The college application for student athletes is quite different from students who are applying for college on a regular timeline. The recruiting process typically begins between a student’s freshman or sophomore year. They build a list of target schools based on their athletic and academic goals, and begin to explore colleges. Beginning sophomore year, athletes finalize their lists and begin contacting college coaches.
Continuing through sophomore year, athletes attend camps, sending film and transcripts to coaches. During this period, they must maintain strong grades and engaging extracurriculars along with consistent training. By junior year, the athlete is allowed to receive emails and offers from interested collegiate programs. After offers are made, athletes verbally commit to an interested school of their choice. This typically takes place before senior year.
Senior year, the athlete starts the college application process to both the school they have committed to and other safeties. Even if the athlete has verbally committed to a school, they must still be accepted to that college or university.
For senior Bobby Shea, who has signed to play football at Denison University, being recruited lifted a weight off of his shoulder in terms of college applications.
“I wasn’t stressed at all because I already knew the interested schools before I had to apply to them, while everyone else had to wait for deadlines and whatnot,” Shea said.
When the athlete is in conversation with coaches and is beginning to think about final decisions, this seems to be the most challenging piece of the process. Being an athlete who wants to compete at the collegiate level means having stellar time management skills, especially when senior year starts. Between managing grades, traveling for camps and potentially holding down a job, there is a lot to balance.
Applying to colleges as a recruited athlete simplifies the process in certain respects. There is the peace of mind that coaching staff and other members of the school’s administrative process want you at their school.
“I didn’t apply to any other colleges. You talk to schools and they give you an offer after a couple phone calls. They basically tell you, ‘Hey, your grades are good. You’re good to go to school,’” Shea said.
College applications are stressful for everyone. Regular students and recruited athletes alike are figuring out this unknown chapter of their academic careers.
