September is nearly here and with it, come Official Visits. These are the 48-hour whirlwind tours that make or break a recruit's decision. They are, however, remarkably the same. According to longtime Florida Head Coach Gregg Troy:
Official visits will differ little from school to school. Basically see the campus, meet with academic advisors, maybe go to a class, talk with the coach and a whole lot of warm and fuzzy meet-theteam-stuff (much of this is very fake and put on.....you need to evaluate it carefully - an un-announced unofficial visit actually gives you a better picture of this).
By now, most Official Visit spots are long gone. In fact, over 600 recruits have scheduled visits to their profile. But what if you haven't booked your recruiting calendar yet? Are you feeling left without a date to the dance?
The good news is that Official Visits aren't necessarily all they're cracked up to be. In fact, while the NCAA allows recruits to take five official visits, the average Division I swimming recruit made just 2.9 official visits. They did, however, make an average of three UNOFFICIAL visits. So what if you've been invited on an unofficial visit? Does that mean I'm not good enough? Should you ask for an official visit? What if you haven't been invited AT ALL? Should you ask for an unofficial?
To answer that, we asked dozens of coaches for their opinion.
It is always appropriate to ask. If a school hasn‟t asked you to do an official they may either not have their weekends lined up, or they may not be able to bring you in at that time. If they have offered you an unofficial, it may be that you live close by or that they can‟t budget an official for you. (Chuck Knoles, Retired University of Pittsburgh Head Coach)
It is appropriate to ask for a visit. If it is one of your top 5 schools, you owe it to yourself to learn as much as you can about the school, even if it is only an unofficial visit. One of our school record holders made an unofficial visit because he made 5 official visits to other schools, did not like any of them, visited us unofficial and loved it and thrived!! (Ted Knapp, Stanford University)
We reserve our fall visit dates for the prospects that we feel are the best fit for our school and program. At the end of the day, we assess if you will be able to make us a better program and university. Ideally, we want athletes to contribute at the conference level by their sophomore year at the latest. We will be very honest with you on where you stand in our recruiting efforts and the availability of a trip in the fall. (Bill Dorrenkott, Ohio State)
Many schools have limited recruiting budgets. If you are interested in a school make sure you visit and meet the coach whether it is official or unofficial. (Eddie Sinnott, Southern Methodist
Even good programs are limited to what they can do on their budgets and therefore, may mean you would have to pay for your trip in. Visits may also be a reflection of what you are telling the University. “I am interested in you and about six other schools.” If you are telling me I am one of your top choices and have narrowed it down to three schools and your times can make an impact, I would pay to bring you in. Is it appropriate for me to ask if I can visit? It is always appropriate for you to ask to come in and if the University can pay. (Rick Walker, Southern Illinois)
It is always appropriate to ask a coach questions about where you stand in the recruiting process, including questions about visits. There are a variety of things taken into consideration when a coach offers a visit to a recruit, official or unofficial. (Brooks Teal, Saint Andrews)
Sometimes a recruit can pique the interest of a coach by making an "unofficial" visit and making a strong impression. I would only make an "unofficial" visit to a school that you would want to attend without the swimming equation involved. (Bob Groseth, SwimMAC Carolina)
It is all about timing. If programs have set aside certain weekends for visits, they limit the number of people to be able to host efficiently. You may have to wait until spring or see if that program will work out another time. Unofficial visits should not be taken as a judgment of your talent. They may be a reason of timing and recruiting budgets. (Brian Schrader, Denver University)