The Keys to an Effective Visit

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Players in the Exclusive Program recently took part in our 2008 Junior Visit Days, held at various schools around the country. Just to highlight some of our visits:

• At the University of Virginia, our players had the opportunity to meet with Coach Eddie Smith and discuss the Cavalier’s program and recruiting in general as well as meet with an Admissions Officer.
  

• While our visit to Salisbury University was mostly rained out, including a chance to watch the postseason-bound Sea Gulls play an intersquad game, our players were still able to meet with ABCA South Region Coach of the Year Doug Fleetwood.
  

• At the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, our Exclusive Players had a chance to go on a campus tour as well as meet with Coach Bob Mumma before watching the Golden Retrievers take on the University at Albany.
  

• On the west coast, our players had a chance to meet with Coach Chad Addison and see the University of California – San Diego play CSU Monterey Bay.

These were great opportunities set up by Justin Roswell and Woody Wingfield, but players shouldn’t wait to be invited to campus! There are many ways to get on campus beyond attending a college camp, just as long as you are proactive and plan ahead. Therefore, I’d like to take this week’s entry to discuss several opportunities to learn more about schools you are interested in.

Just FYI, high school players are allowed to take as many unofficial visits as they want. An unofficial visit is any visit to a college campus during which time the college or coach pays for none of your expenses including hotel, transportation, food, or even a bag of sunflower seeds. If the coach or another member of the university pays for anything, the visit will be considered an official visit.

Unofficial visits should be treated as fact-finding missions. On this visit, you should tour the campus and facilities, meet with someone from the admissions office (if the institution conducts interviews) and meet with someone from the baseball program. Typically, schools will have set times for campus tours and information sessions and display them on the Admissions Office web page. The school may also include an Information Session along with the tour; depending on your schedule, this may suffice over an individual meeting with an Admissions officer.

When trying to visit with someone from the baseball staff, do not show up to the coach’s door and expect him to have 30 minutes, or even 10 minutes, to sit down with you. If you set up a meeting with the baseball staff ahead of time, they will usually set aside time to answer your questions and discuss their program. Please realize that you must set up this meeting, not the coach nor your parents. Generally, this can be accomplished via e-mail with one of the assistant coaches. However, sometimes the admissions office can assist you in scheduling a meeting if you mention that you are a prospective student-athlete.

Come prepared with questions. Use this visit to learn as much as you can about the school, program, and coaching staff. Dress appropriately to talk in-person with admissions officers and coaches. Make sure you have questions ready to help you fill in the blanks in regards to what you already know about the school and program. Be honest and up front with the coach as he is gauging your personality and interest throughout the interview. Be tactful and make sure that you – not your parents – are initiating the conversation and developing the relationship. It is your future at stake, so take an active role!

Here is a laundry list of what you should try to accomplish on a visit:

• Take a campus tour (You can usually arrange one with the admissions office. At some schools they run hourly, but try to call ahead to make sure).
  


• Meet with a member of the admissions office or take part in an Admissions Information Session.
  


• Meet with a member of the coaching staff.
  


• Tour the athletic facility, including the baseball field.
  


• Meet with a player from the team.
  


• Sit in on a class (only during the school year).
  


• Go see a baseball practice or game (during the fall/spring season).

It’s never too early to begin visiting colleges to get a feel for the different campuses and baseball programs that are out there. Just taking a drive through a campus in your travels will be time well-spent in the long run. In the perfect world, you should start early and see as many schools as you can. This will greatly assist you throughout the college search process. You need to know what you’re looking for in a school and baseball program before any decisions are made and unfortunately, you can’t do this from your home!


Kelly Kulina is the Senior Vice President of College Recruiting at Baseball Factory. Kulina is a former Associate Head Coach and recruiting coordinator with the University of Maryland. As a former recruiting coordinator for ten years in the ACC, Kulina has vast contacts and is widely respected throughout the nation. From 1989 to 2000, Kulina coached 46 players who were selected in the MLB draft.