December Update: Scary Question With Simple Answers

The holiday season has two significant threads running through it: gift giving and family on the one hand and checking out of work on the other. To honor both sides of the season and finish the year College Athletic Advisor has both gifts: answering common questions so you can relax into the holiday season knowing what you need to do; and slowing down workloads because these answers are straightforward even if they may not be obvious!

Common Question #1: Will Dual Enrollment (aka Running Start, aka College in High School, aka Dual Credit aka… come on, it’s the holidays, you get it…) mess up my eligibility.

Ho Ho Ho… it doesn’t matter how many college credits you earn PRIOR TO HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION! You can get an AA degree, get 1 bazillion college credits, or earn a PhD… as long as you do it BEFORE you graduate from high school you’ll still be considered a first year/first time college student by the NCAA and most colleges! You’ll still have 10 semesters to play 4 seasons (unless the NCAA or the courts change the rules)! AFTER high school graduation, things get more complicated, but then it’s not dual enrollment! And all those credits… if you end up graduating early, you can play as a grad transfer!

Common Question #2: Is it too early or too late to reach out to college coaches?

NO!!!!!! Happy Holidays!! Your holiday gift is that whenever you’re ready to engage in the recruiting process, it’s the perfect time! That being said, the more selective schools DO try to wrap up their recruiting well before any early decision deadlines (they don’t always – or even usually – succeed, though). But most colleges have rolling admissions and even relatively late in the admissions cycle there will be great opportunities that fit your athletic and academic ambitions!

What about too early? Okay… if you are not in high school yet? Cool your jets, it’s too early. I remember an enthusiastic dad sending me an email with his daughter’s “expected height.” THAT is too early. But if you are in high school, you can ALWAYS email a coach and ask them questions! That doesn’t mean they will answer, and they can’t recruit you (so they can’t say, “yes we’d love to have you come play for us at Enormous State University or Super Awesome College or whatever), but they CAN share information about recruiting standards or where they go to evaluate prospective student-athletes! Don’t you want to know that information?

Common Question #3: Do I need to sign up for an account with a “recruiting service” so coaches can search my profile online? What about online questionnaires?

NO!!!! The Elf on the Shelf says, “save your money.” It is ALWAYS better to authentically email a coach from your personal email address with a BRIEF personalized note expressing interest in the program! If a coach asks you to fill out their questionnaire AFTER you send an email, DO IT! But it is not terribly effective to try to get recruited by filling out online questionnaires or paying to be in a recruiting database or with a service that has its own email system.

Common Question #4: I applied Early Decision because I committed to play for a D3 school, but now the coach says I am off his recruiting list… and I just got accepted.

Ho Ho, NO! If you committed to play for a particular school and applied early decision based on that understanding, and the understanding is changed by the coach, your commitment is nullified. You can argue that I’m not a judge and this isn’t a legal ruling, but the ED agreement isn’t a legal commitment either so… Since none of this is generally explicit, there is no paperwork or rule about this. Notify the college that you are withdrawing your ED application (or not going attend). You may need to chat with your school counselor to make sure your materials go to other schools, but you cannot be held to an agreement that has been significantly altered without your prior approval, especially an ED agreement that is not legally binding in the first place. Not only that, the college’s admissions office is almost certain to be gracious and helpful in this situation.

As always, if you are looking for the individualized or institutional consulting help that puts you ahead of your peers, check out our services here! You can make an initial appointment through the link on our homepage! School administrators and counselors access our free resources, appointments and programs for school collaboration here.

For more information, contact Dave Morris, College Counselor & CEO, College Athletic Advisor, dave@collegeathleticadvisor.com or phone: (719) 248-7994

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