When did coaches first start reaching out to you? How did you manage that?
I first started receiving letters from colleges after my sophomore cross country season but I didn't start seriously talking to coaches until the winter of my junior year. I kept my options very open to determine what I was looking for in a program. I talked to coaches from a variety of different schools across the country as well. After I narrowed down my list to about 8, I visited the majority of these schools unofficially. After seeing the schools and meeting with the coaches I was again able to narrow down my list to about 4-5 schools. I then decided where I wanted to take my officials.
Did you have an official visit? How did it work? What was it like?
Per NCAA rules you are allowed to take five official visits, however, I decided to only take three of mine. These visits are the best way to tell if you can see yourself at the school. You essentially spend a day in the life of an athlete at the particular college. On my visits I ran with the team, ate at the dining halls, attended class, and studied with the girls. These visits are so much fun because you get to meet a lot of new people and do a lot of cool things; however, it is important to keep in mind why you are visiting the school in the first place: to decide if it is the one for you.
What did you look for in schools when you narrowed your options down?
When I was making my decision, the things I looked for were a strong academic school, a team that I felt comfortable with, and a program with team orientated goals. I knew that if I found a school with all of these characteristics, I was going to feel most comfortable there and that was the most important thing to me. I made sure that I could picture myself at the school for the next four to five years.
What ultimately made you decide on your college?
My decision was made very easy for me I'd say. When I left Indiana University after my official visit I knew that this was the place for me. I felt the most comfortable at IU and I could very easily picture myself there. I went back to the three things that I was looking for in a school and was confidently able to check them all off after visiting IU, so my choice was clear.
Looking back on your recruiting experience, do you have any tips for those athletes who will be recruited in the future?
There are a few things to keep in mind while going through this process. I think the most important one is to trust your gut feeling, despite what anyone else may say. You can't let anyone sway you in your decision because after all, you're going to be the one living there for four years. Also keep a very open mind. At the beginning of this process, I was almost certain I would end up at a different school, but I decided to look around and in the end, the place that felt like home to me was the school I thought I'd never end up at. Lastly, before officials, make sure to visit a variety of schools because nothing compares to actually seeing the college in person. Also by visiting the schools, you can decide what you like and dislike which will help you create your list of things to look for and ultimately make the decision a lot easier!
Is there anything else you want to add?
Don't take the process for granted because very few get to experience it so enjoy it while you can. And of course, GO HOOSIERS!!!!