409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting w/ Katie Andersen

The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions

My guest is Katie Andersen, a former NCAA Division 1 Women’s Soccer player at Duke University, who now advises student-athletes through her organization, College Fit OC. She’s also the co-founder of The Student-Athlete Advisors, which focuses on educating and mentoring educational consultants who advise college-bound student-athletes.

Our conversation turned into a veritable crash course in college athletic recruiting. We get into, among other things:

• How a student can know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level
• When students should start their athletic recruiting process
• Can a college coach actually help a student get accepted to a university?
• How college-list building is different for student athletes
• Recent rule changes families should be aware of
• Tips for social media
• Tips for recruiting videos
• And lots more!

Play-by-play

• 0:00 - Intro / Who is Katie Anderson?
• 1:37 - Katie shares a little bit about her journey as a student athlete
• 4:29 - How can a student know if they can realistically play their sport at the college level?
• 9:00 - When should students start their athletic recruiting process?
• 12:45 - Should student athletes visit campus?
• 15:36 - How do students know if a coach is serious about recruiting them?
• 18:11 - How can students be proactive in their recruiting process?
• 21:30 - What influence do coaches have on the admissions process?
• 25:05 - What are coaches looking for in student athletes?
• 29:51 - How is building a college list different for student athletes?
• 35:50 - How do early decision applications impact the students' athletic recruiting journey?
• 39:03 - Are there any recent shifts in athletic recruitment that students should know?
• 42:18 - How can social media be used to help a student in the recruiting process?
• 47:04 - What are some tips for creating recruiting videos?
• 50:32 - What are some of the misconceptions that students and families have about this process?
• 52:46 - Advice to families who are considering hiring somebody to help them with this process?
• 54:46 - What resources are available for families throughout this process?
• 54:43 - Wrap-Up

Resources

• Blog for Student Athlete Advisors (Katie’s organization)
• College Athletic Recruiting Playbook
• NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
• How to Choose a College: A Step-By-Step Guide
• Podcast 121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version) - Jeff Levy, financial aid expert
• Podcast 122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version) - Jennie Kent, international financial aid expert
• Podcast 123: Should You Apply Early Decision or Regular Decision? (And the Chart That Can Help You Decide) - Jennie Kent and Jeff Levy