Making Your Decision
You’ve put in all the work, it’s time to make your final decision!
This timeline varies depending on what school you are attending, but by the start of your senior year in high school you should have your choice of colleges narrowed down to two or three schools. It’s important to apply to these schools as early as possible, as well as advising the coaches at each school of your intentions. This is known as the formal college application process that all potential college students must complete in order to be admitted into a college or university.
When applying to colleges, enlist the help of your guidance counselor and teachers. It can often be a tedious process that requires writing an essay and obtaining important documents from your high school.
Upon application to these schools, a coach may share with you the amount of athletic scholarship money you can expect. As previously mentioned, you are also actively searching for other scholarship opportunities.
During the fall semester of senior year is when you should begin putting together the financial costs to attend your list of schools and working towards making your final decision. Once you have made your final decision, the official day where you committee to play your sport in college is called Signing Day.
A signing is an event arranged by your high school athletic director, your coach, or you and your family to celebrate and announce your decision on what school you will attend to play your sport. Invite friends, teammates and family. Always consider getting up and speaking- saying a few words to thank anyone involved in their recruiting journey.
To learn more about what to consider when making your final decision and the signing process, purchase my 10-part video series on the College Recruiting process.
Betty Baird Kregor is an LPGA Master Teaching Professional and owner of StraightShot Inc., specializing in the DISC personality system to mentor and advise athletes of all ages and abilities.
In 2014, Kregor retired from over 27 years of teaching golf to consult athletes in the mental aspects of sport an serve as a "performance coach" for goals, scheduling, practice programs, college advising and more.
Her LPGA education in DISC profiling allows an athlete to maximize their performance with "self awareness" of their strengths and weaknesses. It is also an important tool in finding the right college fit. College athletic consulting is a service that benefits 9-12th graders in learning how to market their talents, schedule college visits and value the importance of academics.