With Signing Day around the corner, high school athletes will be signing their Letters of Intent and in the process finalizing a college decision. If anyone questioned that their verbal commitments meant much, it will be signing this National Letter of Intent that makes things completely official.
We have decided to put together the top ten different factors that likely play major factors in any college decision, especially those for athletics (obviously if you are not playing sports, your role on the team doesn’t matter much). These ten are in no particular order but each should be something to think about strongly before you sign away a year of your life with the National Letter of Intent.
1.) Coaches
The coaches are the ones recruiting you so unless you
grew up dreaming of playing for their school, they should play a major role in
your decision. They will help you get comfortable with the program
overall.
How can I help support Recruiting-101?
- Use highlight-videos.com for a Hudl tuneup/new video
- E-Book: Guide to the Athletic Recruiting Process for Parents
- E-Book: How Juniors Can Get a Head Start on the Football Recruiting Process
- Complete Package: Junior Football All State Recruiting Package
- E-Book: Football Recruiting Position by Position Advice
- Complete Package: Senior Football All State Recruiting Package
- E-Book: Producing a Scholarship Worthy Highlight Video
- E-Book: How Seniors Can Finish the Football Recruiting Process Strong
2.) Location
If it is ten minutes or ten hours away, location is
something that you should think about. Can your parents make the trip to
your games? Can you drive home over a weekend to see your family (or
girlfriend)?
3.) Playing time
Competitive athletes don’t go to a college
thinking they will never play. So if you spend four years sitting the
bench, would you really be happy in the long run?
4.) Academics
You will be a student athlete who is there to get an
education, not play sports (despite what some schools think). Academics
must play a major role in your college decision. You will regret it later
on if you don’t think about it early.
5.) Success of the program
Do you want to go to a team that will be
spending the next few years rebuilding? That may mean more playing time so
success of the program is something to think about. Would you be happy
losing a lot of games early on?
6.) The players
Unless a school is going through major rebuilding
(and it does happen), then the players at the school will likely be ones
that you hang out with while there. Becoming comfortable with these
players is important in a decision.
7.) Weather
Are you going to college to play baseball? Then
maybe going down South will help you be able to play year round. It is a
minor decision but something that really should be thought about.
8.) A feeling of home
The thing that most athletes say about making
a decision is that they finally found a school that felt like home. It is
basically impossible to describe the feeling but something you just know in your
gut.
9.) Following of the team
I had a chance to play college basketball
at a place that was bad going in. Due to their struggles, about twenty
students went to the game (I wish I was joking). This following is
something that is vital for the overall outcome of your decision.
10.) Scholarship money
This may actually be number one for a lot of
athletes. The amount of scholarship money that you receive is huge.