One week after June 15, my list of schools rounded out to 15. I talked about everything—from chatting with a coach about their new, thriving program to asking another about the team’s legendary history. I heard the same academic and athletic resources over and over again, as well as new and exciting things, like a school’s zero-gravity pool. Perhaps most importantly, I gauged their interest in me while also being asked tough questions like, “Why us?” Each and every call was a learning experience.
I learned what I like: straightforward responses and high interest in me. Because who wants someone who doesn’t want them back? I also learned what I didn’t like: a bad vibe.
When I was asked what is a deal breaker for me, I was dumbfounded. Nothing I could think of really seemed like a deal breaker because it could always be outweighed by something else. If I wouldn’t be able to have my own room at a school, that’s made up for by the recovery resources being state of the art. So ultimately, my answer came down to “bad vibes.” When it came down to the answer, it was “bad vibes.”
In this stage of my recruiting journey, I didn’t sense any negative energy or feeling of estrangement. Everyone was nice, and I felt like I could form a…
