Since the 1960s, a growing number of people have been moving away from Essay - 2

Since the 1960s, a growing number of people have been moving away from villages and small towns to big cities in both developed - Essay Example In â€Å"The Root Causes of Migration† published by Maryland Catholic Conference, it illustrates the different and various reasons or purposes for moving permanently to the bigger cities. The most common reason is usually based on economics and financial matters. In the area of social science, there is a certain law which describes the different causes or factors for the occurrence of migration. Called Lee’s laws, it separates and breaks up the different factors into two sections called the push and the pull factors. The push factors are the different causes that influence and make people want to move away and be pushed out of an area. The people from the rural areas suffer from the lack of job opportunities, bad and awful environmental conditions such as pollution and being prone to natural disasters like fire, drought, flood, landslides, social unfairness such as bullying, teasing, racism, discrimination and even religious persecution. Other pull factors include loss of wealth, poor housing and conflicts or wars around the area. The pull factors are the opposite. They are the various reasons that attract people and pull them into an area. The most common reason for people to move into an area from rural areas is for better job opportunities. In the third chapter of â€Å"People on the Move,† there are also other reasons and purposes why people are attracted to settle permanently in amore urbanized location rather than staying in the rural parts of the country. Some of these are better living conditions. This mostly talks about the environmental conditions such as being less prone to environmental problems and natural disasters. Education is also one of the common reasons. During these modern times, people now highly value the quality of education that one gets because this is the gateway not only for their financial success in life, but also for their family’s freedom from poverty and financial struggles. In both developing and dev eloped nations, migration is being done and the numbers are getting higher and higher every year. The Philippines, which is a developing country in Southeast Asia, is experiencing such an increase in the number of migrants who came from the rural areas that are flocking to the most urbanized region in the country, the capital, Metro Manila. People in this country are getting poorer and poorer everyday and it is clearly evident. That is the reason why most of the people grab the chance and go to Metro Manila, which gives them a hope of a better opportunity and chance in finding good jobs that will somehow and in some way improve the financial status of their families. The intelligent, the skilled and the talented leave the provinces where they live in order to get better chances at life. This great migration that is currently happening in the Philippines has impacted and greatly influenced the development of the country. There are numerous effects that this migration has caused. When all of the brilliant and bright move and gather at one urban area such as in Manila, the provinces and the small towns and rural areas are left undeveloped and from slow, they become slower and slower. It is seen that in certain towns and municipalities, whatever it looked like a decade ago, it still looks the same until now because development is very slow in these areas. Additionally, in developing countries, once people

Political Corruption Essay Example for Free

Political Corruption Essay Greetings and good morning to all of you. My speech today will address the topic on corruption and mainly the corrupted political system of India. After many years of ceaseless struggle for freedom, India gained it’s independence in the year 1947 at the cost of some brave and noble lives whom we still remember and pay our tributes to on the memorable days of India’s fight to freedom. Our dignified leaders with a team of members over a series of studies and meetings drafted, the Indian Constitution, in which every citizen has an equal standing before the law and this came into effect on January 26th 1950. After having come so far where does India stand today with relevance to equality for citizens. Everything in this era revolves around the decisions made by powerful people in society, particularly politicians resorting to misuse power for their personal gain and today’s India does not reflect the same spirit of our faithful leaders. The influence of money has crept into our society and corruption has become so common a thing that people have come in terms with this social evil. Be it politics, sports, media, or court, anything seems to be achievable in India if you have fame and money while the less privileged experience the hard hand of law thus depriving citizens of their rights to equality. This kind of fraudulency over a period of time thwarts a person’s morals and ethics, consequently leading to the nation’s intolerance against its leaders and outbursts of mass protests dragging a nation to agitation, confusion, social disorder and on top of these, innocent lives being sacrificed for the wrong deeds of a despotic leader. As we all know Egypt and other countries like Libya and Yemen had witnessed this kind of tumultuous protests and as we all know gruesome fights against the corrupted government are still ongoing in Syria. It’s time that the citizens of India wake up and join hands with anti-corruption crusaders like the 72 year old Gandhian, Anna Hazare, an Indian social activist who led movements to promote rural development, increase government transparency, and investigate and punish official corruption and he pressed to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This is a bill that aims to change the way India tackles corruption. We should be determined not to allow corruption cripple our resourceful nation and tamper the economic growth of our country anymore. We children who are India’s future need to strongly value the good morals taught in homes and schools and strongly abide by them and fight towards a clean system and strive in every small way to bring about a change in this social evil. It is not an easy road and we as individuals can participate in this struggle by beginning to say NO to bribes. Dear friends, finally let me encourage you all to live by our motto â€Å"Lead kindly light† and radiate the values of life by our education and who knows we could probably be the future bearers of these offices that will pave way to be an exemplar of an ideal leader.

Urbanization in Africa Essay examples -- Development, Urban Trend

Urbanization is the movement from a rural society to an urban society, and involves a growth in the number of people in urban areas. Urban growth is increasing in both the developed but mostly in the developing countries. Urbanization is associated with the problems of unemployment, poverty, bad health, poor cleanliness, urban slums environmental deprivation. This causes a very big problem for these developing countries and who are some of poorest countries. Africa urbanization is not as big as most developing countries but is on the rise for it outbursts in city growth lately. (Saundry, 2008). In Africa, one important feature of the urbanization process is that a lot of the growth is taking place in the industrial increase. Urbanization also finds expression in external expansion of the built-up area and the changing of prime agricultural lands into residential and industrial uses (Saundry, 2008). An alternate to the present expansion of the urban population across a wide area of the country in order to save crucial land for agriculture is to construct high-rise buildings and support commercial development in specific zones, which would depend on efficiency, and the right technology and resources (Hanson, 2011). In Africa, the urbanization processes are largely driven by market forces and government policies. This will lead to methods at the same time of change in incomes, land use, health and natural resources management including water, soil and forests and often reactive changes in local governments (The Economist, 2010). So this is saying that government developm ent policies and budget divisions, in which urban residents are often favorites over rural areas and will tend to pull more people into the urban areas. I... ...population distribution designed to reduce the rate of rural-urban migration appears to have had limited success in many developing countries. Policies must be directed at altering the rural economy in order to slow the rate of urban sprawl. Broad land use planning and changing of planning standards and governmental procedures would go a long way to reduce many of the problems that face urban populations in the developing areas, especially Africa. Urbanization can cause a lot of problems for a city or even a country. It can cause cities to become overpopulated which are known as mega-cites, and cause problems with living arrangements and finding a job. Urbanization can also cause health problems. Urbanization is supposed to be good for developing countries on the rise but with this rapid growth in Africa, these problems can become a major concern in the future.

Motivation Techniques for Businesses to Motivate the Work Force Essay

Motivation Techniques for Businesses to Motivate the Work Force Introduction ============ For this assignment I am going to look at different motivational techniques that businesses use in order to motivate their work force, I will then decide on which I feel to be the most effective and why it is so effective. Hypothesis ========== All businesses want a motivated workforce, and expend a lot of time and money in order to attempt to achieve this, what these people need to look at is the common goals that there employees hold, for example: Self-esteem: needs for self -respect and self-confidence, for autonomy, for achievement, for competence, for knowledge. Status: needs for recognition, for appreciation, for the deserved respect of others. These needs tend to be at the top of most employees priority list, once these are fulfilled the employee will be happy and therefore motivated, e.g. if a worker is appreciated and competent in their job, they tend to be happier and therefore more highly motivated, but if they do not fully understand their job, and do not feel appreciated for what they do, they tend to feel unhappy and under perform. It is only recently that employers have learnt to be more like coaches then law enforcement officers in the workplace, they have discovered that it is far more effective to praise an employee rather than punish them, and give them constructive criticism rather than shout at them Another factor that strongly affects employees' motivation is security, if an employee feels secure in their job, i.e. have a permanent position there than they will be a lot happier and therefore ... ...y would much rather be payed a reasonable salary in a job they enjoy instead of a high salary in one that they don't. The perfect worker in my view is somebody who enjoys what they do, and therefore does it well. Evaluation ---------- I have come to the conclusion that happiness is the key to the perfect workforce because as they say 'a happy worker is a good worker.' I also feel that we have only scratched the surface of motivation in the workplace, it is only now that people have realised due to being open-minded just how huge a part psychology has to play in the effectiveness of a workforce, and there are still bosses that believe that discipline is the way to go rather than encouragement, so if these people could open their minds I think that the world of work would be better for employees everywhere.

Baby Blues in Europe

The population growth in most of the European nations is at critical point. The term baby blues have been used to describe the situation where families are opting to have fewer children due to various economic and social reasons. They are shying off from having an extra child due to the things they are experiencing day by day. The societies have become more affluent and when such a thing happens one the effects is the low fertility rates. On the other hand women have gained more freedom in the society.They are engaging in the work force, this has resulted in consumption boom contributing to the delay of marriage and the rate at which people are marrying, this further impact on the fertility rates. The impacts of the social changes that have taken place in the recent years have been compounded by the changing of the working patterns. Career patterns have replaced the unskilled labor which has increased the importance attached to the longer training periods and the unbroken periods of employment as one gains skills has further strengthened the idea of delaying childbearing.This is what has resulted to the baby blues in a continent that had the highest population growth some years back. (Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A 1991) Some of these factors are: lack of a nanny to take care of the child, busy schedules, work related and many others. The birth rates are generally falling fast with many women either opting to have no children or families making a choice of remaining with only one child. This trend is worrying many governments as they foresee a big problem ahead.The population growth rate is negative in most countries in this part of the world. If the trend continues it shows that the population in Western Europe countries will shrink. This is a dangerous trend for the bloc that is aiming to counter the United States as the world power. In the United States the population has been growing at a higher rate in comparison to the Europe due to factors such as migrat ion, incentives from the government among others. What are the impacts of baby blues in the society?This is a question each and every government in Europe is trying to analyze and at the same time provides a workable solution to a situation that is threatening to impact negatively on the gains that this continent has made in the number of years. Having negative growth rate is not something any government in the developed world should be proud of. It is a risky affair that will have serious effects in the years to come. It means that at one given time Europeans countries will have a population imbalance where the number of the graying population will exceed the young people.This graying population will be a burden since there will be very few young working population to support them impacting negatively on the countries economic situation. (Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A 1991) The trend will have an effect in the society especially in situation where the elderly have to be taken care of by the young. They require more money to cater for their medical bills and other expenses that come with the old age. This will be a burden to the younger population as they also have other obligation to meet.This population might also opt to have lesser families due to the added burden of caring of the elderly. If the trend continues beyond this point the problem will escalate for many years to come impacting heavily on the economic situation of these countries. The governments are concerned with this trend and they are up and planning on the measures to be taken to counter this negative development. The government can not afford to sit on the fence as it watches the population decline. This can have serious impact than imagined. It can threat the very existence of a nation.A nation whose population can not meet the needs of its economy is a t great danger especially if the other parts of the world more so those perceived to be the competitors are at an advantaged position rega rding the population growth. China and United States population are projected to rise tremendously in the next fifty years whereas on the other hand the European population has been predicted to decline by a great margin. This means that Europe will depend much on the countries with a positive population growth on labor, market and other activities.To many governments in this region, this is a dangerous development as it will affect their power situation where these nations may take its position in the world map of power. (Hantarais, L 2004) The governments need to be concerned and act on the situation as it can have serious effects on all aspects of the society. Declining population goes hand in hand with the economic slow down. When the older population is higher than the young working population the situation becomes grave as the government will be faced with the burden of taking care of this graying population which can be as sensitive as the baby population.In the next ten or m ore years to come it is expected that the European population level will be more than seventy million or roughly ten percent below its current level. The governments are busy trying to counter this negative trend as it may pose serious problems if it is not tackled early and in an effective manner. Births rate have fallen to levels where they can not be replaced and on the other hand the continent median age has climbed steadly. This poses a complex problem which need to be approached in a sober manner as it can result to every disastrous situation.A decline in the working population mean that the government can only promote immigration to counter a situation where the labor supplies dwindle ,this poses a serious problem as this population will only be attracted from the developing nations where there are population crises and the level of skills is often. To stop the decline the government has to come up with a workable solution which will solve this problem once and for all and he lp avert a situation where economic slow down is experienced further complicating the matters.(Hantarais, L 2004) Of particular concern is the need to replenish the declining workforce as this will have long term effects if left unchecked. With the population having reached close to seven hundred million people a decline can be the most unfortunate things for the nations in Europe. The governments having been faced with the challenge on how they will approach this problem may mean that the problem will be bigger than imagined, but with the proper planning and coordination of policies this is an issue which can be tackled.Population ageing will increase the number of dependent people creating a potential burden on pension and public health care. The tax burden will have to be passed to the few working population further complicating the issue as this group will be overburden by the financial obligation they are supposed to meet. This will only escalate the existing pro blem with a hi gher probability of increased baby blues. The fear of having many children or in some cases- no children at all- among the childbearing population in the western nations and Europe in general poses a great danger for this continent.If the current fertility levels persisted and immigration ceased altogether the European population would fall way below six hundred million by the turn of the century. What would this mean in a continent that is expected to steer the global economy to the next level in the century. It shatter the dreams of a powerful Europe in the world map while at the same time putting the continent at a disadvantaged position since the population in some the world regions is increasing at a higher rate.Therefore since this is a problem that will have far reaching effects for some years to come the government s in the respective countries need to move fast and come up with comprehensive policies which will help in solving this problem. (McIntosh, A 1983) The government s are not spoilt of choices they have to act swiftly to avert a catastrophic situation where economic meltdown might be experienced in future. One of the response would be to boost the birth rates, this can be achieved through giving incentives to the couples who are willing to have children.These incentives need to be as attractive as possible so that they can include many people. In such a move the birth rates might turn a round and the feared decline may not be experienced at all. Immigration has been mentioned as another option as far as solving this problem is concerned but some people have pointed out that it will only be short-lived since the immigrants will eventually adapt the trends that already exist in the receiving countries. Government has to approach this issue in a broader way to ensure that the end results are positive.Though some people have described the situation as the best for the continent since there would be minimal competition for resources, baby blues pres ent a dangerous situation for Western Europe as far as it future economic position is concerned. Bibliography Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A. Population Changes in Europe, Labor, vol 5, Rome Italy (1991) Hantarais, L. Family Policy Matters: Responding to Family Change in Europe, The Policy Press (2004) McIntosh, A. Population Policy in Western Europe, ME Shape (1983)

Definition of a physical geology term Sedimentary Rock

Definition of a physical geology term Sedimentary Rock Introduction Rocks are divided into three major types, viz. sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. The geologic reactions occurring on the Earth only cause minute alterations to the landscape in a given lifetime. The changes become evident after millions of years. Though gradual, the geologic processes can reduce a mountain to a plain.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Definition of a physical geology term: Sedimentary Rock specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The geologic processes lead to the erosion of debris, which is then transferred to form deposits of sedimentary rock. In essence, sedimentary rocks exist at the cost of other rocks that break down through weathering and they are carried by various agents such as wind and deposited to form the rock. Sedimentary Rocks: overview Sedimentary rocks can form a string of layers, which can total up to thousands of meters in breadth. By examining these rock layers, g eologists can retrieve information about the background of the Earth. The magnitude of information about the Earth’s background is tremendous. Every rock layer marks an age of geological process. Moreover, the information retrieved in line with its texture, formation, and remnants is crucial for global modification, thus revealing the nature in which the earth changes from the past, present, and future. For a geologist to study the sedimentary data properly, s/he should comprehend the contemporary sedimentary structures, their sources, mode of transit, and areas or regions where the sediments are currently settling (Stille 56). A research on the ongoing sediment formation and depositing will help one to have a clear view. The nature of the fossil recorded in the sedimentary rocks gives a glimpse on surrounding where the sediments settled and the process and timeline of how the Earth developed and transformed over time. Other than the scientific importance, sedimentary rocks a lso play a great role in industrial and social development. Sedimentary can be used to make various tools that are useful in accomplishing a variety of tasks. This aspect was recorded as early as in the Neolithic Age when early man made tools such as axes and arrowheads using sedimentary rocks.Advertising Looking for research paper on geology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some of the statues include those designed during the Renaissance and art in ancient Greek. Notably, about 90% of the known minerals are found within sedimentary rock layers. Oil, coal, cement (sand, limestone, and gravel) and fertilizer is all but a product of sedimentary rocks. Moreover, sedimentary rocks store a lot of water that people depend on for survival. Indeed, the significance of sedimentary rocks cannot be ignored. Nature of Sedimentary Rocks The constitution of sedimentary rocks is derived from mechanical and chemical breakdown of ot her rocks. The deposit is compressed to solid rock layers made up of organic substances, chemical remains, and pieces of minerals. One can have a good observation of sedimentary rocks by visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona. One of the common characteristics is that they have distinct layers known as strata measuring about 100m thick with each layer having disparate and unique texture coupled with internal and external construction. Fig 1: a sedimentary rock.  Source: (â€Å"Civil† par. 6) The texture is often composed of minerals and pieces of rocks implying that abrasion must occur during its formation. The bedding planes (which separate the different layers) often have ripple marks as well as other facts that show that there were water deposition stored along the bedding plane. Sedimentary rocks are present throughout the world and they form about 75% of the entire world (Tucker 56). The ocean floor is often covered with sedimentary rock layer.Advertising We wil l write a custom research paper sample on Definition of a physical geology term: Sedimentary Rock specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Types of Sedimentary Rocks There are two types of sedimentary rocks with a distinction on their texture and composition. These two groups include clastic rocks and chemical rocks. Clastic sedimentary rocks refer to rocks that were formed out of fragmental materials that were transferred and subsequently deposited in the environment of deposition. Essentially, clastic is derived from a Greek word klastos, which means broken. The clastic rocks are further classified by considering the nature of grains. They are of three types, viz. conglomerate, sandstone, and mudrock with grain size descending respectively. The size of grain in clastic is always determined by the size of the preexisting rock as well as the capability of the transport agent (wind and water). Deposition occurs when the velocity of the transporting r educes. If the transporting agent were moving fast, then it is anticipated that particles deposited will be coarser than those being moved slowly. Fig. 2: the formation of a sedimentary rock. Source: (â€Å"Rock Hounds† par. 1) Conglomerate is made up of large grains with sand particles and mud occupying the spaces created by the grains. Naturally, they are smooth and coarsely stratified. They are currently found in the bases of most mountains as well as stream paths. Sandstones are popularly known by most because they are easily observable and are anti-weathering.Advertising Looking for research paper on geology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They made up of almost anything and they appear in a range of colors (Sohn and Wright 49). Mudrocks are composed of very small grain particles and they are the most dominant in the family of clastic rocks. Due to their smoothness of the grains, they break down easily and create slopes and they are commonly deposited along deltas as well as river floodplains. Chemical Sedimentary Rocks Chemical sedimentary rocks develop when chemical reactions lead to the removal of ions from water to form solid substances. Unlike clastic rocks, chemical rocks are grouped according to the composition. Some of the popular chemical sedimentary rocks include limestone, dolostone, and chert. Limestone is the most common and dominant chemical sedimentary rock. Its constituents include calcium carbonate and it is formed via both chemical and biochemical procedures. The disparate textures of limestone have led to its further categorization to include skeletal, oolitic, and microcrystalline limestone. Skelet al limestone includes chalk, which is made of plants, and animals remain (Tucker 105). Dolostone closely resembles limestone. It has a light gray color and it can be formed through precipitation and chemical reaction between water having magnesium components and calcium carbonate present in limestone. A third type of chemical and biochemical sedimentary rock is chert ,which is made up of microcrystalline quartz. It has a granular texture and it breaks like a glass. It has an array of colors and the different colors are often given specific names. For instance, a red chert is referred to as jasper. Its characteristic nature to break and form sharp edges inspired many traditional artists to use it to design arrowheads, spears and other tools (Sohn and Wright 78). Conclusion Geological processes are incessantly taking place in various places. Inasmuch as one cannot notice the effects ongoing processes, millions years later, another generation will be living in a new world with differen t sedimentary structures. As noted in the discussion, sedimentary rocks are formed from weathering of rocks both chemically and mechanically. The nature of this formation leads to a further classification to clastic and chemical sedimentary rocks. Most of the essential minerals such as diamonds and limestone that people rely on for survival and luxury are found within these rocks. The significance of sedimentary rocks shows how vital people should be imparted with geological knowledge and in particular that of rocks. Civil: Sedimentary rocks 2011. Web. http://royalcivilgirlz.blogspot.com/ Rock Hounds: How sedimentary rock is formed 2013. Web. Sohn, Emily, and Pam Wright. Earth Materials: The Mystery Rocks. Chicago: Norwood House Press, 2011. Print. Stille, Darlene. Sedimentary Rocks: A Record of Earths History. Chicago: Capstone, 2008. Print. Tucker, Maurice. Sedimentary Rocks in the Field: A Practical Guide. London: John Wiley Sons, 2011. Print.

How Does College Athletic Recruiting Work The Complete Process

How Does College Athletic Recruiting Work The Complete Process SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you are a high school athlete who aspires to compete in college sports, you should know about the college athletic recruiting process. Even if you don’t end up getting a scholarship, many intercollegiate athletes who don’t receive aid are still recruited to participate in sports at the collegiate level. The college recruiting process can be confusing. There are tons of recruiting rules that vary by division and the process for each prospective student-athlete can be extremely different. In this article, I’ll explain the various steps of the college recruiting process. I’ll provide important advice for prospective student-athletes so that you’re able to reach your collegiate and athletic goals. The Biggest Steps in the College Recruiting Process Making Contact With Coaches: Generally, for most student-athletes, the process really begins when you have your first conversation with a college coach about possibly playing for him or her. Campus Visits: One of the many benefits of being a recruited athlete is having the opportunity to visit multiple college campuses and have all your questions about athletics and academics answered. There are two types of visits: official and unofficial. On official campus visits, your transportation to the college, meals, and entertainment are paid for by the university. Visits From Coaches:College coaches can visit you at school, practice, a game, or in your home when they're recruiting you. Coaches use these visits to evaluate you and to try to sell their program to you. Scholarship Offers:For most student-athletes, the scholarship offer comes near the end of the recruiting process. Typically, a coach will call you to extend an offer of athletic aid. Depending on the sport you play and the college that is recruiting you, you can be offered a full or partial athletic scholarship. Signing the National Letter of Intent: Signing a letter of intent marks the end of the college athletic recruiting process. The letter is an agreement that you will enroll in a certain school in exchange for athletic aid. At this point, coaches have to stop recruiting you, and if any coaches contact you, you have to let them know you've signed a letter of intent. Now that you have a basic understanding of these steps, I'm going to walk you through the entire college athletic recruiting process. Keep in mind that the process and timeline will be somewhat different for each individual athlete. For example, some recruited student-athletes don't apply to a college until after they have taken an official campus visit. Others have already applied, been accepted, and have received a scholarship offer by the time they go on their official visit. Parts of the Process Can Vary Widely Depending on your sport and how heavily you're being recruited, the college athletic recruiting process can vary widely. Top level recruits, especially in the high profile sports of football and men's basketball, will be sent tons of letters, receive tons of phone calls, and may be offered athletic scholarships before they even enter high school. They won't have to take much initiative in their recruiting process. For recruits who are not as well-known nationally, they will have to be more proactive in the recruiting process, and they'll often have to sell themselves to college coaches to get a scholarship or a guaranteed spot on a team. Additionally, the sport you play also has a huge influence on the process. In some sports, there are literally over a thousand colleges with a team in that sport. If you're being recruited in one of those sports, you want to know what you’re looking for in a school and narrow down your college list early in the process to avoid being overwhelmed. For other sports, your options are already limited based on the number of colleges with that sport. I was a gymnast in college, and currently, there are only 16 NCAA men's gymnastics programs. When I was looking at colleges, there were a few more than that, but I had a much easier time narrowing down my college options than most simply because I knew I wanted to compete for an NCAA gymnastics team. Honestly Assessing Your Abilities and Aspirations By your junior year, if you’re interested in participating in varsity intercollegiate sports, you should start figuring out what type of school you want to attend. What division would best suit your interests and abilities? What are your athletic priorities? Getting a scholarship? Getting playing time? Competing against the best competition? Playing for a certain coach? Fitting in with the other personalities on the team? Having access to the best resources? What are you looking for in a college outside of sports? Once you know what you want, the recruiting process will become much easier. Then, as you start looking at each school individually, you can determine if it matches what you're looking for. Don't be afraid to ask questions to coaches, current team members, academic advisers, and admissions representatives to get the information you need to make your college decision. However, if you're being recruited, especially if you're a top recruit, college representatives may only tell you what they think you want to hear. Do your own research as well. Have Your High School Coach Work For You Talk with your high school coach during your junior year. Ask for his or her honest assessment of your ability to play college-level sports. See what he or she would be willing to do and could do to help with the recruiting process. Many high school coaches have relationships with college coaches and can help start the recruiting process for you. Also, if there are specific schools you're interested in, see if your high school coach can reach out to the coaches at those colleges. How and When College Coaches Can Initiate Contact With You The rules vary by sport and division, but the general rule is that college coaches can’t talk to you before the end of your junior year. However, many schools will send you information via mail as soon as you’re on their radar. If you receive a recruiting questionnaire and you have any interest in that school, make sure you fill it out and send it back. If you’re a priority recruit, the coach will call you in the spring of your junior year or the summer before your senior year. July 1st before your senior year is the date when coaches can initiate contact for most sports for Division I colleges. Once college coaches are permitted to talk to you, the general rule is that they're allowed to contact you once per week. Keep in mind that just because you get mail or a phone call from a coach doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get a scholarship offer. Initiating Contact With Coaches Most student-athletes will have to initiate contact with coaches if they want a scholarship or want to participate in intercollegiate athletics. I highly recommend that you take a proactive approach to your recruiting process. When To Contact Coaches There is no exact right time to contact college coaches, but the general rule is that earlier is better. Typically, prospective athletes will contact coaches during their junior years or the summer before their senior years. Even though there are rules regarding when and how much a coach can contact you, there are no rules stopping you from contacting a coach whenever and however often you deem necessary. Use your discretion, though. If a coach is not responding to you, don’t continue contacting him or her. How to Contact Coaches The most common way to initiate contact with a coach is through e-mail. Your initial e-mail should express your interest in the school along with key information about you: your academic accomplishments, your athletic accomplishments, including awards, stats, and experience, and any attributes that would make you a good fit for that school or team. Additionally, the e-mail should contain a link to a video. The video should be relatively short, only a couple of minutes long. Show highlights from games and possibly practices that demonstrate your athletic abilities and readiness to participate on the collegiate level. If you do a team sport, make sure it’s clear who you are in the video. Also, have a full game tape ready, in case one of the coaches requests it. Feel free to a call a coach to express your interest. Even though it may be hard to get a coach on the phone if you're not already on his or her recruiting radar, you can always try or leave a message. Ask what the coach needs from you to be considered for a scholarship or a spot on the team. Furthermore, you can make a profile on a recruiting website. Examples of recruiting websites include BeRecruited, NCSA, and CaptainU. Some of their services are free and some require you to pay. The recruiting websites make sure you’re sending the right information to coaches, and they can provide you with contact information for college coaches. While these websites can be rather helpful, they’re not essential. Make sure you're contacting college coaches. Camps Some sports and schools offer summer camps that the coaches attend. These camps can provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate your athletic abilities to the coaches. Some of these camps are open and some are by invite only. The effectiveness of camps in helping you get recruited varies widely by school and sport. Some camps are just designed to make money and some are actually used by coaches to evaluate prospective student-athletes. Make sure that you research a camp before you or your parents spend money to attend. Applying Generally, the application process is the same for student athletes and non-student athletes. The main difference is that depending on the sport and how heavily you’re being recruited, you may be encouraged to apply early. And, your application may be processed sooner. Often, recruited athletes will learn of admissions decisions before the rest of the admitted students. Also, for recruits, your application may have some identifying marker indicating that you’re a recruited athlete. That’s so the admissions committee knows you're a recruit, and while it helps, it’s no guarantee of admission. Typically, the admissions committee will be alerted to how heavily you’re being recruited as well. During my recruiting process, for a couple of the schools that were recruiting me, I didn’t have to write a personal essay. Back in my high school days, I was rather happy to get out of writing those essays. For Stanford, my alma mater, I had to complete the same application as the rest of the students, though. Now I'm having flashbacks to writing my personal esssays. Good times. Campus Visits Once you get past the mail and the phone calls, the next step is to visit the campus. At this point, you may or may not have already been admitted to the college. There are two types of visits: unofficial visits and official visits. Unofficial Campus Visits An unofficial visit is one that you pay for yourself. What the coach plans for you on your trip often depends on how heavily you’re being recruited. Sometimes the coach will just speak with you briefly and then you’re on your own. For unofficial visits, schools can’t provide money for meals, transportation, or entertainment. However, you can receive up to three free game tickets. That's a pretty nice benefit, especially if you play a sport where game tickets are hard to come by. You can take an unlimited amount of unofficial visits and take them at almost any time, except during so-called â€Å"dead† periods when coaches can’t have contact with prospective student-athletes. Make sure to clear any unofficial visits with coaches before you make them. Feel free to ask a coach about taking an unofficial visit, regardless of how much contact you’ve had with the coach or if the coach has been recruiting you. Official Campus Visits For official campus visits, the trip is paid for by the school. Transportation, meals, and entertainment are covered for the prospective student-athlete. Official visits can last no more than 48 hours. NCAA rules dictate that you’re allowed five official visits and no more than one per school for Division I schools, but you can take an unlimited number of official visits to Division II schools. You can start taking official visits beginning on your first day of classes during your senior year of high school. If you attend junior college or do not enroll in a college after graduation, you can take an additional five Division I official visits starting October 15th following your senior year of high school. Before any official visit, though, you must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and submit your ACT or SAT test score and high school transcript to the school you plan to visit. Sometimes scholarship offers will be made before official trips, and sometimes they’ll be made after. If you’re offered an official visit, you're definitely a top candidate for a scholarship. Also, even though Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they do offer official visits. If you have the opportunity, I strongly recommend that you take official campus visits. On your official visit, you may be given the opportunity to watch practices, attend games, tour the campus, speak to academic advisers, sit in on classes, and hang out with the members of the team. I thoroughly enjoyed my official campus visits. Just to give you an idea of how much campus visits can vary, I'll describe a couple of mine to you. When I went on my recruiting trip to the University of Illinois, I was put up in a hotel suite and taken to a fancy Japanese restaurant. I had a scheduled meeting with an academic adviser and I was taken on a tour of the campus by an official campus tour guide. A few weeks later, I went on a recruiting trip to Temple University. On that trip, I stayed on the couch in one of the team member's apartments and ate cereal for most of my meals while I was there. I got a driving tour of the campus from the coach and there was no meeting with an academic advisor. However, I did get to see the Liberty Bell and eat an authentic Philly cheesesteak sandwich. I enjoyed my Temple trip, but it differed greatly from my Illinois trip. Illinois was just a more well-funded program and had a larger recruiting budget. Unfortunately, Temple dropped its NCAA men's gymnastics team in 2014 and is now continuing as a club sport. I got to experience life as a college student at Temple for 48 hours. Visits From Coaches Sometimes coaches will visit you at your school, in your home, or at one of your practices or games. There are rules that dictate when coaches can visit you. Typically, a coach will visit either to evaluate you or because you’re a top recruit and he or she is trying to sell you and your family on the school. Sometimes it’s a combination of both. If a coach is visiting you, it’s definitely a good sign about your prospects of receiving a scholarship or offer of admission. Scholarship Offers Usually after conversations with coaches and campus visits, a coach will extend a scholarship offer. Scholarships can be full (covering the full cost of attendance) or partial. Remember that you don’t have to accept or decline the offer right away. You should take your time to think about your options; choosing where you go to college is a big decision that you shouldn't make hastily. Also, even if you verbally accept an offer, the verbal agreement isn’t binding. You can change your mind up until you sign your scholarship offer. Additionally, for many sports, you won't receive a scholarship offer until you gain admission to the university. Again, this can vary depending on the sport, school, and how heavily you're being recruited. Typically, the coach will continue to contact you throughout the whole recruiting process and after a scholarship offer is extended. Your recruitment is not done until you have signed your National Letter of Intent. There are early and late signing dates that you have to sign by that vary depending on your sport. National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent is a binding agreement that says you will enroll at a specific school for the next academic year in exchange for athletic aid. Normally, you'll have to sign the NLI along with a scholarship offer from the school. If you don’t follow the terms of the agreement and enroll in the school, you’ll generally have to sit out a year of competition if you go to a different school and you’ll lose a year of eligibility. Almost always, the school won't issue you a formal scholarship offer and NLI until after you've been accepted to the university. However, there are instances where a school has to rescind its acceptance if you fail a class or end up not meeting certain requirements of the university. If you don't gain admission to the school, you'll be released from the agreement. Additional Advice for Prospective Student-Athletes Focus on Your Academics Many prospective student-athletes neglect the importance of academics in the recruiting process. Not only do you have to be eligible to compete, but also you still have to gain admission to the school. College coaches often won't recruit students who they don't think are qualified academically for their schools, regardless of these students' athletic skills. If you’re being recruited athletically, you will receive some preferential treatment when your application is processed, but the school still has to determine if your academics are good enough to be accepted. Especially at top academic colleges, your academics should be on par with non-student athletes if you want to have a legitimate shot at admission. The amount of preferential treatment you receive in the admissions process varies depending on the school, your sport, and how heavily you're being recruited. Especially for so-called â€Å"minor† sports (anything other than basketball and football at most schools), being recruited may only give you a minimal boost in the admissions process. Do Everything Earlier For recruited athletes, the timeline for when you should do things to prepare for college is sooner than for other students. You should start studying for your ACT or SAT by your sophomore year. You should have reached your SAT or ACT target score by the end of your junior year. Remember that college coaches won’t want to spend time recruiting you if they don’t think you’ll be admitted. Also, you should be able to show coaches that you’ve taken college prep classes, passed AP tests, and have good standardized test scores before the start of your senior year. Furthermore, you should narrow down your college list by the end of your junior year so you know which coaches to contact. Don’t wait until the second semester of your senior year to start sending out e-mails. It will be too late by then. Colleges will likely have offered their scholarships and filled their open spots by then. Be prepared to complete your college applications early. Depending on your sport and recruit status, you may have to complete multiple college applications in the early part of your senior year, months before many of your peers. Research the Schools You're Considering Regardless of whether you've started the recruiting process or not, you should research the colleges you think you may want to attend. For each of these schools, learn about the campus, the majors offered, the athletics facilities, and any other information that you think may be relevant in making your college decision. Also, most college websites will have information specifically for prospective student-athletes. This information will provide specific rules regarding recruiting and there may be information regarding the recruiting process for that school. Often, you’ll be able to fill out a recruiting questionnaire directly from the website. Make Sure You're Eligible All NCAA athletes have to be certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center . You’ll have to send in your transcript and SAT/ACT scores. What's Next? If you're looking to compete at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics, review the list of NCAA Division I schools. If you want to research colleges, use the best college search websites. Also, I recommend you check out this post on how to get into your top-choice college. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: