January for Juniors
College Mail & E-mail: Where does it come from? The brochures and view books that flood your mailbox come courtesy of the standardized testers (PSAT, SAT, ACT) and those e-mails inviting you to every camp in the country are from being on a club team roster (Perfect Game, Fall Classics, Prospect Wire, etc ..) ... At the rate of a few cents per name, these places sell the names and contact information of millions of students to any institution willing to pay. As you register for each of the tests, you are asked to fill out a survey that asks dozens of questions about your academic record, interests and even your family income. If a college wants to send letters to all students who scored above a 2100 on the SAT, live in zip code 85284, are interested in Science and live in households with incomes of $100,000 and above the testing agencies can provide the names and addresses with a few keystrokes. To opt out of this process, either do not complete the survey or say “no” when they ask if you give permission.
Unfortunately in baseball, the screening process does not happen. If you play in showcase or combine type events, the organizers sell your information to college coaches. Yes, this is cool, but in reality causes a misconception in who is really interested and who are looking for your money. There are some tricks to avoid getting on these “lists” but still get the exposure you need - I can help getting past this frustration.
Each roster is provided in a scout packet or better yet college coaches can subscribe to Perfect Game or a service like that and BANG there is your e-mail, name, grad year - everything (except a real legitimate evaluation). The difference between the testing agency is at least their are filters with them on the baseball side of things, they are just names with absolutely no confirmed filter - so everyone gets marketed - whether you are a legit D1 guy or not, you will get that e-mail. Then, of course Dad says "Well I can see Johnny playing there" OR even better is when they say, "that's on Johnny's list" ... Unfortunately Johnny cannot play there and he spends a year chasing down colleges that are out of his ability level, that leads to disappointment and a lot of wasted time.
Don't waste time!
Things to do in January for Juniors:
PSAT Results
Be sure you have sent Fallon Sports your PSAT results
Prepare for the SAT or ACT
Carve out a little time in January, to take a close look at one or both tests. Depending on your schools calendar, you may have spring break for a little review. If you are thinking about getting a tutor or taking a prep class, ask about the qualifications and experience of the person who will be teaching you.
If you like FREE … try www.number2.com
Choose Your Test Dates
Meet with your school counselor to talk about the colleges you are interested in, what entrance exams you should take and when you should take them
Most students take their first SAT in March or May, and their first ACT in April. For early birds and baseball players because there will be scheduling conflicts in the spring, January is an option for the SAT and February for the ACT. If you’re applying to highly selective schools, pencil in the SAT Subjects Tests for June
Make sure skills video is completed and updated BEFORE the high school season.
Keep adding colleges to your list, do your research on each and have a goal of 30 colleges that are interested in you, that you can play at, get into and that you like but the beginning of this summer
