NCSA is the world’s largest and most successful collegiate athletic recruiting network because our focus has always been on finding the best college options for our student-athletes. That means a school that can launch a lifetime of success by being a good athletic and academic fit.
What sets NCSA apart is our comprehensive approach that addresses every phase of the recruiting process. We understand that while each recruiting journey is unique, they all benefit from a systematic approach or process to hit key milestones and reach the ultimate goal of becoming the next college student-athlete.
Every NCSA member can expect to play a very active role in their recruiting process. And, like every sport, recruiting demands the same level of commitment, patient, persistence and competitive spirit. The following briefly outlines the typical recruiting journey with NCSA.
SETTING FAMILY-WIDE COLLEGE GOALS
It’s important we hear from you the goals you’ve set for your student-athlete. For many families, this is often the first time they’ve sat down together to discuss what kind of college experience they envision. This is a great starting point and allows us to set expectations and start to make recommendations and build an individual plan.
REVIEW AND PLAN FOR ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY
Academics are an essential part of every recruiting effort. We’ll go through NCAA core course requirements, review GPA, discuss transcripts, and look at ACT and SAT test schedules and recommend a course of action to maximize your academic standing.
CREATE YOUR NCSA ONLINE PROFILE
You will build your online profile. This is how you can quickly get exposure to college coaches who are actively filling rosters. Your profile will feature basic physical specs, key stats for your sport, academic info, a personal statement, and also your highlight and skills videos.
COMPILE VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS/SKILLS
Just about every sport will require video of highlights or basic skills so coaches can get a good sense of your athleticism. You can easily upload your videos to your profile or we can help you edit videos for you to post.
EVALUATE AND PROJECT BEST COLLEGE LEVEL FIT
A recruiting expert in your sport will evaluate your video, designate a star rating and make college division recommendations. This unbiased, professional evaluation is extremely valuable to college coaches and helps you focus your college search.
DISCOVER YOUR TOP COLLEGE PICKS WITH OUR RECRUIT MATCH TECHNOLOGY
Using our proprietary Recruit Match Technology™, you will be able to identify your top college matches based on your personal preferences, college roster openings and more. Once you have identified your list, you can now devote your recruiting efforts on these prime targets.
CONNECTING TO COLLEGE COACHES & COMMUNICATION TRAINING
Our convenient message center lets you easily track and organize all of your college coach emails. It’s easy to see what’s been sent and the responses you’ve received. Of course, we’ll provide all the communications training you need, including social media through online drills available at NCSA University or with one on one coaching sessions.
PLANNING FOR CAMPS, COMBINES, TOURNAMENTS AND SHOWCASES
Making sure you are attending the right events for recruiting is critical. We will help you get the most out of the time and money you spend by recommending what events are best for you, as well as what you can do to stand out at each event.
FREE ONLINE ACT/SAT PREPARATION
Better test scores can help create more college options and potentially more options for financial aid and merit-based scholarships. That’s why NCSA’s MVP members have free access to comprehensive, self-paced online test preparation tools from Method Test Prep. We’ll also discuss testing strategies like when to take and retake the tests to give you the best scores possible.
PREPPING FOR OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL COLLEGE VISITS
You only get to make a first impression once, and we’ll make sure you’re prepared for both official and unofficial visits. Through NCSA University and live coaching sessions, we’ll tell you what to do and, more importantly, what not do during these visits.
COLLEGE APPLICATION COUNSELING AND FINANCIAL AID PLANNING
Student-athletes, like all potential college freshmen, need to be well-versed in the college application process and know how to get the most from financial aid. We’ll cover the basics like The Common Application as well as how and when to complete your Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.)
EVALUATE AND LEVERAGE COLLEGE OFFERS
If all things go according to plan, there may be more than one college offer to consider. We can help guide and inform your decisions, teach you how to leverage offers, and figure out how and when to turn a verbal offer into a written commitment.
It’s important to note that not every student-athlete will complete the recruiting process or receive an offer. The recruiting journey is about discovery, and some student-athletes discover their passion for their sport may not be as strong as their passion for a chosen major, so they decide to put academics first. Others may find a school they love and are willing to walk on rather than sign with a college that’s extending an offer but just isn’t as good a fit.
The bottom line is that every recruiting journey is truly different, but, with NCSA, you will have access to the right people, the right technology and the right network to help your family make one of the most important decisions for your student-athlete.