RecruitU2 offers the only pro-active approach to being recruited by allowing student athletes to market themselves directly to college coaches. It allows you to control the process and specify where your profile is disseminated using the extensive database of email addresses and statistics that RU2 has acquired over the past seven years.

The following guidelines will assist you in using RecruitU2 most effectively to match your talents and college requirements with a school that needs and wants you.

1. Don’t Limit Yourself to only DI Schools. Most students focus on DI schools because they are familiar with those colleges from games on ESPN, athlete interviews on television and pro league drafts. While a student might dream of playing at the DI level, the reality is that only the top 1-2% of high school athletes in each sport has a chance of getting recruited by these schools.
2. Be Open to a Variety of Colleges-Big of Small, Public or Private. While public universities generally are less expensive that private schools, a combination of scholarship, grants and work study can actually make private schools more cost efficient.  High school athletes have the greatest chance of being recruited if they market themselves to the greatest number of schools at which they are academically qualified. If you really want to play your sport in college, be open-minded about the size and type of school for the greatest chance of recruitment success.
3. Don’t Limit Geographic Distance. One of the most frequent mistakes occurs when students limit their college search to their state or a short distance from home. The RecruitU2 idea is to market  yourself to coaches around the country – coaches who have no recruitment budget but would welcome the opportunity to review your profile. You will be more valuable to a DIII coach than a DI or DII coach and geographic distance may result in greater opportunities and financial support.  In many cases, these offers make it more economical to attend a private, out-of-state school. By being flexible and exploring all opportunities across the country, you expand your chances of being recruited and negotiating the best financial support.
4. Look for Financial Support Beyond Athletic Scholarships. Colleges that are unable to offer strictly athletic scholarships use other incentives to recruit student athletes to their programs. Many of these offers are comparable to the proverbial “full-ride” enjoyed by a select group of top athletes. Schools in the DIII and NAIA and other lower divisions combine academic scholarships, leadership grants and financial need awards to create an attractive financial aid package for prospective recruits.
5. Generate Interest in Yourself.  Begin contacting coaches by email early in your junior year in high school. (Click here for details on when to begin contact based on selected sports) Get on their radar screen and keep them informed by updating your profile with recent athletic and academic accomplishments.  Create a relationship with college coaches and let them know you have implemented their ideas to improve your athletic success.  The coach will appreciate that you value instruction and can modify your skills when asked. In other words, you’re coachable. Use the tools offered by RecruitU2 to market yourself as broadly as you can. Don’t set limits on yourself.

When you understand what really occurs in the recruiting process you will realize that it is to your advantage to broaden your search efforts and market yourself to the greatest number of coaches in your sport.