Parent and Athlete Timeline
This is a time line that a high school athlete can follow, in an effort to play sports at the college level.
Junior Year (11th grade)
SEPTEMBER 1 - Written contact by college coaches is allowed
During your Junior year:
□ Familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations governing recruiting, eligibility and financial aid. It is important to consider the differences between NCAA Division I, NCAA Division IAA, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA schools.
□ Send out your first contact letters to coaches at colleges you may be interested in.
□ Ask your high school coach to write letters to a few preferred colleges. Include a copy of your sport’s schedule if available.
□ Register for the ACT / SAT standardized tests. Most student-athletes take these tests at least twice. It is very important to take the ACT or SAT at least once before your senior year. Request that your ACT/SAT test scores be sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse–when registering for the test, students should select the NCAA Clearinghouse (code 9999) as a score recipient.
□ Prepare for the ACT/SAT to improve your test scores. Methods include prep courses, practice tests, or computer programs.
□ Prepare a video to be sent out when requested by college coaches.
□ Develop a sports resume of athletic and academic achievements and honors. Keep an accurate record of extracurricular activities and community service.
□ Develop a list of prospective schools with the help of guidance counselors, coaches, and your athletic director. Consideration should be given to academic achievement and athletic ability. Request literature and applications for the colleges you are interested in attending.
□ Attend financial aid seminars and send for financial aid information.
□ Plan visits to as many schools as possible this spring and summer. All of these visits are “unofficial”–this means that the college can not pay for any part of the visit.
** Note – if you are a spring sport athlete, your junior year may be the only opportunity for a college coach to evaluate you. Invite them to your games, or make a video of your performances.Summer after your Junior Year
□ After completing grade 11, students who plan to participate in college sports at a NCAA Division I or II college should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Your high school guidance counselor should have these forms or the clearinghouse registration form is available online at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. The student should not register before the end of their junior year, because the clearinghouse cannot process a student’s certification until it has received a transcript that shows at least six semesters. Be sure to have your guidance counselor send transcripts.
□ Send out letters of introduction along with your resume to the coaches of the schools you are interested in attending. Tell them about your high school junior year season - Sending stats is okay.
□ You can contact college coaches by phone at any time, but, prior to July after your Junior year they can not call you.
AFTER JULY 1stPhone contact from college coaches is permissible
Senior Year (12th grade)
August
□ Plan campus visits at the schools you have chosen. Be sure to make appointments with the coaches, the admissions office, and the financial aid office. Prepare for your visit with a list of prepared questions. Be prepared for any questions the college may have for you. See general rules below regarding visits
□ Plan campus visits at the schools you have chosen. Be sure to make appointments with the coaches, the admissions office, and the financial aid office. Prepare for your visit with a list of prepared questions. Be prepared for any questions the college may have for you. See general rules below regarding visits.
□ Early signing period — dates vary slightly from year to year — Check on the NCAA website.
Wrap-up
□ After graduation, have your guidance counselor send your final transcript to the NCAA Clearinghouse and your final college of choice.
Other Information:
Base your college decision on the following (weigh each based upon your own goals and expectations):
The area you want to study (major)
How far away from home are you willing to go (travel)?
The coaching staff
Financial aid package
The athletic program and where you fit in
Take care of these items:
Send a letter to the coach expressing your interest and requesting info.
If you haven’t taken the ACT or SAT, get signed up ASAP, and study for it! Take it as many times as possible!
In your letter to the coach:
Introduce yourself
Where you go to school, your grade
What positions you play
Stats
Academics – SAT/ACT score, GPA
Any athletic/academic honors
Phone numbers of coaches/references
Ask them to send information on their school and their program
Invite them to come see you play if possible.
General recruiting guidelines:
Contact with a prospect:
Generally, a coach cannot have an in-person recruiting encounter with a high-school prospect until July 1 (June 15th for Division II) following the completion of the prospect’s junior year (Div. III it is until the end of their Junior year, no specific date). Exceptions: A coach may have recruiting contact with a prospect on their institution’s campus (Same at Div.III).
Telephone calls:
Generally, a coach may make telephone contact with a prospect once per week after July 1 (June 15th for Division II) following the completion of the prospect’s junior year. A coach may receive telephone calls from a prospect at any time.
Exceptions:
A coach may make unlimited phone calls to a prospect in the five days preceding the prospect’s official visit to campus; a coach may make unlimited calls to a prospect on the initial date for the signing of an NLI and the two days immediately following the initial signing date; a coach may make unlimited calls to a prospect on the day a permissible in-person, off-campus contact occurs; a coach may make unlimited phone calls to a prospect subsequent to that prospect signing an NLI; Div. III coaches can call anytime and any number of times without calling restrictions. Generally, we do not call until senior year, but it is permissible to call during the junior year.
Number of Contacts and Evaluations:
Each institution is limited to a total of seven recruiting opportunities (contacts and evaluations combined) per prospect (unlimited evaluations and three contacts in Division II). Not more than three of the seven recruiting opportunities may be off-campus contacts. An evaluation at a contest counts as an evaluation for all prospects in that sport at that institution. Exceptions: Evaluations made during the summer do not count against the seven recruiting opportunities. All contacts and evaluations are subject to the restrictions of the recruiting calendar. Subsequent to a prospect signing an NLI, there is no limit on the number of contacts and evaluations for that prospect. Div. III does not have regulations regarding contacts and evaluations.
National Letter of Intent:
A prospect may sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI) during the early signing period (a one week period in November), or the regular signing period (second Wednesday in April through the first day of classes in September). An NLI is a binding agreement between the prospect and the institution, and must be accompanied by an athletics scholarship offer. If the terms of the NLI are not fulfilled, a prospect can lose up to two years of eligibility. For Div I & II football only December (mid-year) graduates may sign in the early signing period. Div. III does not have a letter of intent for athletics.
Official Visits (applies to Division I and II):
A prospect can make up to five official (paid) visits, but not more than one to a particular institution. The visit is limited to 48 hours in length, and all meals and entertainment must be comparable to that of normal student life. The earliest opportunity to take an official visit is after the opening day of classes of the prospect’s senior year in HS. Div. III: Unlimited official visits to Division III schools, but only 1 official visit per school. You do not have to count Div. III official visits as part of your five visits to Division I and II schools.
Unofficial Visits (applies to all Divisions):
A prospect can make any number of unofficial visits (at the prospect’s own expense), and may visit a particular institution unofficially as often as they like. They may receive up to three complimentary admissions to a home contest during the unofficial visit.
