You’re here because coaches are either sending you recruiting questionnaires or someone told you that you need to be filling them out.
That’s great! But I’m sure you are also wondering if they are worth even filling out.
Let’s explore the truth behind recruiting questionnaires.
What is a recruiting questionnaire?
A recruiting questionnaire is a form college coaches send to hundreds of potential prospects to gather data on them.
This helps coaches organize recruits, learn more about them, and gauge their initial interest. They can be sent electronically or by mail.
Here’s what Harvard’s Questionnaire looks like:
Should You Fill Out Recruiting Questionnaires
Yes, but not all of them. Let me explain…
If a coach sends you a questionnaire by email, text, direct message, or mail then I would recommend filling it out.
But remember, receiving a recruiting questionnaire does not mean you are being actively recruited. Coaches send them to hundreds of potential prospects.
If there is a school you absolutely dream of attending, then go ahead and fill out their questionnaire (You can learn more about this in the section below).
Otherwise, don’t waste your time filling out form after form when there are far better ways to get in front of college coaches.
How to Find Any Recruiting Questionnaire
All you need is a Wi-Fi connected device and the internet.
Go to a search engine and type in: School + Gender + Sport + “Recruiting Questionnaire”
Example: Harvard Men’s Basketball Recruiting Questionnaire
Not all colleges will have recruiting questionnaires so keep that in mind.
A Recruiting Trick: If you plan on filling out multiple questionnaires copy and paste your most common answers to a Word Doc. This will speed up the process when filling out new ones.
Better Options Than Recruiting Questionnaires
As mentioned previously, recruiting questionnaires are basically an initial filter coaches send out to underclassmen.
If you want to get in contact with a coach there are much better methods out there:
- DM’s
- Call/Text
I wrote a full article on the best ways to get in contact with college coaches if you want to learn more.
The Truth of Recruiting Questionnaires
At the end of the day, recruiting questionnaires do very little (if I’m being completely honest). Your info gets put in a database, which gets outdated within months.
You’re going to be a completely different student-athlete your senior year, so the questionnaire you filled out as a sophomore becomes irrelevant.
In the College Recruiting Guidebook I go over the exact details you need to be including in your recruiting questionnaires.
Moral of the Story:
- College Coach sends you a recruiting questionnaire – FILL IT OUT
- It’s your dream school – FIND IT and FILL IT OUT
- Otherwise…don’t waste your time with questionnaires
- Get in contact with coaches in more efficient ways
