Questions for Your College Visit

Once high school ends, it may be difficult to figure out where to go next. A great option for many players is college tennis. If you've decided on this path, make sure to visit the colleges you’re interested in! We have learned a lot from our own experiences and have compiled the most important questions to ask below:

Questions to ask the coach:

• If you had one word to describe your team, what would it be? This question is important because it gives you a one-word answer to what the coach is looking for in their team. If you strive to exemplify this word (for example, dedication), chances are that you’ll be a perfect fit for the team.

• Do members of the team live together and/or do activities together outside of practice? This question is important because it gives you a sense of the team environment. Most college tennis players, if they truly enjoy their teammates, will choose to room with them and spend time with them outside of the tennis court. A good team environment is crucial to your college tennis experience, as it takes away a lot of pressure and makes you feel at home.

• Are the practice courts on campus? This question is important because court location matters. If the courts are off campus, the commute that you’ll have to take may eat away at your available time for other activities, such as studying.

• Does the college do pre-reads? A pre-read is an early evaluation of your college application. This typically takes place at the end of your junior year in high school. You send in your transcript, your schedule for your senior year of high school, your SAT/ACT scores, and the specific major you’re interested in. In return, the college will get back to you with information about your possible admission and any scholarships you might be eligible for.

Questions to ask the team: Make sure you meet with the team, as these are the people you’ll be spending most of your time with in college.

• What’s one positive thing and one thing you’d like to change about your coach? This question is important to ask because it gives you a genuine insight into the coach’s teaching style. Most college tennis players are unlikely to want to share something bad about their coach but asking them this question invites an honest response from the team. The more you know about your potential coach, the better.

• Do you play a lot of matches away? This question is important because tennis matches that are played away from the college have travel time. This means that you’ll be missing classes and potentially tests.

• Has anybody left the team while you’ve been here? This is a great question to ask because when someone leaves a tennis team, it’s usually for a reason. 

• What do you do for conditioning? This question gives you an idea of the physical aspect of being on the tennis team. 

• Do you have a good work/tennis/life balance? This question is a big one because being a student-athlete in college is always difficult. Balancing studying, matches, and a social life is necessary, and you need to know if the college work load is right for you.