I had posted this in November of 2013 - just re-posting it as it might help 1 or 2. He is currently a Junior and is still running/competing.
My S has “verbally” committed to run D1 and I thought i would share my experiences as to how it came about as so it might help someone:
First a little about him - leading up to this fall:
Times: (these were all his junior times)
5k - 17:19 (XC) (it is now 16:08)
3,200 - 9:29
1,600 - 4:26
800 - 1:56.8
Academics:
93.5 weighted avg
1060 SAT (crappy test taker) - the school he committed to has an average of 1280 for the SAT’s
the usually AP and IB classes and college classes.
We started the process in the fall of his JUNIOR year knowing that he was not a top Tier 1 type of recruit but possibly a lower Tier 1/Tier 2 recruit.
Research the schools that you are looking at; understand the program and what they are trying to accomplish. Find out if they offer athletic scholarships for running, you would be surprised at how many do not.
DO NOT pick a school for a coach - the coach that recruited him left 1 week before he was to arrive on campus as a Freshman. Out of his final 6 schools: 3 left, 1 retired and 2 are still at the same school
Taking OV’s is difficult with the timing - XC season can run into late November and then the school’s do not want you after thanksgiving due to Finals. By the time the schools return in session you are about to start running the important Indoor Track events. I recommend taking the OV’s in early September. This will give you a feel for the school and also keep you mentally fresh for your team. You do not want to be running Counties on Saturday thinking about how you are going to XYZ U later that day for an overnight
You have to decide also is running going to help me get into a school that i might normally not have gotten into or am i looking to maximize my potential scholarship $$$? My son used it to get into a school he never would have without T&F, and managed a 25% scholarship as well.
Email the coaches with updates and when sending in your times to them, provide a link so they can easily verify. Fill out the athletic questionnaire on the web site - it helps get you in the coaches data base.
Visit the school if you can - contact the coach and let them know you are going to be there and if you could stop by and introduce yourself.
Understand the climate that you are looking at - if you are from a warm weather state going U of Vermont might not be a great fit…it gets cold running in 20 degree weather. Think also about altitude, running in the mountains can be beautiful but at 4,000 feet oxygen is at a premium.
When picking a school reminder to pick one that you want to go to study at as well.
If i can be of any help please reach out to me.