8 things to consider for prospective college athletes

Having a student as a prospective college athlete is an exciting opportunity that also expands what you need to consider when finding the right college fit. College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman, whose daughter played college athletics, shares important things to consider:

Always keep eyes on the major and the educational piece

• It can be super easy to get stars in your eyes around the sport, but it’s time will come and go. Unless your student is one of an extremely small percentage of elite level athletes, try not to let it drive the entire decision.
• Fully understand the commitment level that is associated with the scholarship offering. Can your student be a full time athlete/full time student in an engineering program? Can he or she talk to any runners who are currently doing this about the workload (ask the coaches)?
• How will your student feel if he or she ends up with little to no playing time and never gets feedback from the coaches, isn’t favored, etc.? Does that matter?
• If this is an NCAA sanctioned D1/D2 program, how will your student feel if year 2,3, or 4 they pull his or her scholarship for the hot shot freshman they just found? This happens, so it’s important to think through this before accepting, and what would it mean for your financials as a family?
• If D3, what happens if the sport comes to an end due to injury or the intensity of the chosen major? If your student is no longer playing, will his or her merit money be at risk?

Ask admissions or coaches to set up a conversation with key faculty in the department in your intended area of study

Be ready with questions around:

• How long does the program truly take to complete and what’s the graduation rate from the program at it’s stated length?
• How soon do students get into internships, and how do students find them. What specifically does the school to do assist with this?
• How does the school help your student find a job, and what’s the actual job placement rate? What connections does the school have with area companies?