The Ultimate Fall Recruiting Checklist for High School Student-Athletes

How to prepare for recruiting season with NCSA’s fall recruiting checklist

Being a student-athlete already means managing the stress and to-do’s that come with the athletic recruiting process—and navigating the changing landscape of recruiting during the coronavirus pandemic has made this process even more complex. 

Whether you’re starting your college search as an underclassman, gearing up to communicate with college coaches as a junior or heading into the final stretch as a senior, click on the recruiting checklist for your grade year below to stay on top of managing your athletic recruiting process.

Fall Recruiting Checklist for Freshmen

Download your Freshman Year Fall Recruiting Checklist here.

Start of Freshman Year – August/September

• Check in with your high school guidance counselor.
  Find your high school’s list of NCAA core courses, figure out which classes you can take this year and make sure you have a plan to maintain your NCAA eligibility.
• Let your high school and/or club coach know you’re interested in competing at the college level.
  They can help support your recruiting efforts, from evaluations and recommendations to reaching out to college coaches in their network. You can also add them to your NCSA References.

September

• Check out the NCSA Power Rankings.
  Don’t count out schools based on their “sticker price.” We ranked the best colleges for student-athletes and broke down their average cost after athletic, academic and financial aid.
• Jot down 5 dream schools.
  What do you like—and not like—about them? Out of those qualities, what’s most and least important to you?
• Start adding colleges to your NCSA Favorites.
  Keep track of schools you’re interested in and rank them by your top picks.

October

• Begin researching college rosters.
  They provide insights on the type of athletes coaches want to recruit, where they recruit and if they’re recruiting your position—size up your competition to see what measurables and stats you need to achieve to get recruited.
• Build (and regularly update!) your NCSA profile.
  This is your athletic recruiting resume, so make sure coaches are seeing and evaluating your most recent info.
• Brush up on your financial literacy.
  It’s a good idea to understand the types of academic, athletic and financial aid, what types of aid are offered at each division, and the differences between equivalency and head-count sports.

November

• Visit a college campus or check out online campus tours.
  This will help you start to narrow down your preferences—school size, location and more!
• Keep Track of Important Dates:
  • Stay up to date with the D1 and D2 Recruiting Calendars.
  • Learn more about how the NCAA Recruiting Rules and Updates affect underclassmen.

Fall Recruiting Checklist for Sophomores

Download your Sophomore Year Fall Recruiting Checklist here.

Start of Sophomore Year – August/September

• Check in with your high school guidance counselor.
  Find your high school’s list of NCAA core courses, figure out which classes you can take this year and make sure you’re maintaining your NCAA eligibility.
• Let your high school and/or club coach know you’re interested in competing at the college level.
  They can help support your recruiting efforts, from evaluations and recommendations to reaching out to college coaches in their network. You can also add them to your NCSA References.

September

• Upload your freshman year transcript to your profile
  Profiles with a recent transcript get 17x more views from college coaches than profiles without one.
• Create a game plan for the PSAT.
  The PSAT is great practice for the ACT/SAT—not only does it establish a baseline for how you should prepare for those tests, but it also identifies National Merit Scholars and awards merit scholarships to top performers.

October

• Create a free profile page with the NCAA.
  This is your best bet if you’re keeping your options open or if you’re interested in D3 schools. You can always upgrade to a Certification Account if you start receiving interest (or offers!) from D1 or D2 college coaches.
• Determine your family’s EFC.
  Calculating your Estimated Financial Contribution can help estimate your federal student aid eligibility and then establish college funding strategies.
• Regularly update your NCSA profile.
  This is your athletic recruiting resume, so make sure coaches are seeing and evaluating your most recent info.

November

• Size up the competition.
  How do you compare to your dream schools’ team rosters? Are your academics on par with the average player GPA? How about your measurables and athletic stats? Where are the players from? Does it seem like the coach recruits in a certain area?
• Broaden your horizons.
  We always recommend that you cast a wide net when searching for schools. Check out your top matches, see what the most popular schools are with other NCSA recruits and explore schools where college coaches are viewing, following or searching for athletes like you.
• Continue adding colleges to your NCSA Favorites.
  Keep track of schools you’re interested in and rank them by your top picks or next action steps. By now, you should have 5-10 safety schools, 10-15 target schools and 5-10 dream schools on your list.
• Keep Track of Important Dates:
  • Stay up to date with the D1 and D2 Recruiting Calendars.
  • Learn more about how the NCAA Recruiting Rules and Updates affect underclassmen.

Fall Recruiting Checklist for Juniors

Download your Junior Year Fall Recruiting Checklist here.

Start of Junior Year – August/September

• Check in with your high school guidance counselor.
  Are you on track to graduate on time with the required number of NCAA core courses? 10 of your core courses will be locked in at the end of your junior year. If you failed or got a low grade in an important class early in high school, make sure you retake that class before the end of your junior year.
• Talk to your high school/club coach or an NCSA recruiting expert.
  By now, you should have a clear game plan for your athletic recruiting to-do’s. What areas can you improve in—both athletically and academically? What types of schools do you want to apply to, and how do you compare to current team rosters?
• Keep Track of Important Dates:
  • Stay up to date with the D1 and D2 Recruiting Calendars.
  • Learn more about how the NCAA Recruiting Rules and Updates affect juniors.

September

• Register with the NCAA.
  If you’re unsure of which division level you want to compete in, or are set on D3 schools, create a free profile—you can always upgrade to a paid account later. Receiving interest from D1 and D2 coaches? You may be better suited for an NCAA Certification Account.
• Narrow down your list of target schools—and reach out to coaches.
  Whether you’re checking out your Top Matches or Coach Activity Report, make sure you have at least 30-40 schools—a mix of safety, target and dream schools—added to your NCSA Favorites. Then, make sure you’ve reached out to each coach on your list.
• Regularly update your NCSA profile.
  This is your athletic recruiting resume, so make sure coaches are seeing and evaluating your most recent info—including your transcript, verified stats and in some cases, your highlight footage.

October

• Create a game plan for the ACT and SAT.
  While the NCAA is no longer requiring student-athletes to take these tests to be eligible to compete, many colleges—including those at the NCAA D1 and D2 level—may still want students to complete these tests for admissions or scholarship purposes. Stay current on testing dates for the ACT and SAT—including when you have to register for each test.
• Remember to consider all the costs associated with the ACT and SAT tests.
  There are fees—and fee waivers—for each test, but don’t forget about the costs of tutoring or test prep resources like online classes and guides.

November

• Follow your top choices on Twitter and Instagram.
  Following a team or coach on social media is a unique way to set yourself apart from other recruits. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at a team’s dynamics, stay up-to-date on their accomplishments, and show coaches that you’re genuinely interested in their program.
• Go on a college visit or take a virtual campus tour.
  Unofficial and official visits provide a great opportunity to get some one-on-one time with a college coach, meet your potential team and tour the campus/athletic facilities, while virtual visits offer a safe, cost-effective option to get a good feel of the school.

Fall Recruiting Checklist for Seniors

Download your Senior Year Fall Recruiting Checklist here.

Start of Senior Year – August/September

• Check in with your high school guidance counselor.
  Confirm your NCAA eligibility—once you start your senior year (seventh semester of high school), ten of your core courses are “locked in”—you can’t retake or replace any of these courses to improve your GPA.
• If necessary, retake the ACT or SAT.
  While the NCAA is no longer requiring student-athletes to take these tests to be eligible to compete, it’s still a good idea to take these exams, whether you’re trying to maximize your scholarship opportunities or improve your admissions chances at highly selective schools.
• Make sure your NCSA profile is up-to-date.
  As you reach the home stretch of your recruiting, your profile should be 100% complete—make sure you uploaded your most recent transcript and update your highlight footage and verified measurables/stats from summer recruiting events, camps or combines.

September

• Keep Track of Important Dates
  • Stay up to date with the D1 and D2 Recruiting Calendars.
• Go on a campus visit or take a virtual tour
  Unofficial and official visits provide a great opportunity to get some one-on-one time with a college coach, meet your potential team and tour the campus/athletic facilities, while virtual visits offer a safe, cost-effective option to get a good feel of the school.

October 1

• Complete your FAFSA starting October 1.
  The FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal grants, loans and work-study funds administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Try to complete it ASAP—aid is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

October

• Refine and finalize your target schools.
  Be realistic with your safety, target and dream schools—if you haven’t received an offer or much attention from college coaches, expand your search to include schools at all division levels.

• Start applying to schools.
  Keeping up with admissions standards and deadlines can be tough—make sure you know which schools have set applications deadlines, offer rolling admissions and whether they have their own application process or use the Common App.
• Keep track of college application costs.
  While some colleges allow students to apply for free, the average college application fee was $48 in 2024. If you’re applying to multiple schools, these costs can add up. The College Board allows you to search for college application fee waivers—whether you’re an in-state resident, first-year student or meet certain income criteria.

November 13

• Initial Signing Date
  For most sports—excluding football and basketball—this is the first (not the only!) day you can officially sign with D1 and D2 schools. Learn more about National Signing Day.

Related Reading 📚

• A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Junior Year Recruiting