Senior year (grade 12)
July
This is the first month coaches can initiate a phone call to you. If possible you should take an unofficial visit to all the schools in which you have an interest, by the end of the summer.
August
Begin planning official Visits- If a school is interested in you. They will offer you an official visit. Remember, you may only take FIVE Official Visits to any school.
September
Begin to take your official visits to compare schools.
October
Retake SAT and ACT tests as needed to improve your scores.
November
The NLI (National Letter of Intent) Signing date is early in this month. If you are offered scholarship money, you will receive NLI signing papers. Approximately 20% of the athlete's sign by this period.
December
Approximately 50% of the potential player pool will be committed to by the end of this month. Stay in touch with your schools of interest until they advise that they are full or no longer interested. Many opportunities present themselves once the early signing period is over and everyone knows where they stand.
January
Approximately 75% of the potential player pool will be committed to by the end of this month. Opportunities still exist, stay in touch with your schools of interest until they advise that they are full or no longer interested. It is important not to get frustrated.
February - March
Approximately 95% of the potential player pool will be committed to by the end of this period. Opportunities may still exist, but it is time to re-evaluate all options. Stay in touch with your schools of interest until they advise that they are full or no longer interested. You should have applied to schools you would like to attend and play for even if you are not offered an athletic scholarship.
April
Almost all of the available scholarship dollars are committed by the end of this month. Some opportunities may still exist; your schools will have made it clear what their level of interest is. Most Division 1 schools carry 2-5 non-scholarship players on their roster. Many of them earn scholarships later in their career. There are lots of opportunities to play hockey at the college level, explore all of them and pick the best one for you.
This calendar is designed to serve as a general guide to aid you to the college search process. It is not an exact science and each player's process will be a bit different. If you miss a step or start later, it will not disqualify you.