What are some potential pitfalls in athletic recruiting that I should be aware of?
Watch out for coaches’ tactics. Remember that your interests and a coach’s interests do not 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 admissions committee a list of his or her desired candidates from among the applicant pool. There is no guarantee that the admissions committee will admit all candidates on a coach’s list or follow his 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 applicant’s athletic ability and academic credentials, while factoring in a student’s enthusiasm (or lack of interest) in attending that college. Coaches’ promises should almost always be taken with a heavy dose of skepticism. Coaches who guarantee you admission are probably overstepping their bounds. A coach’s friendly and constantly optimistic banter is what one admissions officer labeled “blowing su
