While most Choate seniors are in the midst of the frenzy known as the college process, several Choate athletes already know what school they will be attending next year. Other Choate athletes are hopeful that their athletic skills will assist them in gaining admission to the college of their choice.

Contrary to popular belief, the recruiting process is as challenging as the college admissions process, if not more so. The recruiting process is dictated by a set of stringent rules established by the NCAA. The common practice for a student interested in being recruited is for the student to begin the process by e-mailing college coaches to, as one sixth former put it, “let them know you exist.” Once students have informed coaches of their interest, they must prove to those coaches that they are capable of contributing to a college team. Lily Haydock ‘07, who was recruited by several top name colleges for her lacrosse skills and has committed to UNC, gave an example of the demanding playing schedules many athletes face: “I started emailing coaches the summer after my sophomore year. That summer, I played lacrosse with a travel team. My season even continued into the fall. This past summer, I spent every weekend at tournaments and the week before I went, I e-mailed college coaches and told them what fields I was playing at and what times. My first game of the season, as I stood in goal, I noticed that there were over 50 coaches watching my game.”

The next step in the process is the aspect most rigorously enforced by the NCAA, in which students and coaches begin communicating regularly. NCAA legislation dictates that until July 1st of the summer following the athlete’s junior year, the student must initiate contact with the coach or the coach may talk to the student’s current coach, but the college coach cannot begin speaking with the student directly until July 1st. Prior to this date, college coaches can e-mail, instant message, or text message the student in order to get in touch.

Once coaches are communicating with students, they begin to attend games in order to assess the student’s capabilities. Recruiters have a list of a certain number of slots on a team they must fill, and a student’s chances of being recruited determine on how much the team needs them. Jill Mastroianni ’08, goalie on Girls Varsity Soccer and a rare early starter to the recruiting process, said that “It depends how many they [colleges] lose the year before and what they’re looking for, like they usually go by class too. They may be recruiting two forwards and a goalkeeper for the class of 2008, but for 2007 they might need a center back.” The challenge is finding a school that has a need at one’s position, but also fits one’s personality and interests.

Earning a spot on a coach’s list is a major accomplishment on the part of the student and increases the student-athlete’s chances of admission into the school. During an athlete’s senior fall, coaches will offer select athletes official visits, which allows prospective student athletes to get a glimpse into life at the particular school. Barrett LaChance ’07, Boys Varsity Crew Captain and Princeton recruit, said of official visits: Most of them offer an official visit, and they offer these to twenty or thirty students they’re interested in, and they’ll pay for you to go out to the school, go to a couple classes, stay with a student, eat at the dining hall, just experience life in the day of a student-athlete.” Colleges must pay for the student transportation to the college, so an invitation to come for an official visit tells the student that the school is significantly interested in them.

When a student has determined where they would like to play, and a coach at the respective school has confirmed the school’s desire for the student to attend, the student then, depending on the division, either “commits” to a school, signs a letter of intent, or receives a likely letter from the school. In Division I athletics, a student can commit to the school, which means that if admitted they will attend. However, students who commit to a school must still fill out an application and meet all other necessary requirements. In Division III athletics, a student will sign a letter of intent stating that it is in their intention to attend the school if admitted. Among some top tier schools, a likely letter is sent from the school to the student relaying the information that the coach has endorsed the student in the admissions office and it is likely they will be accepted. All of these agreements are conditional, and a student can be denied admission after binding themselves to the school. Colleges also like to have their athletes apply early. Mr. Proto, a college counselor who handles all Post Graduate placement, said that “ Most colleges like to have their athletes apply early to eliminate competition from other schools.” Brendan Munzar ’07, a member of the Varsity Football team recruited by Williams, emphasized this point, saying that “the football program had fourteen different spots that they can give to admissions to support one’s application, and ten of the spots will be early decision because they won’t have to worry about who they’re getting and so that they don’t support a student who ends up not going to Williams.”

Many view the recruiting process as an easy way for unintelligent athletes to gain entry into some of the most selective institutions, but this misconception is largely untrue. According to Mr. Proto, standards for admission would be lowered for an applicant “depending on the level of athletics. For a DI school that is competing for a national championship, then that could be the case, but not with the most selective schools.” Mr. Proto went on to say that there are few, if any, students who fall into this category at Choate. Mr. Jacoby, Head of College Counseling, reiterated Mr. Proto’s point and added on that “If you’re a very good athlete looking at top programs, you may have spent a lot of time in the pool, on the practice fields, and in the weight room and you may not have the same list of other extracurriculars. It’s just as hard to fit in with your training schedule.” There is a visible sacrifice made by committed athletes to work hard for their sport, and this may prevent them from challenging themselves academically as much because of the time consumed by their sport. Student-athletes are at a disadvantage in this respect as they are held to the same academic standards but must also perform consistently to the best of their abilities. Many believe that athletes have it easy in regard to the college process, but anyone being recruited to play a sport in college has worked very hard to earn that distinction.