Getting It Right the First Time – Part 2

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

Last week, I began discussing criteria to consider when evaluating the schools on your college list. The first two areas to consider were Academics and Location. This week we will take a look at three more points of interest when narrowing down your choices:

• Size – As I mentioned last week, bigger schools are not for everyone. Larger schools generally have much larger classes and less chance for face time with the professor. If you come from a small high school, you need to consider how moving to a larger school will change your experience in the classroom.

• College Environment – One of the biggest mistakes people make in the process is falling in love with a school before they’ve had a chance to see the campus in person. Players must spend time on campus and get a feel for the student environment. It is important to project how this environment will factor into the next four years of your life. Just by walking around campus, you can get a feel for what it is like to try to get around, especially during classes. Just like a coach won’t make a final decision based on what he sees in a video, you can’t make a decision based on what you’ve seen online!

• Cost – Every year, there are always players that find themselves at the end of the process without options because they failed to put down on paper what they can afford for college. It does no good to look at schools that realistically you will not be able to afford. Even if you excel in the classroom and on the field, there’s no guarantee that the bottom line is going to be manageable for all the schools on your target list. Be proactive and research different avenues with financial assistance, whether it’s academic grants or outside scholarships. You cannot rely on baseball to pay for your education. There are simply not enough scholarships available at any level to think otherwise!

Next week we will take a look at the criteria to consider when evaluating the baseball program.

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.

Getting It Right the First Time – Part 1

Kelly Kulina: Your Link to the Colleges

I’m a firm believer that there is a school out there for every single player just as long as they are committed in the classroom and on the field. If there’s a will, there’s a way! A startling statistic I came across the other day showed that 30,000 student athletes transfer every year. Of all Division I baseball players, 27% have transferred at one point during their career! While this also includes junior college transfers, these numbers show that student-athletes are making decisions to go to a school that, for one reason or another, turns out to be the wrong fit for them. Now that the NCAA has eliminated the “one-time transfer exemption” at the Division I level, players must now sit out a year after they transfer to another school. It is more important than ever for prospective athletes to take the time to make the best decision possible!

One of the biggest misconceptions is that the bigger (and usually more visible) school is the better choice. There are more than 4,200 degree-granting institutions in the United States, and only a fraction of them get the T.V. airtime that the University of Texas, UCLA and a handful of state schools receive. Just because a school has the mystique of an appearance on ESPN’s College Gameday does not automatically make it the better school for you. There is good baseball at all levels: DI, DII, DIII, NAIA and JC. Don’t get hung up on what division of baseball a program plays—your job is to find the best combination of athletics, academics and social atmosphere that is right for you.

It’s never too early to begin the college search process. While the junior year picks up significantly in intensity, there are plenty of things to do during the freshman and sophomore year. Simply reaching out and doing research on schools is a great way to get started! I have found that one of the best tools to help develop a college interest list is the College Board’s College Matchmaker. Not only does it help identify regional schools with your academic interests, but it can also divide schools by division of collegiate sport.

Making this process work for you requires a lot of research and a lot of time spent visiting schools and writing coaches. In Rob Naddelman’s last entry, he offers up some excellent thoughts on what players should ask themselves as they try to manage the college search process. What I’d like to do is give you some additional direction and criteria to evaluate schools that you are considering:

• Academics – Academics have to be the priority. A lot of money is going towards your education and many of you work too hard out there for this not to be a priority in the process! There are enough options academically to provide several possible “fits” for you athletically. All players need to ask themselves how their degree will be valued after college and what doors this education will open up. This one criterion alone can put many smaller schools above the bigger “State U” schools!
• Location – Geography is often overlooked, but can have a big impact on the college experience. Players need to consider the climate they are accustomed to and the climate of the school they are considering. There is a reason you don’t see to many native Floridians playing in Maine!

Check back next week for more key components to consider when determining the right program for your needs.

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.