Can anyone walk me through on a typical official visit on a recruiting trip? Just trying to know what to expect 
(Swimmers do practice with the team right?, How long is it usually, the whole weekend? Do parents stay the whole time or only the beginning? If they stay where do they go during sporting events and such? If not, do they stay at a nearby hotel until the trip is over?, etc.)
An OV cannot exceed 48 hours. You may or may not end up participating in a captainâs practice or work-out session, so you should be prepared either way. I donât believe that participation in a coach-run practice is permitted. Parents should not expect to stay the weekend with the recruit (I doubt they would want to attend a campus party), however, parents should expect to participate in the meeting with the coach, usually at the end of the OV. As to where they stay - a hotel or old friend would put them up, I expect. Bring your high school CV, unofficial transcript and test scores with you, in case the coach asks. Prepare your questions for the coach in advance.
Agree with the above, adding that itâs unclear how many schools will offer any overnight visits at all this summer/fall. Some schools might still offer OVs, but it would only be a day visit.
Great, thanks. I know that they canât exceed 48 hours but when do they usually begin and what is the average OV length? It is Friday-Sat right, so they can stay in on a class? Also, what is a CV?
My D21 has been talking to D3 coaches at several top programs. The recruiting process is completely different this year. No overnights planned at all, recruits wonât be able to attend classes even if the school is open in the fall, etc. Itâs completely uncharted territory, and no one knows anything yet. Now weâre debating whether it will be worth flying (and if thatâs even safe) to see schools and programs if the visits are so limited.
And D1 swimming may be in even worse shape than D3. Many if not most D1 programs are funded by football and basketball revenue. If there is no $ coming in from those this year, many non-rev sports will be either cut or drastically cut back this year in some conferences. I know that theyâre still recruiting and hoping for the best, but I know that behind the scenes that at least some D1 coaches are really worried about their futures. It just sucks.
I agree, itâs likely to be a very different recruiting experience this year.
With that caveat, for the OP: typically what Iâve seen for official visits is that the coach will confirm dates with you, then at some point will confirm flight details with you and purchase the flights (sometimes surprisingly late in the process). Prior to the visit youâll get a fairly detailed itinerary so youâll know what your schedule looks like. Thatâll include names and contact info of student athletes with whom youâll stay (again, likely not the case this year). So youâll be able to see where the training opportunities are, when time is set aside for attending class, group activities, etc.
Re: parents, Iâd check with the coach on whether theyâre expected to tag along. In my experience with athletes in Track and Field, parents typically donât come along on official visits. Itâs a chance for the recruit to see the school and team on their own.
@UpNorth2019 We are in the same boat⊠trying to decide if we should plan a trip to the East Coast (we are West Coasters) in August before school starts, so our daughter can at least see these schools that she has only seen via virtual tours. I canât imagine trying to decide on a school to apply ED to, if she hasnât even seen the schools in person. I assume that the NCAA Dead Period applies to all schools (DI, DII, and DII), correct? We donât even know when the NCAA will determine if the Dead Period is extended past 7/31. I really hope that they decide to slide the application dates, or at least scrap the push to get these kids locked into an ED application.
Has anyone heard of recruiting visits happening this fall? Weâve either heard no or maybe.
@hopefulswimmer58 - Not sure if this was answered for you - a CV means Curriculum Vitae - in this case another word for resume.
Also, as mentioned on previous posts parents do not necessarily come with you on Official Visits and if they do - they will be responsible for the majority of their own expenses (some reimbursement if you drive) - I donât know all the rules off hand - but the NCAA website will tell you what is and is not allowed. There will be a part for your parentâs to get involved and I am most familiar with a coachâs call after a visit to go over the âofferâ especially if financial $ is involved. (not all schools can/will offer $).
Good luck !
@AlwaysMoving I think theyâre deciding around now! Theyâre still trying to figure out if the dead period will be extended through August. It also really depends on the college and if they are back on campus I think. I guess weâll find out soonâŠ
@politeperson, I think it is not a bad idea for a parent to accompany the student to the OV. However, they should make themselves scarce upon arrival. Often the coach wants to meet the parents after the OV. The coach knows that the parents have a role in school selection. Meeting them gives the coach an opportunity to sell the parent and to feel out how serious they are about the school. It also gives the coach an idea of who the student is. Even if the coach doesnât speak to the parent and the parent is not included in any activities, there is value in the parent listening to the studentâs views about the school while it is fresh of mind on the road home.
Perhaps it varies by sport, but for a D1 track athlete a parent going along on an official visit would be rare. We send a decent number of runners from my area to P5, mid major, and Ivy Track programs. I know most of them pretty well. I donât recall many parents going along on the official. Doesnât mean it doesnât happen, but usually by the time the athlete has narrowed to the OV schools the parents have learned what they need to from home visits, unofficials, or recruiting at meets. My opinion is that this is a time for the recruit to be independent. I do agree with you that getting a quick download is important right after the trip. But I think that can happen on the way home from the airport.
Hi all,
thank you so much for all the info! Really appreciate it. Please note that I am hs class of â22 so the OVs will not be until fall of my senior year, when I am assuming the corona situation will be more under control and more schools will be on campus.
I would wait until this time next year to get a feel for OV. The virus might still be here, swimming programs might have very limited budgets, or competition might still be suspended.
Instead focus on reaching out to coaches, keeping your grades up, and getting test scores.
@AlwaysMoving I agree that it is early to be in contact with coaches and to think about OVs but I am not too concerned about receiving scholarships because my family does qualify for FA. It is summer and not testing locations are available, so I canât do that either. I just wanted to know to have some insight going into my junior year and not be blindsided. Is there a possibility that recruiting simply wonât happen if competitions are still suspended? Or will they choose fewer athletes?
As far as parents coming along, I absolutely agree it would be best to talk to the coach about it. We did it both ways, and I would say that there is value to having a parent âthere.â To clarify, âthereâ means that the parent is in the metropolitan area, perhaps taking his or her own self-guided tour of campus but mostly just being within a ten mile radius of the school. I dropped one off for an OV and the assistant coach asked me what I was doing during the OV. I told him that I was staying with an old college friend in the area. I was told that it was expected that I participate in a meeting with a coach at the end of the OV. That said, if a parent has already accompanied the student on an unofficial visit that involved meeting the coach, I agree that there would be no need for a parent to attend. Best to ask the coach.
Perfect. This was my assumption as well, but I wanted to clarify the ratio of time the parent spent at the school. Thanks!!
@hopefulswimmer58 : follow @AlwaysMoving 's advice. Focus right now on things that you can control: your grades and test scores (you could start studying now for the SAT/ACT even if free with Khan academy etc.) and staying in shape for swimming. Coaches are trying to determine if there is even going to be a season at all this year. No one has ANY idea how college sports will look this fall, much less in two years.
@RhodieRo : There is no way that we would risk flying in order see an empty campus with no students, no classes, canât meet the team, etc. And if we wait, will things be any better this fall or winter? If anything, the pandemic will likely be worse then. And agreed, weâd never let our kid ED somewhere without seeing it in person and in season etc. What a mess. Iâll bet that many more kids than usual will end up attending a school within driving distance next year.
All of this advice is subject to COVID-19, but here goesâŠ
You want to decide which standardize test you will do better on and then sign up for a fall date. Usually swimmers take the Sept or Oct test because they can start test prep at the end of the LCM season and finish before SCY gets serious. Your coach should understand why you are missing practice for test prep.
You also want to start a list on google docs of potential schools. This list should be 20+ schools. Use CollegeSwimming.com to see where your times fit at the conference finals for each school. Ask your parents to share their tax returns, and then fill out the NPC (Net Price Calculator) for each school. FA varies a lot from school to school. Are you fast enough to be recruited and can you afford it?
Start contacting coaches in late fall early winter with an introductory email with your times and grades. Donât underestimate the importance of grades and test scores.
My daughter has heard from many coaches and they seem to be saying the same thing. They are hoping to offer OV starting in January 2021.