ATHLETICS AND THE COLLEGE PROCESS We write these next few pages for those at Milton who are thinking about continuing with athletics in college and might be considered a “recruitable” athlete. If you are contacted by college coaches, on either the Division IA (Big East, ACC, etc.) or IAA (Ivy and Patriot League) level or the Division III (NESCAC) level, you may have the ability to compete in college. If you have not heard from any coaches, but hope to continue in college with a sport, or perhaps begin a new one that we do not offer at Milton, we suggest the following: Self-Assessment: Take the time to be honest with yourself about your abilities and potential. If you have never been a varsity starter at Milton in your sport, can you really play at the college level? How good is the program at the schools at which you are looking? Do they welcome all to the program, with potential for development, or only those they recruit? Talk with others: Talk to your coach at Milton, your college counselors, and/or former Milton students who were similar to you in ability. Ask for their help in aiding you in your self-assessment. If you feel that you might be of interest to some college coaches after completing these initial steps, we recommend you do the following: Talk to your coach at Milton about the kind of schools you are considering. Discuss other programs that might be of interest to you. Ask if the coach will contact these schools on your behalf. If you are in a sport where college coaches request film, start to discuss what you might send. When communicating with the admission offices at these colleges, you may want to inform them that you are a varsity athlete and let them know what sport(s) you play. If you definitely hope to play in college, contact the college coaches directly. Let them know of your interest in applying to their school and your desire to participate in their program. You should send an athletic resume (see sample) and set up a visit to meet with the coach. Many coaches now also ask for film. These do not have to be professionally recorded. Talk with your Milton coach or one of the counselors about the kind of information a college needs. Depending on your ability, you may be of interest to some college coaches and not to others. Do your best to be realistic in your self-assessment of your athletic talent and the teams for which you are most likely to play. Remember that, while you may be good enough to play on a particular college’s team, your athletic talent may not be of a caliber to play a role in the admission committee’s decision-making. Also, coaches have varying ranges of ability to support you in the admission process, so it is important to understand their system. Remember that your interests and a coach’s interests don’t always overlap to your advantage. A coach’s goal is to build the best team possible. Typically, a coach is allowed to present to the admission committee a list of the most desired candidates from among the applicant pool. There is no guarantee that the admission committee will admit all candidates on a coach’s list nor follow that coach’s order of preference; academic and personal factors have to be taken into consideration. For this reason, coaches often create their lists by striking a balance between each applicant’s athletic ability and academic credentials.
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