Recruiting Letters from College Coaches: What They Mean and How to Respond

While most communication with student-athletes is via their phones—emails, DMs, texts, and calls—coaches still do send recruiting information on paper. Some of these types of letters include:

• Pamphlets with general information about their school

• Recruiting questionnaires

• Handwritten letters

• Camp invites

In this guide, you’ll learn what each of these mean, with samples of the letters from college coaches. You’ll also receive guidance on how to respond to maximize your potential as a recruit.

Recruiting Letter Type 1: Brochures and Pamphlets

What it is: Often, the initial mailings from college programs are general brochures or pamphlets detailing the school's offerings and athletic programs. Receiving such materials doesn't necessarily signify direct interest from a coach.

What you should do: While receiving a brochure isn’t a slam dunk sign that you’re a top recruit, it’s an opportunity to learn about the school and program, and a great reason to reach out to a coach to introduce yourself.

Read the pamphlet and brochure, and make note of things that impress you or questions that you have. Use these as you write an introductory email to the coach. See this guide for how to write your subject line and the body of the introductory email.

Here are some examples:

• Curry College

• Babson College

• Northeast Oklahoma A&M

Recruiting Letter Type 2: Recruiting Questionnaire

What it is: College coaches often begin the recruitment process by sending prospective student-athletes a questionnaire to gather essential information.

They use these questionnaires—as well as camp performance, and even which athletes respond to their letters and messages—to build their lists of potential recruits. Sometimes these questionnaires are online, but other times, they’re mailed. 

The questionnaires are used by coaches to gather some basic information about you, including:

• Your name, and your parents’ or guardians’ names

• Your height and weight

• The sports you play

• Academic information, like your GPA and ACT or SAT scores

• Your NCAA ID or Eligibility Center certification

• Links to your recruiting profiles

• Your stats, honors, and awards

• Your social media accounts

Here is an example questionnaire, from TCU women’s volleyball, so you can see the types of questions that are asked.

What you should do: If you’re interested in the program, respond to the questionnaire promptly, answering the questions completely and professionally.

If the questionnaire is from an NCAA D1 or D2 school, and you’re a junior or a senior, you can reach out to the coach via email after filling out the questionnaire if you’re interested in their program. Thank them for sending the questionnaire, tell them that you’ve filled it out, and introduce yourself: See this guide for how to write your subject line and the body of the introductory email, and send them your highlight videos and NCSA profile.

Coaches in D1 programs cannot contact you directly until after June 15 or September 1 of your sophomore year, depending on the sport. So if you’re not a rising junior or senior, you can send an email to the coach after filling out the questionnaire, but they won’t be able to respond.

For D2, D3 and NAIA programs, there’s no time restriction. Coaches can reach out to you at any time, even before you’re a junior. If a coach reaches out with a questionnaire and you’re interested in their program, fill it out, then reach out to them to thank them and start the conversation.

Recruiting Letter Type 3: Camp Invitations

What it is: There are two types of camp invites you can receive: One is a generic, mass camp invitation. The other is personalized.

If you receive a generic camp invite from a coach, you’re probably in a large pool of athletes they’re evaluating, but you haven’t sparked their full attention yet. You could become one of their top recruits, but you’ll need to put in some work—see below for ideas.

If you receive a personalized invitation to a camp, that’s a great sign as a recruit, according to NCSA’s recruiting experts. In a personalized camp invitation, a college coach might mention they’ve seen your highlight video or viewed your online profile on NCSA or another recruiting site. That’s good news.

Here’s what a personalized camp invitation might say:

What you should do: If the coach has included their phone number in this way, text or call them to thank them for the invitation. If there’s no phone number, email them to say thank you.

If you can attend the camp, do so, and perform your best. If you can’t attend due to a scheduling conflict, or for another reason, tell the coach why. Also send them links to your highlights and NCSA profile, and provide them with a schedule of when you’ll be playing in case they can come and see you perform.

At a camp, be sure to introduce yourself to the coach and follow up after with a thank you note. 

Recruiting Letter Type 4: College Coach Recruiting Letter Sample

What it is: If you receive a typed or handwritten letter from a college coach that’s personalized, it’s a great sign that you’re highly valued as a recruit. These letters can include personal details about a video or game the coach saw you in, and it might indicate that the coach is interested.

Here’s what a personalized letter might say:

What to do: Respond to the note right away. When you do, include your upcoming schedule, in case the coach wants to come watch you play or set up a visit. Then call the coach to say thank you, and be prepared to ask some questions about the recruiting process or their program (check out this guide to calling coaches for tips on what to say).

Remember: A letter like this is a great sign, but it’s not an offer for a scholarship. The coach is still evaluating you and your interest in their program. Responding quickly shows that you’re interested in continuing the process.

Conclusion

Recruiting is mostly digital, with coaches texting, emailing, and DMing recruits. But recruiting materials are still mailed, and they can be a great sign for your status as a recruit.

No matter what kind of recruiting letter you receive, use it as an opportunity to learn more about a program and deepen or start your relationship with the coach. Doing so will improve your chances of becoming one of their top recruits.

One way to keep interactions with coaches going when you’ve received a recruiting letter is to share your NCSA profile with them. It’s free to make one, and gives you a single link you can send the coach for them to learn about your schedule, watch your videos, and even communicate with you and your parents directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

I received a recruiting questionnaire. Do coaches really look at the responses?

Yes. Recruiting questionnaires give coaches vital information, and help them build their lists of potential recruits. Seeing which athletes respond to their questionnaires also tells coaches which athletes are interested in their programs.

I received a brochure from a college. Does that mean the coach is interested in me?

Not necessarily. But receiving a brochure from a program you’re interested in is a great reason to contact the program’s coach. Send an introductory email that mentions that you received the brochure. Introduce yourself, with information like your graduation year, GPA, and position, and ask questions about the program based on things you learned in the brochure.

I received a letter from a coach, but I don’t want to join his or her team. What should I do?

Don’t ghost them. Coaches talk to each other, and the coach could wind up on the staff of another program that you do want to join. Respond to the letter and thank them for your interest, but tell them respectfully that you are not interested, and why.