When can I visit a college?
Student athletes can visit a coach on that coaches campus at anytime, as long as they pay their own way. These types of visits are called unofficial visits and have become a big part of the recruiting process. Because college coaches are recruiting players during their freshman and sophomore years in high school, the only way they can really meet and talk with these recruits is on unofficial visits. Recruits are being asked to commit to schools before they can take official visits, so unofficial visits are playing a more important role.
Before you schedule a trip to see school and visit a coach, you want to make sure they are going to be available to meet you. Here is a checklist for making sure you are prepared to get the most out of your unofficial visit.
- You’ve already spoken with the coach on several occasions and they have asked you to visit the school or you have asked and they said you should visit
- The coach has reviewed your academic information and thinks you will be qualified for the university
- The coach has reviewed athletic information and indicated to you, they think you will be able to play for their program
- You have reviewed the roster and the program and you think the school would be the right fir for you
Going on an unofficial visit without checking all of these things first and you risk going to a school that doesn’t present a real opportunity for you to play or receive a scholarship.
The other type of visit athletes think of are official visits. This is where a college coach can pay for you to visit the school. This type of visit is generally only given to the recruits coaches are seriously considering offering a scholarship to. In addition, you can only go on five official visits and they are only allowed to take place during your senior year of high school.
Here are all of our related blogs about the process of visiting schools
- Strategies for getting early scholarship offers
- Make sure you are eligible for an official visit
- A parents role on an unofficial visit
- 10 things you should do on our official visit
- Advice for parents on their athletes official visit
Find opportunities for athletic scholarships and get connected to college coaches.