You might not follow the traditional official or unofficial visit pathway. For example, you might take a whirlwind 20-day, 16-state college trip during the summer, when no one is on campus. Or, you might be at a college for a summer academic program.

Whatever the circumstances, if you're going to be on campus, e-mail or call the coach in advance to arrange a meeting. On the other hand, if for some reason you can't give advanced warning, just find the coach's office, knock on the door, and introduce yourself. Sometimes, college athlete recruiting is unpredictable. Don't worry - coaches are more than happy to adapt.

Unless you're willing to shuttle all over the place, visiting your original ten candidate schools will probably not be feasible.

By now, you've probably cut your candidate pool down to five or six schools. If not, before you break the bank visiting them all, evaluate each school and try to narrow the field.

Look over your notes in your CaptainU recruiting Log and review your impressions. Assess the quality of feedback you've received from each school.

Then visit the colleges that you decide are best suited for you. Don't be afraid to let a few of the less appealing schools fall by the wayside. Learn more about NCAA unofficial visits and NCAA official visits.

A campus visit is an absolutely, positively, fantastic way to decide which college is right for you.

This week on our recruiting radio show we talk about the keys of planning and having a successful college recruiting visit. We also run down this week's additions to THE CaptainU LIST 2009 of committed athletes. Lots of athletes are committing, which is great news. Don't sweat it if you're not there yet. Just stay focused and follow the advice on your CaptainU Dashboard.

Learn more about NCAA unofficial visits and NCAA official visits.

Before your senior year, all visits are unofficial. You must pay all of your expenses, including travel, meals, and admissions to athletic events. These visits are great to do during the spring of your junior year to get a feel for a campus.

You may make as many NCAA unofficial visits to a campus as you like. If a coach doesn't offer you an official visit as a senior, you should evaluate your prospects with that school. It may be an indication that you are not high on the coach's priority list.

Nonetheless, if you're deeply interested in that school, consider visiting unofficially. Though the visit may be unofficial, you should still try to coordinate it with the coach. He may assist you with arranging transportation from the airport and organizing an overnight stay.

You should simultaneously coordinate your unofficial visit through the college admissions department, which can provide you with meals and housing without violating NCAA rules.

The rules surrounding NCAA official visits are very strict. You should familiarize yourself with the rules before making any visiting commitments. You can go crazy trying to understand all the legal ins and outs, but it's not really worth your time. Here are the key points that you need to know.

• Recruits are limited to five official visits
• Only 1 official visit may be made at any given college
• Official visits may only occur during a recruit's senior year of high school

Whether you're invited on an official visit or not, you should visit campus and meet with the coach. Here are the 5 steps for a successful meeting.

1. Set up a meeting time - There's no substitute for a face-to-face discussion with a coach. Arrange a time during your stay to drop by his office for a meeting.


2. Make a list of questions - Prepare yourself with questions you want to ask. Start off with light stuff about the team's recent performance. Don't feel burdened by having to start the conversation with the difficult questions concerning your standing.


3. Make a list of things to share - Write down the things you want to tell the coach about yourself, including your stay on campus and your current high school season. Most coaches want to get a sense of you on a personal level, as you should of them.


4. Ask the tough questions - Steer the conversation towards more the important stuff. In particular, you want a clear sense of what your position is within the coach's recruiting class. Be persistent without being aggressive, by asking something to the effect of, "Honestly, where do you feel I can fit in with your team?" This question represents the essence of recruiting, and must not be avoided just because it's a little uncomfortable.


5. Reference earlier conversations - Remind the coach of what your discussions before the meeting. For example, "I know that you've said that you would bring me onto the pre-season roster. Do you think that I can be a significant contributor as a freshman?" Try to leave his office with a clear understanding of your prospects with the team.

College life rules!

One of the best recruiting things you'll ever do is visit college campuses. Visits show you what colleges are really like. They take you way beyond glossy websites and brochures and show you all the bumps, scrapes, and hidden delights colleges have to offer.

If you can, schedule your visit with the coach. That way, when you get there, you'll find a schedule waiting for you that lists the people you'll stay with, who you'll go to class with, when meals are, and so on. Then again, maybe you won't get the royal treatment. Don?t worry if this happens. Some coaches roll out the red carpet for recruits. Others require you to be more self-sufficient. Either way, a can-do attitude will go a long way.

Your visit is your one real chance to investigate the school and the team. You have a ton of say in this whole decision. You may be trying to convince the coach to recruit you, but he has to convince you that his school and team are great as well. Remember, if you don?t like a college, you don?t have to go there just because the coach wants you to come.

Most importantly, this is where you might go to college. Ask yourself these questions: does it feel like home? Does it feel like a great place to spend four years? Does the campus have the right vibe?

Of course, this is also where you might play for the next four years. Do you like what you see in terms of style, the quality of play, the quality of coaching, the team?s attitude on the field, as well as the social dynamic off the field?

While you're on campus, ditch your parents. Much as they might like to relive the glory years, this is your college experience. Take the tour with your parents and then go off with some of the kids on the team. Get the real college experience by staying in the dorms with them and eating in the cafeteria.

Finally, you have to meet with the coach. Try to sit down with him one-on-one. Ask for a tour of the facilities, watch a practice, and a game. In the few days that you're there, do as much as you can to simulate what your college experience there would be like. Then, once you get home, be honest with yourself by answering one key question: How did you like it?

After your recruiting visit, you should send a note to the player who hosted you. Let him know that you really appreciate him having taken the time to show you around campus and introduce you to the team.

Your host is a great connection to have in case you have additional questions down the road that you want to ask a player. More importantly, your host could be your teammate in the near future. Now is a great time to start building a new friendship.

After your college recruiting visit, send a thank you e-mail to the coach. Let him know that you enjoyed your visit, staying with the team, and watching the match.

Thank the coach for taking the time to meet with you. If you forgot to ask him a question during your meeting, ask now. Finally, let him know that you're excited about moving forward with the recruiting and application process.

Staying overnight with a player on the team is a must. It will provide insight towards the college at large, the social dynamics of the team, and the players' true feelings towards their coach.

It's also just downright fun. Staying with a player will give you a sense of what college life is like and what the players like to do in their spare time. Ask questions of as many players as possible.

Find out how they balance schoolwork and soccer. What do the players do on the weekends? Do they live together? Are they in fraternities? Do they socialize only with other athletes?

Ask them about the coach's style and what they think of practices and game management. The players are a resource for honest answers to your questions about the school. If selecting a college and team all over again, would they make the same choice?

Right after you visit a college, take notes on your experience. Log them on your CaptainU recruiting Log.

You may forget some details after a couple of days, so write down your impressions while they are still fresh in your memory. Did you enjoy yourself? Is this a place you'd be happy? What were your impressions of the team?

Observing a practice can be as valuable as watching a game. If you schedule your visit for a couple of days that include a game, you'll probably be able to watch practice as well.

During practice, resist the temptation of mindlessly juggling a ball or watching the southern migration of Canadian Geese. Pay attention to the practice and imagine yourself participating. Ask yourself these questions:

• Are the drills useful? Enjoyable?


• Is the team enthusiastic about practicing? Do they work hard? Do they have fun?


• How well is practice organized? Does practice have a theme, or does it just go from one drill to the next?


• How does the coach give instructions? Is he positive and encouraging or negative and belittling?

You may arrive for your visit and find an itinerary awaiting you. Don't be freaked out if you aren't given a hero's welcome. Some coaches roll out the red carpet for recruits. Others require you to be more self-sufficient.

Face it, there are also some coaches who just aren't organized well enough to put together a detailed schedule for you. Some coaches provide transportation to and from the airport. Make airport pick-up arrangements before your trip, so you don't have to spend the night on the baggage carousel.

While you're on campus, keep in mind that this is an opportunity for you to evaluate the school and soccer program. You have a lot of say in this decision. As much as you're trying to woo the coach, so too must his school and team demonstrate their worthiness. If you don't like a college, you don't have to go there just because the coach wants you to come.

Most importantly, recognize that this is your potential team for the next four years. Do you like what you see in terms of style, quality of play and instruction, the team's attitude on the field, as well as the social dynamic?

There are many components to a successful college recruiting official visit. Whether or not an itinerary has been made for your visit, while you're on campus you should meet with the coach, watch a game or practice, and stay overnight with a player.

If you've followed your CaptainU strategy closely, you will be asked to go on an official visit during the fall of your senior year. Such visits are paid for by the team: meals, admissions to campus athletic events, and transportation may be paid out of team funds.

With the exception of top recruits at top Division I teams, it's unlikely that the team will pay your travel expenses. Soccer teams' budgets are already stretched thin. So don't worry if a coach doesn't offer to pay for your transportation. You should be willing to get yourself there.

3 tips for getting college coaches to see you play:

• Attend college camps during the summer


• Arrange for coaches to see you at tournaments and other showcase events


• Visit colleges and meet with the coaches

When planning your campus visits, check out the team?s schedule. If possible, schedule your visit to coincide with a home game. Of course, make sure that the team isn't going to be on the road!

Watch the game with a critical eye. Among other reasons, the coach might ask you later for your impressions! Figure out how the team plays and who the best players are.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What players impress you? Are you eager to play with anyone in particular?


• Do you think your play will fit well with the team, in terms of talent and style?


• Do you like the way the coach interacts with his players, opponents, and referees?