During December of his junior year in high school, my son used a college's 3-day camp (mainly) as an opportunity to meet and get to know the coaches and players of a school that had sent quite a bit of personalized correspondence his way (and seemed like a school he'd be interested in attending, otherwise); but, about whom he knew relatively little. As it turned out, it was a good idea; as both sides came away favorably impressed. The school ended up being his second choice.
(By the way, they charged a fee and probably (gasp) made money.)