What Happens On An Official Visit?
Official visits are a big leap in the recruiting process, so you’re probably wondering what to expect when you go on one. An official visit is when a coach formally invites you to campus for recruiting purposes, allowing you to learn more about the program, experience the school and overall environment first-hand, and get more information about the remaining steps in the process.
When you go on an official visit, you should expect to live a day in the life of a student-athlete on campus. This might include seeing the athletic facilities, meeting the team and coaching staff, seeing academic buildings and meeting professors, and even experiencing the social life. There are a variety of options for activities and ways that the coach might choose to entertain you and show you what the school has to offer.
One thing that’s important to remember is that the official visit is essentially a selling point for both you and the coach. It’s an opportunity for the coach to further your interest in the school, but it’s also a chance for you to learn more, make a good impression, and aid your decision making process. With this in mind, it’s helpful to know what happens on an official visit and how you can best prepare for this exciting day.
What To Expect
Official visits are very exciting and you should try to appreciate everything that they have to offer. There are a number of things that can occur during the visit, so we recommend that you be prepared for what the day could bring.
Guide/Host: While you will meet several people and spend a lot of time with the coaches, you will likely have some sort of host who is a member of the team. This person will be your general guide to help you experience different things aside from the official agenda of the visit.
Athletic Facilities And Events: One of the first things on the official visit itinerary is usually a tour of the athletic facilities. You will likely get a tour of the stadium/arena, the practice facilities, weight room, locker room, and any other part of the team’s property. Additionally, official visits often include attending a home game of some sort at the school so you can get a feel for the athletic environment in real time.
Meeting Teammates And Coaching Staff: The beginning of your official visit will definitely consist of some sort of sit-down meeting with the coach and/or other members of the coaching staff. This is usually just an introductory welcome meeting where the coach will highlight some key elements of the school and give you a general overview of the plan for the visit.
Tours Of Academic Buildings And Classes: Official visits are not just about athletics, but rather they’re meant to give you a well-rounded experience of the school as a whole. You will likely get a tour of the campus, explore various academic buildings, and learn about the different majors, classes, and learning opportunities available. You might even get the opportunity to sit in on a class with your hosts or sit down with a professor to talk over potential coursework, teaching styles, and the balances of student-athlete life.
Meals: Prospects on official visits usually get a chance to experience the various food options that the school and town has to offer. A common practice on official visits is to eat lunch in one of the school's dining halls followed by dinner at a nice restaurant hosted by the coach(es).
Learning About The School: Every college has its own unique offerings and traditions. You might get a chance to learn about some of the school’s history, its culture, and the extracurricular opportunities outside of the classroom and playing field.
Entertainment: The NCAA places strict limits on the entertainment offered on official visits, but there are still plenty of things that the coach can offer to you and your family such as tickets to a game, dinner, bowling, or a similar activity depending on the school’s budget and the NCAA guidelines.
Social Life: Although student-athletes are busy and committed, there is always some time for social life and experiencing different parts of the collegiate experience. You will most likely have some free time with your host to hang out with players, visit local attractions, and meet different students at the school.
Recruiting Questions/Offer(?): At the end of the visit, there will usually be more serious conversations with the coaching staff about your overall recruitment. You should be prepared to answer questions that gauge how serious your interest is, where else you’re recruiting, and what your plans are for your process and your near future. Although it is not guaranteed by any means, coaches frequently make commitment offers during official visits. The program is spending money and resources to show you the school and promote their program, so you should be prepared to handle serious conversations involving potential offers or scholarships.
The main purpose of an official visit is to explore different environments, interact with as many people as possible, and have a well-rounded experience that reflects one of a team-member. Coaches will be evaluating you in a lot of these environments and seeing if you fit the overall culture of the athletic program and the school as a whole, so remember to be respectful and present your best self.
What Is An Official Visit?
Now that you know what to expect, you might be wondering what exactly is an official visit and how it fits into the overall recruiting process.
What Is It?: An official visit is when a prospective student-athlete visits a college campus, and it is almost entirely paid for by the school. This includes travel to and from campus, meals, room, and select entertainment permissible by the NCAA (such as tickets to a home game). The NCAA limits recruits to take one official visit per school, and each visit is usually one to two days. Athletes however are allowed to take unlimited unofficial visits, but these are not paid for by the school.
When Can I Take An Official Visit?: NCAA regulations determine when prospective student-athletes are allowed to take official visits. The rules vary depending on division and sport, but the earliest possible time to take an official visit is the beginning of junior year of high school.
How Does It Work?: Prospective-athletes must be invited by the school to go on an official visit. These invites are usually extended by coaches via phone call or email. Parents/guardians are allowed to attend with the athlete, but the school is not allowed to pay for as many of their expenses. An official visit does not guarantee an offer, but it is a very serious step in the recruiting ladder, and the day is very much a part of the evaluation process.
It’s necessary to understand the basics of official visits, how they work, and some of the logistics, but the more important part is knowing what will actually happen on the visit. That way, you can be prepared for the trip and the various implications that it might have.
Things To Keep In Mind
Take It Seriously: There are a number of ways to express to the coaches and teammates that you’re serious about the opportunity to visit the school. Dress nicely, bring a positive attitude, and have an open-minded approach. You will learn and experience a diverse range of things while on your visit, so try to soak it all in and seriously consider if it’s the right fit for you, but also present yourself in a way that impresses the people around you.
Be Yourself: While you want to be serious and respectful of the visit, try to be yourself and envision being a student-athlete at the school. At the end of the day, recruiting is all about finding the right fit for both you and the school, so try to be yourself because you want to demonstrate who you are and take comfort in experiencing the visit.
Learn And Ask Questions: An official visit is a huge learning experience, and it will be packed with information and experiences in a number of settings. Use this opportunity to be proactive and learn as much as you can so you can find certainty in your opinion on the school.
Be Prepared: Preparation is a very important part of official visits because the experience can be both exciting and intimidating at times. Remember that your official visit is a big part of the coach’s evaluation of you on a personal level, so you should envision yourself in the various situations described above and be ready to embrace them with your best foot forward. Lastly, official visits are one of the most serious parts of recruiting, so you should know what you’re going to say in different conversations about potential offers and your overall status in the recruiting process.