by Preston - When it comes to visiting colleges, what really matters is that you're there, on campus, experiencing what it's like to be a student at that school. Whether the visit official or unofficial is almost irrelevant.

As a high school athlete, I never got invited on an official visit. Not once. And you know what? I still found my way onto a college team.

I knew that I could play baseball in college. But if coaches weren't going to come looking for me, I would have to put myself in front of them.

I remember being incredibly excited for my first unofficial visit. It seemed almost certain that I would love the college I was visiting.

Well, to say the least, I didn't love it. I stayed with two players from the team, with whom I didn't have great chemistry. Also, I got a lukewarm reception from the head baseball coach -- even though he had previously been very enthusiastic. To boot, it was also a dreary winter day.

The visit didn't go well. But on one level, it was a success. It taught me that that school wasn't right for me.

Consider, on the other hand, my visit to the University of Chicago. I called the coach a few days before I was planning to visit, and he promised to meet with me. I got to the gym, and he was already downstairs waiting for me, along with a few of his players. He then proceeded to give me a very thorough tour.

And as we walked around the campus, with the current baseball players involved in our conversation, I just got "that feeling" -- the one where a little voice inside of you is shouting, "THIS IS THE ONE!!"