What Does It Mean When You Get An Unofficial Visit?
As a prospect hoping to gain traction with college coaches, or the parent of such a prospect, I am sure you are wondering what it means when you go on an unofficial visit to a college’s campus.
In short, it is a very good sign! It means that the coach at the program has interest in you becoming a part of their program, and wants to meet you in person. However, receiving an unofficial visit does not guarantee you a scholarship or a place on the team. An unofficial visit is simply a step along the path to securing an offer from that program.
Recruits and their families often struggle to fully understand the meaning of unofficial visits, official visits, and other recruiting jargon. In order to ace the recruiting process, and give yourself the best possible chance of receiving scholarship offers, it is important that you understand the implications of unofficial and official visits. For this reason, we’ve given a more detailed explanation of what an unofficial visit means, what to expect, and how best to prepare below.
The Meaning Behind An Unofficial Visit
College coaches will use unofficial visits as an opportunity to get to know you on a more personal level - making it very important that you arrive with your best foot forward. While you are on campus, the coaching staff will be evaluating your fit with their program. Additionally, it is the perfect time for you to evaluate your own fit with their program.
It’s Most Important For You: While it is important that you leave the program’s coach with a good impression of you, the ultimate purpose of an unofficial visit is for you to learn more about schools of your choosing. Remember this on your visit, and place as much of an emphasis as you can on learning about the school and evaluating your fit into both their specific sports program and the broader institution.
It’s An Opportunity, Not A Test: For a lot of prospects, visiting a school unofficially is the first time they meet that program’s coach in person. This can be incredibly intimidating, and can cause prospects to be nervous. It is important that you do your best to relax and recognize the opportunity that is in front of you. There is no better way to determine your interest in a college than interacting with that college’s athletic and academic programs in person.
Don’t Just Focus On The Sports: Throughout the recruiting process, you will learn plenty about the specific sports program you are considering. On the other hand, information about the college as a whole may be harder to come by. An unofficial visit is a great way to gather this information. Learning about the college as a whole is one of the most valuable parts of an unofficial visit.
Unofficial visits, while not a guarantee of a scholarship or place on the team, are an important part of the recruiting process. They are one of the best ways to both learn about the college and evaluate your fit with the specific sports program you are interested in. It is important that you take advantage of the opportunity an unofficial visit presents!
What To Expect During An Unofficial Visit
An unofficial visit is a great way to get to know a school and their program before committing or taking an official visit, and there are no limits to the number of unofficial visits you can take.
Official Vs. Unofficial Visits: Unofficial visits are not the same thing as official visits. The main difference is financial. On official visits, colleges are allowed to pay for transportation, housing, and meals. However, on unofficial visits, colleges cannot pay for these expenses. The prospect and their family are responsible for the cost of an unofficial visit.
Home Sporting Event: During the unofficial visit, the college can reserve tickets for you at a home sporting event. This is often the most exciting part of the visit for prospects. Attending a game is a great way to see the environment that you would be playing in for the next four years if you chose to commit. You will also typically sit with other visiting prospects, so it is a great time to get to know your potential future teammates.
Athletic And Academic Tour: During the unofficial visit, one of the program’s coaches will take you on a comprehensive athletic tour. While this is obviously important, it is equally important that you go on an academic tour. These are often led by students and are a great way to learn more background information about the school.
An unofficial visit should be a fun experience! You get to go to a game, meet your potential future teammates and coaches, and learn more about the college you are considering attending. Remember to enjoy yourself throughout the process.
Acing Your Unofficial Visit
Preparing for your unofficial visit in the right way will make a big impact on how valuable your experience is. Additionally, an unofficial visit is an opportunity to enjoy yourself and learn about the school, the program’s coaches will also be evaluating you.
Impress The Coaches: Showing up prepared and ready to learn will leave a good impression and greatly improve the chances that the program’s coaches think you are a good fit with their team. The best ways to prepare are to do general background research on the school and the specific sports team you are interested in, and create a list of questions to ask the coaches.
Maximize Your Experience: During the visit, you should experience as much of the college as you can. Visit the school’s library or student union, eat lunch at a popular local restaurant, or even walk around campus by yourself. While doing these things, it is important that you visualize yourself at the college as an actual student. This is one of the best ways to evaluate your interest in the program, and is something you should do at every school you visit.
Following Up Is Key: After an unofficial visit, make sure you email the program’s coach to follow up with them. College coaches are incredibly busy people and will appreciate a thoughtful email thanking them for their time. It can be as simple as thanking them for the experience and wishing them the best of luck in their season.
Following the tips above will help you and your family have the best possible unofficial visit experience. Ultimately, remember that an unofficial visit is just an opportunity for you to learn more about a college and their sports program - not something to be nervous about.
Things To Keep In Mind
Visit A Dorm: At most colleges, athletes live in the on-campus dorms for at least two years. You can learn more about the environment you would be living in if you committed by visiting an athlete’s dorm during your visit.
Go To Class: Attending a class with an athlete is one of the best ways of learning more about the academic side of the college. If this is not possible, ask the admissions office if there is a class you can attend.
Develop Personal Relationships: It is easiest to build a personal relationship with someone if you are face-to-face. Take the time during your visit to talk to, and develop a relationship with the program’s players and coaches.
Not Everyone Can Afford Unofficial Visits: Paying to visit a college is expensive, and sadly, not everyone can afford it. If you cannot afford to visit a school unofficially, consider asking the coach about an official visit - where the majority of expenses are covered by the college.
There Are No Restrictions On Unofficial Visits: Unlike official visits, the number of unofficial visits you can take is unlimited. Additionally, there is no age restriction on an unofficial visit- although coaches typically are more interested in older prospects.