COLLEGE Recruiting Tips

1. Purchase the following:

   - (Boys) Purchase "Face Off Lacrosse" at www.insidelacrosse.com
   - (Girls) Purchase "The Draw" at www.womenslacrosse.com
   - These publication list info on every D1, D2, D3 and Club Programs

2. Compile a list of colleges you are interested in attending

   Factors/standards to evaluate:
   
   - Admission Standards
   - Available Majors and Course of Studies
   - Level of Lax Program
   - Total Costs

   Categories of colleges to consider:

   - Stretch - hope you will be accepted
   - Realistic - expect you will be accepted
   - Sure Bet - know you will be accepted

3. Notify your high school coach of your interest in these colleges

   - Determine if he knows the coaches at any of these colleges
   - Ask him to contact the coaches by phone, letter email and at coach's conferences during junior year.

4. Contact the lacrosse coaches at the colleges you are interested in so you can get on their prospect list.  Contact by letter (avoid form letters - customize them), email or phone (D1 coaches cannot call you back if they miss your phone call until after July 1st of your junior summer).  Coaches like to talk to players so they can get to know the players.  You can make unlimited calls to the coaches.  Maintain contact via letters or emails.  Give them ample advance notice if you are planning a trip to their college on your own dollar so they can make arrangements to have you stay with a member of the lacrosse team, tour the campus, attend a few classes and practices.
   
   
5. You can take unlimited trips to colleges on your dollar, but you are limited to five trips if a college pays for the trip.  It is very helpful to visit and talk with members of the lacrosse team to get a realistic and accurate evaluation of the coach and the program.  Coaches rely on input from host players and if they are negative regarding a prospect then the coach will probably remove the prospect from his recruiting list.
   
   
6. Many D1 programs only offer scholarship money to players who they know will contribute to the program.  With only 12.5 scholarships available for the entire team, partial scholarships are offered only to starters or players who get a lot of playing time.  Many D1 colleges expect you to earn a scholarship after you have committed to attending the college.  D1 teams usually maintain a roster of 40 plus players and usually recruit about 10-12 players per year.
   
   
7. If you transfer from one four-year college to another four-year college you have to sit out a year unless your former college coach releases you from this requirement.
   
   
8. If you plan to attend a Division I or II school, you MUST register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This should be done during your junior summer.
   
   
9. We also suggest that college-bound student-athletes and their parents consult the NCAA web site's section on eligibility and recruiting, which has many useful links.
   
   
10. Dave Prossner's Recruiting Guide is great resource for the college bound lax player. LaxScout is an interesting service that is available to rising sophmores and juniors. Visit their website and see if they can help with your college lacrose career.