College Track and Field Recruiting - What Should I Be Doing In My Sophomore Year In High School?
In less than a year, college coaches will be allowed to start contacting you. On September 01 of your Junior year, your recruiting process will begin. As a result, it is imperative that you devise a plan of action now.
Below are three suggestions for you to consider during your sophomore year of high school to optimize your college recruitment experience:
DETERMINE THE BEST FIT FOR YOU
Create an expansive list of schools/programs that meet your specific needs and desires. Among factors to consider are affiliation level (NCAA I, II, III, NAIA, and JUCO), competitiveness of the program, cost of attendance, quality of education, geographical location, intended academic major, enrollment size, public vs private, and other factors that matter to YOU.
Do not be mesmerized by the name of a school. See beyond the prowess of their football and basketball programs or their academic reputation. Make sure the schools you choose meets your needs for reasons beyond it simply being cool to tell the world you will be running or studying at a particular school. There is much more to college track and field than simply Division I.
Create a list of schools that you would be happy at without track and field - just in case your athletic career does not go as planned.
TAKE CHARGE
Do not be passive. Start reaching out to college coaches now from the schools on your list. In my personal dealings with high school student-athletes, I often heard prospects state that the schools on their list were comprised solely of programs that contacted them. If a program you’re interested in does not reach out to you, reach out to them! You will be surprised at how effective personally reaching out will enhance your recruiting experience.
Start to visit colleges during your sophomore year. Take a campus tour, check out the athletic facilities and eat lunch at a local restaurant. Start to get an idea of what it is you want in a college. You can’t sit down and speak with the coach until your Junior year, but you if you happen to bump into them you can say, hi.
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
Over the span of my thirty-year coaching career, I learned that communication is the most important element to reaching your goals. It is imperative that you learn to communicate openly and effectively with your parents, high school coach, and college coaches.
Because it is only your sophomore year college coaches are not allowed to respond to your emails and other forms of communication, but now is still a good time to start reaching out. Fill out their online questionnaire. Send an email expressing your interest in their program and give them a brief overview of who you are as an athlete and student.
Your sophomore year is a great time to begin readying yourself for the process that is about to begin. You should view this time as your pre-season training. Although there will be no meets during this time the work and preparation that you do now will be critical to future success.
For more recruiting information click below:
What Should I Be Doing in My Senior Year
What Should I Be Doing in My Junior Year
Am I Fast Enough To Run At MIT?
What type of student-athlete is MIT Track and Field looking for? To gain admittance to MIT as a recruited student-athlete, you are going to have to be fast and smart!
MIT currently ranks #5 among all National Universities according to the US News and World Report College Rankings. Furthermore, they rank #1 in the High School Guidance Counselor category and rank #5 in the Best Value category. Numerous publications list their Engineering and Computer Science programs #1 in the country. Additionally, MIT tops almost every chart in providing undergraduate student research opportunities.
MIT’s acceptance rate is right around 7% - so, what do you have to do to get accepted? Below is a list of what they are ideally looking for in regard to your academic record:
Top 5% of class while taking the most rigorous curriculum offered
SAT Math - 770 or better
SAT Reading/Writing - 700 or better
ACT Math - 34 or better
ACT Science - 34 or better
SAT Math Subject Test - 780 or better
SAT Science Subject Test - 760 or better
Looking for a boost from athletics? Below you will find a list of the MIT Track and Field Recruiting Standards:
MIT Track and Field Recruiting Standards
A cool fact about MIT – They have a dedicated two-hour activities window from 5:00-7:00 p.m. where there can be no mandatory undergraduate academic exercises – so, no practice conflicts while there.
MIT TRACK AND FIELD INFORMATION
