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Recruiting Sites Give Students Scholarship Edge



Between the economic crisis and soaring college tuition bills, high school athletes are feeling more pressure than ever to land a scholarship.

But finding the right school and the right offer can be a daunting task for a high school student. Private consultants can help, but they can cost thousands of dollars, a high price to pay in these tough times.

A competitive swimmer, Zoe Guastella of Cambridge, always hoped her dedication in the pool would lead to a scholarship.

"I swim five days a week, three hours each time," she said.

But despite dozens of medals and trophies, Zoe is not an elite athlete. Did she have what it takes to get that all important offer?

To find out, she joined Berecruited.com.

"The whole focus of our site is to connect students with coaches," said CEO Jeff Cravens.

It's sort of like a Facebook for high school athletes. Students can post videos, game statistics, awards even their grades and SAT scores.

"We have coaches from around the country who are registered. Anytime a profile fits the criteria for their program, we automatically notify them," Cravens explained.

The Basic service is free; Zoe paid $39.99 for a premium package that allowed her to see which coaches looked at her page.

Courtney Letourneau, a soccer player at Wachusett Regional High School, joined Berecruited.com early in her college search. She said she heard from dozens of coaches.

"It's really surprising who's interested in you, how many colleges there are because I've never heard of half of them," she said.

Courtney landed a scholarship at Long Island University.

"I only have to pay $3,000 a year," she said.

Courtney's coach at Long Island said Berecruited.com is not a primary recruiting tool, but it does help her to stay in touch with athletes. The women's volleyball coach at Daniel Webster College said the site helped him find athletes he never would have seen otherwise.

Ultimately, Zoe didn't need the swimming. She was able to take advantage of an academic scholarship to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania. Her mother says if that scholarship had not come through, Berecruited.com gave them a number of different options.

"Zoe was heavily recruited by Mt. Holyoke," she said. Zoe was also contacted by several schools she had never heard of like Lewis and Clark University in Oregon.

In the end, Berecruited.com gave these two athletes options they didn't know they had.
 

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