<p>Any suggestions for some good questions to ask the coaches during an unofficial visit? General and sports specific (swimming)...</p>
<p>These were useful for my son. Gleaned from earlier CC posts.</p>
<p>Advice for Visit
If you’re visiting the campus, allow some extra time to hang out in common areas like student centers or dining halls. You will meet with the coach, and be introduced to some team members. Sit down with them and asking LOTS of questions about the program. Look for opportunities for casual contact, ask open ended questions, and then just listen. Most kids on the team won’t say much negative to a recruit, but you can read between the lines, if there’s something to worry about, and otherwise pick up lots of information about things you might never ask a coach. Enjoy the process.</p>
<p>Questions During Unofficial or Official Visits</p>
<p>Schedule
- Can you run me through a typical week of practice?
- What would a typical daily schedule look like for an athlete on this team? Frequency of practices? Weight training?
- Please describe the typical season travel schedule. League and non-league travel, mode of travel, time away, timeframe of distant travel.
-Are there any team obligations over school breaks and summers, such as practices, summer camps, training or conditioning regimens, tournaments, pre-season camps, etc. What timeframes? - Are there training or preseason trips? If so, when and for how long? Will I need a passport?
Academics - What do I do If I class I need or want to take conflicts with practice times, game times or travel to games?
- What academic support services are available to students? Are there any services (eg. counseling, tutors, study halls, priority course registration) especially for student athletes or athletes from that specific team? Is there a charge for tutoring or is it free?
- What are the most common majors on the team?
- How many courses or credits do team members take each semester?
- Do you have anybody on the team majoring in (insert topic of interest here)? How does he/she like it, feel about it, etc.?
- How accommodating are professors regarding the team’s travel schedule?
- Do team members typically attend summer school to lighten their load during the season?
- Are there any majors that the coach would consider to be incompatible with playing your sport? For Cornell, the answer may be architecture, due to the great number of time-consuming projects.
- What is your average team GPA?
- What is the track record of team members graduating with their class? Completing their degree? If not, why?</p>
<p>Team goals, structure, and my role/opportunity
- What is the philosophy of the school’s athletic program? What role does athletics play in university life?
- How has team performed in the past, both within its league and it post season? What are the prospects for improved performance and why?
- What types of goals do you, as a coach, have for the team in upcoming years?
- What does the coach consider to be his coaching strengths? Can he give examples of how has he helped current team members improve?
- Which coaches will be working with me? Make sure you meet everyone who you will be contact with/
- What is the authority structure of the coaching staff? The team? What are the responsibilties of the captains?
- Where do you see me fitting in on the team? What position are you recruiting me for?
- What current players are in that position? What class are they in?
- What players are you currently recruiting in my class for that position? Where am I in your priorities?
- How many players do you currently roster? How many players are in your current rotation?
- How do you project my opportunity to become a part of your regular rotation? What is the timetable?
- If I am injured playing, will my scholarship or financial aid remain intact while I am recovering?
- If I am unable to fully recover, will my scholarship or financial aid remain in place and enable me to complete school?
Health/training/conditioning - What health services, such as physical therapy, are availbable on campus for athletes?
- What types of injuries have team members had in the past few years, and how Are they dealt with?
- What type of weight training is practiced, and how often?
Campus and team life - Are athletes required to room with team members? If not, how many team members do this voluntarily? Is the team housed together in one dorm?
- To what extent do athletes socialize together outside of practice and/or rooming together?
- Are there any special team bonding activities?
- Do most of your athletes find it attainable to balance athletics and academics?
- What is your team’s drinking policy?
- When will I be informed if I will be invited for an official recruiting trip (for planning purposes)?</p>
<p>Financial Issues
- Non Ivy Redshirting - Do you redshirt to gain competitive advantage? If so, how many athletes are currently redshirted for reasons other than injury? How many of these are freshmen? What kind of financial aid or athletic scholarships are available for additional years of enrollment if the student were to retain a season of NCAA eligibility after the first 4 years?
- Are their opportunities to earn supplemental income to offset tuition or living expenses?
- Residence/dorm adviser
- Structured summer internship programs
- Career placement/After graduation
- What are typical outcomes for your players after graduation?
- Do any players go on to play professionally?
- Are their structured networking programs to assist team members with job placement?</p>
<p>Ivy Questions After Offer
Most Important Question. The only right answer – Yes. No weasel words.<br>
Will you support a likely letter on my behalf?
Will you personally take the likely letter to the AdComm?
Among your recruits in my class , what priority am I (rank)?
What impact will my priority have on my AI requirement for admission? Low, mid or high range?
What was the average AI of freshmen on the team last year?
What was the lowest and highest AI of basketball players admitted?
What is the lowest AI that I must have to receive your support for a likely letter and likely be admitted?
When is the earliest date that my application can be submitted for likely letter consideration?
What is required in the application?
When are likely letters mailed?
When is the earliest date that I can get a good pre read as to my admitability?
What documentation is required for the admissions pre read?
When is the earliest date that I can get a financial aid pre read?
What financial information is required?
Will you assist me in my communication with the Financial Aid Office?</p>
<p>Questions From Coaches
Common questions asked by the coaches include:
- What other colleges are you considering?
- Have you received any offers?
- What is your intended major?
- What is most important to you in choosing the right school and program?
- Will you be applying for financial aid? (if Ivy or D3)
- Family information (father and mother’s professions, schools attended, siblings ages and schools attended)
- What is your upcoming travel team showcase schedule?
- Will you be willing to apply EA? (where applicable)
- Would you like to come overnight during the season to meet the team and see a game?</p>
<p>bballdad, what a great list!! Very very helpful. Thanks!</p>
<p>bballdad has basically summed it up. In my eyes, the most important question:</p>
<p>How accommodating are professors regarding the team’s travel schedule?</p>
<p>Before my son went to college, I spoke to some parents whose kids were having problems with college athletics because the professors were unforgiving about missing class…for any reason! </p>
<p>Make sure this is not at issue at the prospective school.</p>
<p>My son’s athletic director sends a letter with missed school days at the beginning of each quarter and then he is responsible to send it to his professors. He also sends an e-mail letting him know he will be missing class a few days before and asks about any accommodations need for missing assignments, tests, homework and notes. All his professors have been accommodating, it is just a matter of being courteous and letting them know the situation ahead of time…and usually he receives a "good luck’ email in response.</p>
<p>^^ agreed, my sons sport requires extensive missed school and not all professors have been willing to work with the athletes. It is an academic school (public) and although most professors are supportive there are a few that make it IMPOSSIBLE… Like the spanish dept… it is attendance required, his sport misses too many days, therefore they don’t give a you know what and say to the guys you cannot take this class. . HeLLOOO!!! how does one graduate? Super frustrating!!!</p>