What Should You Actually Assess During a College Recruiting Visit?

A college recruiting visit should be treated like a comprehensive research project, not a vacation, which is the typical approach taken by most recruits. In addition to their reluctance to ask hard questions or request exposure to specific aspects of the campus and program, recruits allow the coaches to control the agenda and thus the narrative, experience, and impression. We emphasize to our clients that the main purpose is to gain as much exposure as possible to what it will truly be like to be a student and an athlete day to day at that college.

Dig deep — gain exposure to as many of your personal impact priority areas of interest and issues as you can. Question other athletes and students directly about the quality of their experience and their honest opinion of the college, program and coaches. The goal for the recruited athlete is to determine whether the college and program actually meet their preferences, interests and values. That means going beyond the choreographed experience coaches will tailor for you. You cannot blame them for that — they are trying to put their best foot forward in order to get recruits to commit as soon as possible.

This Is a Business Trip, Not a Vacation

Pete Strickland, former college basketball coach and head coach of the Irish National team, once asked me how many schools Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers committed to. I guessed one or two. The real number was ten. Sayers visited ten schools and committed to each one during the visit itself, ending up at Kansas simply because it was the last school he saw.

This anecdote sticks with me because it is exactly what coaches are attempting to achieve. Visits are carefully staged. You are typically only exposed to the best version of the school, staff and players. Thus, it’s human nature to get caught up in the moment and want to commit based on this positive spin. If you accept their agenda as your basis for making a decision, it will be incomplete. Scratch beneath the surface and request to see and experience the specific things on your own checklist, not just the ones the program has planned for you. Treat the visit like an analysis of a business project because that is what it is, not a brief experience of the school’s Disneyland version of itself. For example, schedule it during the week while classes are in session, not on a weekend of games and social events. Moreover, stay in a dorm with the other players, rather than a hotel.

Assess the Culture, Not Just the Talent

Closely assess the culture of the school and the sport program itself. Does it actually match your own values and goals? A visit built entirely around a weekend of social events and watching the football game shows you the most curated version of that culture, versus a weekday when classes are in session, which will reveal insights closer to the reality of the school and program.

Evaluate the People, Not Just the Pitch

The people inside and surrounding the program matter as much as the program itself: teammates, coaches, other students, faculty and administration. Spending time with current players in the actual dorm rather than a hotel, and asking them and other students directly about their experience reveals much more than any manipulated perspective created by the coaches. Away from the coaching staff, the team will open up and tell you the truth.

Look at Academic Opportunity and Freedom

Assess whether the school gives you real academic and career opportunities and the freedom to pursue your interests, particularly in your majors of interest, not just a path designed to keep you eligible. Attend classes and talk to professors.

Check the Resources and the Support System

Does reality match the professions of support that the coaches make? Assess the resources and support available related to your level of development as both a student and an athlete, and the actual quality of the facilities and staff. Gaining this insight is also where you learn how a program treats athletes who are struggling, not just the ones who are thriving. It is also critical to assess the financial stability of the college and the athletic program itself, which we cover in detail in our full checklist.

Never Commit During the Visit

Whatever you may eventually decide, never commit on the spot while at the school or in the presence of the coaches. Note your impressions, go home, and give yourself time away from any in-the-moment intoxication before making this life decision.

George’s Take

“I tell every family the same thing before the visit: this is not a vacation, it is a business trip. Assess the culture, the people, the academics and the actual resources behind the show. Don’t buy into the pitch. Sitting in on real classes with other students and staying with the current team in an actual dorm is much more likely to give you the inside scoop on the school, the program and coaches. The programs that hold up under that kind of scrutiny are the ones worth committing to. The ones that only look good on a Saturday during a big game are not.” — George White, Founder and CEO, RecruitU

Frequently Asked Questions

What are key issues that you should actually be assessing during a college recruiting visit?
The culture of the school and the sport program, the people inside and surrounding the program, your academic and career opportunities and freedom to pursue your interests, particularly in your majors of interest, the resources and support available to help you develop as a student and an athlete, the actual quality of the facilities and staff and the financial stability of the college and the athletic program itself.

Should a college recruiting visit include a weekday, not just a weekend?
Yes. A weekday visit, sitting in on real classes with other students, gives you a truer picture of academic life and campus culture than a schedule built entirely around a game or social events.

Should athletes stay in a hotel during a recruiting visit?
No. Staying with their current team in the actual dorm is much more likely to give you the inside scoop on the school, the program and coaches than a hotel arranged by the coaching staff.

Is it okay to commit to a school during the recruiting visit itself?
No. Never commit on the spot while at the school or in the presence of the coaches. Note your impressions, go home and give yourself time away from any in-the-moment intoxication before making this life decision. Commitments made in the moment are often influenced by emotion, not a clear-eyed evaluation.

Is there a full checklist for what to cover on a recruiting visit?
Yes. This post covers the core areas to assess, but RecruitU has a full recruiting visit checklist with specific questions and to-dos for each one, including how to gauge a program’s financial stability. Reach out and we will send it to you.

Planning Your Next College Recruiting Visit?

The RecruitU team includes former college coaches with real recruiting expertise and direct access to coaching networks to help athletes and families plan visits that actually inform the decision, not distort it. Reach out and we will share our full recruiting visit checklist, covering everything from coach questions to what to look for in the locker room.

Contact RecruitU to Plan Your Recruiting Visits →