Leaving your home country for a collegiate sport can be an incredibly exciting process, but there are things to look out for. The caution comes in making sure you are making the right decision for yourself and your future without being able to visit and fully know the campus and culture. Here is a list of questions international athletes ask during their recruiting process.

Related: 37 Questions to Ask College Coaches Before You Commit

Financial Support

• What does the financial support cover? Rooming, housing, dining, tuition? 
• What do I have to pay taxes on? How much can I expect those to be? 

Playing Time

• Should I expect to play when I get there? 
• Am I competing with someone in my position? 
• What can I do to get that playing time?

Standardized Tests

• Do I need to take any standardized tests (ACT, SAT, etc.) in the admissions process? 
• What do I need to score? 
• How do I get access to resources to improve my scores?

Related: How to Complete a College Application as a Recruited Athlete

Training Time Commitment

• How many days a week do we train?
• What times do we train?
• What does training look like with classes?
• How often do we travel?
• Will I be missing a lot of class? What resources do you have for when I do miss classes?

Available Majors and Timeline to Declare

• What schools do you have at your college?
• What are the available majors?
• What careers are available my majors of interest?
• What classes are required outside of my major?
• How long do I have to declare a major?
• What is the process like to switch majors or schools?
• Do you not allow your athletes to do some majors (pro tip: if a coach doesn't let you choose a major because it will interfere with athletics, that's a red flag!)?

Green Card

• How do I get my green card?
• How long does it let me be in the country?
• Am I allowed to stay during the summer?

GPA Requirements

• Is there a required GPA for the school or athletics?
• Do you have academic resources for athletes to maintain this?
• How easy is it to maintain that GPA?

School Break Requirements

• Am I required to stay on campus during breaks?
• Will we be training during breaks?
• Can we stay during breaks if we're not training?

Summer Storage

• Where can I store my things for the summer?
• Is summer storage paid for?
• If it's not paid for, how much does storage usually cost?

Studying Abroad

• Am I allowed to study abroad?
• How does studying abroad work?
• What programs are available for studying abroad? What locations?

These sorts of questions might slip an excited athlete's mind, but they are incredibly important to ask. A lot of international athletes might not even know it, but they can make or break an athlete's decision to attend a school. Be sure you're making the right choice!

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* Originally published on August 25, 2022, by Claire Borman