D3 Visit

Try to get there early enough so you can do the information session and tour first.  You want your son to have the feel for setting, size, diversity, facilities, energy etc as a possible student first.  Have the meeting with the coach after.  Let your son go to the meeting on his own and tell him you'll be 5m away.  If the coach would like to meet with you, your son will text you.  The coach will most likely like to meet you; they want to sign off on the "parents box".  After that, your son will take off with a player or two he has assigned to be with your son for the overnight.  You'll take off and check into the nearest tavern-hotel and watch golf, baseball or football until he's done the following day.

I'll get the list of questions my son had for his visit two weeks ago and PM you.....

Relative to the financial aid office; prior to acceptance they're going off the data you enter into the cost calculator.  So not much to do there at this point. 

Exciting time for you and your son.

PhillyinNJ,

So, if this school is his top choice I'd like to make some additional suggestions.   I'd get there earlier Friday (he'd miss school but most schools allow seniors to visit) and see if your son can tag along with a student or baseball player along for some classes either in his intended major or general studies.   While he's doing this you can spend some time with Financial Aid and then both of you can take the campus tour together.   Typcially the HC or RC will want to meet you and your son together for a few minutes and then you'll leave him in their care and agree on a pickup time..

I agree with Gov to run the FA numbers in advance of your visit and meeting with FA.  This will make your meeting run smoother and they will see that you are serious about the school. 

Good luck!

You would describe the school as high academic D3?

MidAtlanticDad posted:

You would describe the school as high academic D3?

Not sure...2018 is interested in PT and this is one of the only schools that have 6 year PT program that will allow him to get accepted as a freshman. his grades are off the chart (he takes AP, so would be nice if the college credit he's earned already transfers) and we find out his sat score tomorrow (2nd time, with first take meeting minimum program requirement score).  we've done the net calculator online and his merit money maxes out a little over 20k, so if that is accurate, then it is ok financially --we are hopeful there are hidden merit money that is not identified online, but not a deal breaker at all if not.  Its a private school about two hours from us.  I am going to run the net calculator with exact numbers from 2016 tonight to see where we stand without estimating on my end.  So, should i be meeting with the FA before his offer from the coach?  We have already submitted the app online and had his HS send the official transcripts over last week.

Good feedback so far.

Not sure if these are implied...

- I'd ensure your son interviewed with Admissions if they have an interview as an optional or mandatory part of their process.  My 2016 did that anytime he was on a campus for a visit.

- Hopefully your son can see a practice and meet with as many current players as possible.  Really nice to be able to see how coaches operate and teams prepare. 

So it does not sound like ED is required. With the school being two hours a way, more than one trip can be made. 

When my son was going through this process, his top school was 4 hours away, and second choice was 40 minutes. He made one over night in the fall. And made several different visits through the spring. Most were just day trips, some to watch a game or practice. The coaches initiated most these visits. 

In the spring many of these schools have honor student competitions. If your son can qualify for one of these, it can make the school that much more affordable. 

based on the info you have provided, i am pretty certain, close 100 percent i know the school you are referring to. Feel free to PM if you want to confirm but the school i believe being discussed has somewhere in the high 50's kids there this fall trying out for baseball. Again assuming it is the same one if you check their web site from last year i believe you will find 5 or 6 Sr listed who would be moving on. This years freshman class has 20 or little bit more kids in it...just be aware walking in the door. I know some of the current freshman class there were not aware of the size of the class coming in, there obviously isn't room for that many kids. I also know that they do have recruits that come in with guaranteed roster spots and others weren't that don't. I also know they are pushing hard on the current 2018 class for more.

Again, I don't care just be aware and ask the right questions because i do know for sure that not everyone does and not everyone is the same.

While i am sure they are a fine school they are not a high academic and ED will not be an issue if your son has reasonable grades...again PM me if you want to talk. 

old_school posted:

based on the info you have provided, i am pretty certain, close 100 percent i know the school you are referring to. Feel free to PM if you want to confirm but the school i believe being discussed has somewhere in the high 50's kids there this fall trying out for baseball. Again assuming it is the same one if you check their web site from last year i believe you will find 5 or 6 Sr listed who would be moving on. This years freshman class has 20 or little bit more kids in it...just be aware walking in the door. I know some of the current freshman class there were not aware of the size of the class coming in, there obviously isn't room for that many kids. I also know that they do have recruits that come in with guaranteed roster spots and others weren't that don't. I also know they are pushing hard on the current 2018 class for more.

Again, I don't care just be aware and ask the right questions because i do know for sure that not everyone does and not everyone is the same.

While i am sure they are a fine school they are not a high academic and ED will not be an issue if your son has reasonable grades...again PM me if you want to talk. 

interesting...i just sent you a PM, so i'm actually hoping we are not talking about the same school.  I did some roster review for the past few years and they are constantly sitting 35ish on roster.  They had 5 seniors leave last year.

Ugh...the dreaded Fall roster vs. what we see on the web sites for Spring. 

Our local D2, as a couple of my fellow posters are aware, will have 90 or so (yes, ninety) competing this Fall for the Spring roster spots.  About two thirds of these young men will not be playing this Spring at this school.

Definitely a reason to visit the schools this Fall while practices are happening.  How many guys are out in the Fall?  How many will the coach roster for Spring?  A D3 may have 50 guys in the Fall, and still roster all of them for Spring...or not.  Always good questions to ask.

yep, i think that is definitely going to be on the list of questions.  I would think (and i could be wrong) that a coach wouldn't waist time to have a player do an overnight visit, talk weekly, etc., for someone just to fill a seat...we will see though, he is going to watch a practice, ask the questions that need to be asked, and then will make an informed decision from there.

One comment we heard from a JUCO coach, which could also reflect on some four-year schools as well — "I'm not required to over recruit just to fill our dorms."

Had never occurred to me that schools might do that, (I'm naive) but looking around at some schools and the number of kids coming in each year, it seems like it probably happens. May be another reason to be careful.

Iowamom23 posted:

One comment we heard from a JUCO coach, which could also reflect on some four-year schools as well — "I'm not required to over recruit just to fill our dorms."

I used to think differently about over recruiting before my son went to college and played than I do now.

I used to worry a lot about it, now IMO, it is more important for the player and family to REALLY understand where a player fits in the skill set of the players he will be competing with. If you are a top nationally ranked HS player then by all means go to a nationally ranked top D1 baseball program. It is more important for your son and you to figure out where you HONESTLY think he can compete and get on the field. For D3's it is not unusual to have 40-50 players competing for the 25 travel slots and the advantage for a lot of programs like this is that a player has the ability to develop on field skills over a couple of years.  

What is important for you to research is how a program treats those players who don't make the travel team. At my son's program the other 25 are treated nearly the same as the travel 25 and participate in practices and play on the JV team and are an integral part of scrimmages, which the program does A LOT. IMO it is also one of the reasons it is consistently ranked a top 10 program because the cream always rises to the top and the "other 25" feel part of the program because they are contributing to improving themselves as well as their teammates who travel. It is really inclusive. I know of others that are not. 

Frankly I really did not understand all of this before my son got to college, so it is something to know beforehand. 

Good luck!!

What BOF says is so true. I worried about it. I also worried about retention, and how many players stayed with the team four years. And some of this is easier when looking closer to home.

Many young men want to go far away for College. However one of the positives to staying close to home is that there are people in the area that know the program well. These people can give an unbiased opinion on where a player might fit, and the roll they could play.

Most of my son's choice s were within four hours. He did not want to go much further. He ended up 40 minutes from home. He knew some players on the team and people who followed the program. Most said he could compete for a spot on the team and play as a Freshman. This was not the deciding factor, but it was good to know. It still took a lot of hard work and some luck for him to be a weekend starter. But it happened.

His class was not large, but I am not sure that made a difference. 

after thinking about it for a little, the "over-recruiting" concern wore off.  my 2018 has high measurable's and competes against older kids and is still growing (he is a young 2018)...it might be better for him as he will work harder and then might end up in a good position come next fall.  Regardless, first step is for him to visit the school and enjoy the experience.  One key question he is going to ask though is a BLUF: Where do i fit in the 2018 recruiting class and how does he (HC) see him as a contributing member of the team.

Will see though.  I will follow-up once this weekend is over.

The key thing your son should be on the look out for is “fit” — fit with the culture of the school, fit with the classes, fit with his classmates, fit with the players, fit with the coaches.  You get the idea.  Will he be happy if baseball doesn’t work out?  Will he get a good education that puts him on the right path for a job (after graduation) that will make him happy.

To be sure, you need to do your homework (roster size, coaches reputations, # of upper classmen in your son’s position, summer ball philosophy,etc…)  — but ultimately, you want to go where you are loved.  It's hard to explain  - but you will know it when your son feels it and you see it.