best time for exploratory school visits?

We did weekend visits first. In reality it's the "town" and immediate area around the college that generates most of the aura of a college. Plan ahead. Get a map of the area, find out where the dorms or apartments are. Eating places are important. Parking places. Lots of bicycles or lots of loud mufflers???? You can tell if a town is clean or dirty .... loud or peaceful. Even during the weekends there will be students walking around. A single college takes on different faces. I liked to drive around in the early morning hours to look at building and facilities. Noon brings out some traffic and student activity around the campus. Not as hectic as weekdays but sufficient to get the feel. Night time reveals another side of the college...and athletic events reveal yet another side. You never know what the "turn ons" or turn offs" will be until you mingle around.

Starkville, MS: Son was recruited by Mississippi State so we planned a visit ... We live in a small town in West Tennessee and I thought this would be a good fit. Wrong! We had just arrived into the town of Starkville, Mississippi and my son said ... I don't want to go to school here. It was the aura of the town that turned him off.

Tuscaloosa, AL: Son was recruited by Alabama. He was OK with the town but not overly impressed. Facilities impressive. Te coaching staff soured his enthusiasm.

Knoxville, TN: Recruited by UT. The immediate area around the campus was a turn off. The college and the athletic facilities were great. Coaches were .... well, not a good fit.


Auburn, Alabama: Also a small town like Starkville, MS but a completely different aura. Before talking face to face with the coach and after driving thru the town and campus, my son stood at the top of the stadium, looked at the baseball field and made the decision that this was where he wanted to go to school. Of course there were many other things that would factor in later but the initial impression set the stage.

The Auburn coach had called to do an in home visit but since my son had never seen the town or campus we declined the in home visit until after we had spent a weekend in Auburn. Personally I think it's better to get a feel for the University and the town BEFORE discussing particular details with the coach. Why waste their time or allow them the opportunity to sell you, as we say around here, a "pig in a poke"? (Pig in a poke)
Fungo

Fungo suggests a good plan.

My son played on a team that played at college campuses during the summer so this gave him another perspective, of actually playing on the field. Believe it or not, that gave him a perspective unlike he expected. Being a pitcher, he didn't feel comfortable on some mounds.

He disliked city campus schools such as UM,GT. FWIW, he thought that Auburn was awesome, but at the time son not too found of the HC.

My sons visitation experience at Clemson sounds the same as Fungo's son at Auburn, even before he spoke to coach he got that "feeling".

It's my opinion that it is very important to visit college campuses before one commits, wouldn't you do it even if there were no baseball involved.

As far as the best time, I agree that it should be when school is in session. Non football weekends as well, some schools pretty much empty out on weekends regularly and if most of the team and student body is local and your son is not, he won't h ave much to do on weekends when everyone goes home.

Hi Cabbage dad, good topic.

Personally I think our kids need to see the school in session, which often means pulling them out of school to do it, or, use teacher development days, or holidays that colleges don't have off (ie, possibly Pres Day or Election Day etc.). If you do some informal visits on weekends and summer, be sure to get back during school year if that college makes the 'short list'.


FUNGO gave some great examples of how a kid can make a quick and valid assumption about the 'vibe' of a town or campus; they have a radar us old fogies don't, and they are usually dead-on accurate. BUT --- encourage your sons to keep an open mind. I have seen many kids come back around on a place they initially didn't like at all early in the process, but later, as an admitted senior, saw a broader perspective and loved it.

Also, this might sound obvious, be sure to do the 'real' campus tour and info sessions at some point, even at (especially at!) a school where son is being recruited. Kid needs to hear the non-athlete perspective. And admission offices track these things. Showing 'demonstrated interest' can be very helpful in admissions side of the process. Campus visits, attending college fairs, seeing the admissions rep when they visit your HS, all get tracked in the admission database.

Little tips - don't start with a total dream school that is impossible to get into, it just sets the bar too high and everything else pales in comparison. Allow time to eat in the campus center and people watch. Try to go 'off tour' and poke around places not on the tour. Read the school paper, look at signs around caMpus about weekend events, talk to random kids about what they lie/don't like about the school. (alert --- your child will HATE that so don't do it with him standing next to you!) Try to do an open house so you get a chance to hear a student panel and/or faculty panel, so kid can start to imagine what life is like in college.

Happy travels!

Actually, most people talk about targeting schools but the bottom line is that coaches target you so I would wait until the appropriate time for visits.

No sense running all over the country until you get a sense of where your player falls. If you are going on a visit to Stanford and there is never a chance of going, why bother? Same with academics, why target a school that is tough academically when one is having difficulty getting through HS classes?

Be realistic, start with state schools, public and private, talk to your player about where he would like to be, close to home, farther away then make a plan. I realize out there in CA you all have a LOT of competition so it may be wise to begin early.

quote:

Actually, most people talk about targeting schools but the bottom line is that coaches target you so I would wait until the appropriate time for visits.

Good point and I agree 100%! The player needs to be wanted in order for the college and the player to be good partners.
Fungo

quote:

Originally posted by Fungo:

quote:

Actually, most people talk about targeting schools but the bottom line is that coaches target you so I would wait until the appropriate time for visits.

Good point and I agree 100%! The player needs to be wanted in order for the college and the player to be good partners.
Fungo

Someone very knowledgeable in recruiting told me once that too many players and their parents spend too much time going after coaches that are not interested when they should be paying attention to those who are.

I just suggest exploration begin when someone shows interest. That does not mean one should not contact coaches for introduction, by all means go for it, but do understand that likely (for most) in the end it is going to be who wants YOU, not the other way around.

I agree there's not much reason to visit a school if the coach has shown no interest. However it doesn't hurt to check out a few local schools to get an idea of the level of play needed to compete at the D1 and D2 level. We ususually went to a Friday night or Sat game and arrived early enough to watch BP and walk around the school.

The second time my son did this, while at a JC, he only visited schools that contacted him and as he was mostly interested in playing, he didn't pay much attention to the local scenery and was almost 100% interested in the coaches and opportunity to play. Attending a practice and meeting with players was very helpful.

I agree, local schools and within state should be consideration.
I just found it very interesting that when son was in HS, people were sending their players cross country for consideration when everyone got the same recruiting letters.
Time and money is too precious to waste. JMO.

One other thing, make sure when you begin the recruiting process that your son has an opportunity to watch all divisions play. We did this by using schools within our area, D1 top and mid tier, D2 and NAIA as well as JUCO. Watching on TV is not the same, it's important to see team interaction and coach doing his job. You can learn alot about a coach by watching him on the field, the same way you can with players.

The parents and kids that I counsel; I suggest that kids start visiting schools their freshman year in HS. Whenever the family travels; go to the college(s) that are in the area that you are visiting. I suggest that parents ask two questions; what did you like about this school and what didn't you like about this school. The answers will likely change once the kido sees more and more schools. I also suggest that you never ask a kid "would you like to go to this school" (they really never know at first).

The focus towards the junior and senior year is to focus on what you learn. You can then be better prepared to target schools that meet your criteria.

Like Fungo; we made a similar trip through the Carolina's. Elon, Davidson & Furman.

My guy did not like Elon, no Town. Like Davidson, but was luke warm about the town. Loved Furman and Greenville. This told us a great deal about the schools that he would like.

Make a trip and learn from it. Once you do it will help not only in selecting schools but in makeing the right choice.

LOT of great advice and tips (Mom) as well as anecdotal stories (Fungo). Thanks All!

2012 son is small and knows he’s not a D1 stud prospect out of HS, so we will definitely be focusing on more realistic targets.
TPM – I hear you about schools expressing interest first but son hasn’t had much exposure and we’ll likely have to try initiating some contact and the net will have to be somewhat wide. We’ll definitely start more locally, but as you said, even just in CA at “lower levels”, there are hundreds of schools.
The competition is strong, there has to be a fit, etc., so we feel like we need to see several of the likely options in advance so we aren’t in a mad scramble senior year. That way, we can make a distance trip or two if he gets interest and he’ll have a good comparison base. Or we can change gears quickly if, say, the first few options are not good fits.
Does this make sense?
ILVBB – good point about visiting when we travel, probably a lot of missed opportunities traveling tourneys. I like the “Two questions” as well.

Cabbage,

Sent you a private message.

We used part of the Easter week to visit 8 schools in a short period of time and this also afforded us the chance to see games. My son also didn't miss any of his own games because of the holidays just prior to Easter Sunday.
We visited with coaches and saw SC vs Miss St and Clemson play during the trip.
It worked out well for us.

thanks coach M, good idea. I think son's HS plays in a tourney but not the whole break.

.
Really liked the answers that you got so far and echoes what I would say. I do think that you always have to temper the idealistic posters with the practical...it might be preferred to go only when school is in, on a weekday, when the team is playing, only after the school has shown an interest...and to see an 100% offer. But you have to start somewhere and at this point to get a "feel" for the options...and IMO there is not a bad time...there are better times but not a bad on...posters say "what if there was no baseball, would you still go there” Well, I'd say that about activity, "what if there was no activity, would you still go there." I mean your son is still going to be living there on weekends...and many schools are commuter schools and are dead on weekends anyway. Maybe he just loves coastal Ca. maybe he likes a bigger school. Maybe he likes suburban. Maybe he loves the Central Valley. Maybe it makes no difference to him. But you will not know until you go. I think Fungo is so right, your son will step into that environment and have a "feel". We had schools that I thought were great and mine nixed for reasons I am still not sure about...and schools they liked that were a complete mystery to me. They have to live with the decision, and emotion plays a huge part, so I always felt that once I got them started, got them a good frame of reference then it became primarily their choice. I actually think at this point you are simply, opening their eyes to the possibilities (not the certainties) building a frame of reference as much as anything else.

Nice if he gets out of state options from his showcases and his great year…but Practically, now...set down realistic schools and some slam dunks…with and without baseball…sit down with your son...Take all the schools in CA and put them on a list. Do some research on line...it is not that hard to do an assessment of academics, interests, sensibilities, baseball skill level, financials, Geographic’s, housing, level of competition, rosters...many you can put on a dream list, or a "not practical" list...and with the rest come up with a three tier list...slam dunks, realistics, and dreams. Correct, Stanford for example goes top on my unrealistic dream list. I think you start with the slam dunks of interest....schools that you are pretty certain would work...one of your most important goals is going to be to get one of these sort of in the mental pocket...a fallback position if you will...find a couple that fit the feel test. And I would say this for baseball and without baseball. put a couple on there simply because they are the right school and the right fit with or w/o baseball, as much as you like to have it, I think it is smart and practical to also consider like without baseball. With a fallback or two that make sense from in place then much of the pressure is off and the then you work your way up your ladder...as the next year progresses with baseball...and seeing school...the picture will come in greater focus. Likely if he gets out and gets seen some, other schools will add themselves to the list...but don't count on that, Be proactive at this point, start the investigative process as if there will be no interest...when it comes, adapt and adjust...factor it in a different way.

44
.

quote:

Take all the schools in CA and put them on a list. Do some research on line...it is not that hard to do an assessment of academics, interests, sensibilities, baseball skill level, financials, Geographic’s, housing, level of competition, rosters...many you can put on a dream list, or a "not practical" list...and with the rest come up with a three tier list...slam dunks, realistics, and dreams.

This is the essence of finding a school which makes sense. However, I would NOT limit it to CA schools only. You will learn that once they leave the bedroom down the hall it will really make no difference where they are as long as they are happy.

From the central coast to say Sacto is nearly 5 hours. What is the difference between a 5 hour drive versus a 5 hour flight. You may find more opportunities, cheaper education and an experience where your son grows if you explore other avenues.

Once your kid goes off to college; if they are happy they will generally only come home a couple of times. Why not help them find some place that they will and you will enjoy visiting.

We are in the Bay Area; our son ended up in San Antonio, it has been great for both him and us. His senior year he lived in an apartment that he NEVER could have afforded if he stayed in CA. This ultimaly change the financial picture for us as a family.