send additional letters of recommendation.
Every thong you can do to separate yourself from the pack of applications
will be a help.
As a rising junior, now is the time to see as many schools as possible.
Long weekends or an overnight trip to look at as many campuses as
possible is a great idea. E-mail coaches of schools you are interested
in and ask if you can see the facilities when you plan a visit to
the school. Keep in mind all visits are unofficial and coaches may
have specific guidelines that they follow in regard to junior visits.
Concentrate on your SAT/ACT exams. Take a proactive attitude when
taking them; work hard to get the best score you can.
As a rising sophomore, you too should visit schools when you can.
Gain as much knowledge about where you might want to go to school
now so when the time is ready, you are prepared to sort through the
recruiting process.
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We haven’t heard from our top school in a while, what
should we do?
Keep in mind recruiting is a business as much as coaches need to
and do personalize it. Coaches begin by speaking to as many players
as possible. As more information and commitments from players are
made, there sights narrow to their top 8-12 choices, just as your
do with college selection. If a coach is showing less and less interest,
e-mail him / her or have your high school coach contact him / her
to see why his level of interest has waned. In most cases it is just
a game of numbers and you need to move to your next choice on your
list of schools.
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What is the NCAA Clearing House and why do I need it?
The clearing house in an eligibility system set in place by the
NCAA to ensure all prospective division I and II athletes meet the
minimum academic requirements necessary to be eligible to play as
college freshman. Rising seniors will need to fill out the clearing
house application in order to be eligible for the following season.
Clearing house checks the core classes of the student athletes and
makes sure they are taking at least the minimum amount of core classes
needed to meet requirements. You may use the link on the web site
to browse the site and even to fill out an application. Underclassmen
can check requirements as well without applying so they can familiarize
themselves with the requirements. (more...)
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We haven’t been contacted by the schools we wanted?
College recruitment is an objective process with many variables.
College coaches are under a lot of pressure and restraints with recruiting.
Certain years a school may have 9 returning midfielders and only
5 returning defensemen. A college coach in that position is not going
to spend a great deal of time on midfield recruits. Don’t take
anything during this process personally. Keep in mind that you need
to find the best situation for you and don’t worry about the
fact that John’s Hopkins isn’t returning your calls.
Ask your high school coach for his opinion on your level of play
and narrow your list to those schools. Also remember just because
you have not been contacted by a school does not mean they are not
interested. Reach out to them via your coach or e-mail and let them
know of your interest. Remember, keep moving forward despite any
frustrations you may encounter.
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As an underclassman, what should I be doing?
The biggest change over the last 5-8 years is how the recruiting
process has changed. It is not uncommon to have Juniors verbally
commit to top schools. More and more college coaches are looking
at rising sophomores and juniors to stay ahead of the recruiting
process. So as an underclassman you need to work hard academically,
to help with the process when coaches call. You also should try to
attend camps and tournaments where you can be seen by college coaches,
who are always gathering names and information on young players.
See as many schools as you can and be open to anyone who may send
a letter or speak to you when they are able to.
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I am a rising senior, is it too late for me?
The biggest problem to arise with the new trend in recruiting is
that a lot of quality players fall through the cracks. Also a lot
of coaches and players make mistakes with those early decisions leading
to the high amount of transfer players in college ranks these days.
But please don’t be discouraged. As we have stated here and
elsewhere there are many, many quality schools to attend and play
college lacrosse. You need to work with your high school coach and
college counselor to find the right one for you. Just because you
weren’t recruited by a school does not mean you cannot play
there. Contact the coach and ask questions. Be proactive because
as a rising senior you need to act now.
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Our high school coach is not helping us that much, what
should we do?
Speak to your coach and ask if he/ she could offer you more help
and guidance. Some coaches wait for parents or players to ask for
help and then they are more then willing to do their part. Also speak
to your college counselor at school and see if they can help with
narrowing your list of schools and help with setting realistic goals.
If you need more assistance please don’t hesitate to contact
us for advice and information.
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