• Compile a tentative list of colleges.  You can start this as early as the 2nd half of freshman year.

• Make initial contact with schools (send cover letter, resume and schedule of upcoming lacrosse activities). If at all possible do this prior to the summer tournament and/or recruiting camp season.

• Take every opportunity to play lacrosse to maximize your exposure and increase your skills.

• During junior year make unofficial visits to the schools that you are interested in.  Make every effort to contact and set-up a meeting with the coach on these visits.

• Make contact with schools of interest at the end of the junior year.  Send updated academic and lacrosse related information, including a schedule of your upcoming summer participation in tournaments, leagues and/or camps. 

• In the spring of your junior year or ASAP after you complete your junior year try to get an unofficial copy or copies of your transcript (with PSAT, SAT or ACT scores on it) to send to college coaches who you are in contact with and ask for it.

• Take every opportunity to play lacrosse to maximize your exposure and increase your skills in the summer before your senior year.  If you have not committed, you need to keep playing in the fall of your senior year.

• Fulfill NCAA Clearinghouse obligations in mid-summer to early fall of your senior year if you are considering a Division I or II school. Be sure to take the release forms to your high school guidance office.

• Talk to college coaches about visits (official & unofficial). Unofficial visits are now often scheduled the summer between Junior and senior year. Official visits are scheduled for early fall. 

• Decide when and if to verbally commit to a school and/or sign with a school for a scholarship. When you have made your decision be sure to notify all schools recruiting you and thank them for their interest.  The time frame for these decisions is usually early summer to late fall. The time frame for this is getting earlier each year.

• In consultation with the coach(es) recruiting you study and consider information about Early Decision or maybe Early Action admission to a college and/or Early Signing (of the National Letter of Intent). The time frame for these decisions is usually early to late fall of the senior year.

• Send completed applications and high school transcripts to colleges, usually before the winter break