ADULT IQ: COLLEGE SCHOOL RESEARCH WORKSHEET
A Complete Evaluation of Your College Opportunity
Research. Compare. Evaluate. Make Informed Decisions.
Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a student-athlete and their family will make. It involves much more than finding a school with a baseball or softball program. The right opportunity needs to make sense academically, athletically, financially and personally.
The Adult IQ College School Research Worksheet is designed to help student-athletes and families take a more organized, informed and strategic approach to researching potential colleges. Rather than relying on a school's reputation, social media, a coach's first impression or the excitement of a recruiting conversation, this resource encourages you to look deeper, ask better questions and evaluate each opportunity based on what matters most to your future.
This worksheet helps turn college research into a structured decision-making process. It encourages you to gather relevant information, compare schools, identify potential advantages and disadvantages, and consider whether a college genuinely fits your goals, circumstances and expectations.
Whether you are beginning your college search, narrowing down a list of potential schools, communicating with college coaches or evaluating a recruiting opportunity, this resource can help you approach the process with greater clarity and confidence.
WHAT YOU GET INSIDE
1. Academic Research and Educational Opportunities
A college must offer more than an athletic opportunity. Your education will influence your future long after your playing career ends.
This section focuses on researching the academic side of each institution, including:
Available majors, degree programs and areas of study.
Whether your preferred field of study is offered.
Academic expectations and admission requirements.
The school's academic reputation and educational environment.
Potential career pathways connected to your chosen degree.
Whether the institution supports your long-term educational goals.
The purpose is to help you determine whether a school makes sense for your future beyond sport. You should be able to pursue your education with confidence, even if your athletic plans change.
2. Athletic Program Research
For student-athletes, understanding the athletic program is an essential part of evaluating a college opportunity.
This section encourages you to look closely at the program, its competitive environment and the role you might realistically play within it.
Areas to investigate include:
The school's baseball or softball program and level of competition.
Current roster composition and positional needs.
The number of athletes competing for opportunities at your position.
The program's recent performance and competitive expectations.
The coaching staff's background, philosophy and communication style.
The potential for development, playing time and progression.
The program's training environment and expectations of its athletes.
The goal is not simply to find a college that recruits your position. It is to investigate whether the program could provide an environment where you can develop, compete and work toward your athletic goals.
3. College Coach and Recruiting Evaluation
Recruiting conversations can be exciting, but it is important to understand what those conversations actually mean.
This section encourages you to evaluate your interactions with a college coaching staff and identify the questions that still need answers.
Consider the following:
Has the coaching staff demonstrated genuine interest in you?
Do you understand what the program is looking for in your position?
Have you received clear information about the recruiting process?
Do you know the next steps and expected timeline?
Have you asked about the coach's expectations for incoming athletes?
Do you understand how the program evaluates and develops players?
Are you receiving consistent, professional communication?
This approach helps you distinguish between a school you are interested in and an opportunity you have researched carefully. It also reinforces the importance of taking responsibility for your own recruiting process rather than waiting for information to come to you.
4. Financial Aid, Scholarships and College Costs
A college opportunity must also make financial sense for the student and family.
The cost of attendance can vary significantly between institutions, and athletic scholarship opportunities are only one part of the financial picture. Understanding the full cost before making a commitment can help prevent costly surprises.
This section encourages you to investigate:
Tuition and mandatory fees.
Housing, meals, transportation and other living expenses.
The difference between published costs and your estimated net cost.
Potential academic scholarships and need-based financial aid.
Athletic scholarship possibilities, where applicable.
Additional expenses associated with participating in college sport.
The process for receiving a formal financial aid offer.
Questions that need to be clarified with the college's financial aid office.
The objective is to help families compare the financial realities of different schools, understand what is known and what remains uncertain, and avoid making decisions based solely on an assumed scholarship or verbal estimate.
5. Campus Life and Student Experience
Your college experience extends well beyond the classroom and playing field. You will live, study, train and build relationships within the campus community.
This section helps you evaluate whether the overall college environment is right for you.
Consider researching:
Campus location and surrounding community.
Housing options and living arrangements.
Dining facilities and everyday student services.
Campus culture and opportunities to get involved.
Distance from home and travel considerations.
Access to transportation and essential amenities.
Student support services and the general campus environment.
Whether you can see yourself living and learning there.
A school may look attractive on a website, but researching the everyday student experience helps you develop a more realistic picture of what attending that institution could be like.
6. Location, Lifestyle and Practical Considerations
Location can affect your finances, independence, family connections and overall college experience.
This section encourages you to think practically about where a college is situated and what attending it would mean for your everyday life.
You can consider the distance from home, travel costs, climate, local community, transportation options and access to the services you may need.
For athletes considering colleges in another state or region, these factors can be especially important. The right opportunity should be evaluated in the context of your circumstances, not just the attraction of playing at a particular school.
7. Comparing Multiple Colleges
One of the most valuable parts of college research is comparing your options fairly.
It is easy to become attached to one school because of its name, facilities, location or recruiting attention. Comparing institutions across the same categories helps you look beyond first impressions.
This section supports a consistent approach to evaluating each school across areas such as:
Academic fit.
Athletic fit and development potential.
Coaching staff and recruiting communication.
Financial affordability.
Campus environment and student life.
Location and travel requirements.
Long-term educational and career opportunities.
By examining schools using the same criteria, you can identify differences that might otherwise be overlooked. You can also recognize where you need more information before deciding how strongly a school should rank on your list.
8. Identifying Questions and Information Gaps
Good research does not mean having every answer immediately. It means recognizing what you know, what you do not know and where to find reliable information.
This section encourages you to identify unanswered questions and determine which people or departments can provide the information you need.
Depending on the situation, that may include college coaches, admissions staff, academic departments, financial aid offices or current students.
You are encouraged to investigate rather than assume, verify important details rather than rely on informal promises, and seek clarification when information is incomplete or unclear.
9. Making an Informed College Decision
The final objective is to bring the research together and consider the overall opportunity.
A school might be attractive athletically but financially difficult. Another may offer an excellent academic pathway but a less certain role in the athletic program. A third might provide a strong balance of education, sport, affordability and campus life.
This section reinforces the importance of weighing the full picture instead of allowing one factor to determine the decision.
It encourages you to consider:
Which schools best match your priorities?
Which opportunities offer the strongest overall fit?
What important information is still missing?
Which concerns need to be addressed before moving forward?
What are your next steps with each college?
Does the opportunity support both your immediate and long-term goals?
The aim is to help you make decisions based on research, realistic expectations and your individual priorities.
WHO SHOULD USE THIS WORKSHEET?
The College School Research Worksheet is designed for:
Student-athletes who want to take greater ownership of their college search.
Parents and families who want to evaluate college opportunities more carefully.
Baseball and softball players researching potential college programs.
Athletes in other sports comparing academic and athletic opportunities.
Students beginning the recruiting process who need a more structured approach to researching schools.
Athletes already in contact with college coaches who want to evaluate their options before making important decisions.
It can be used throughout the recruiting journey, from initial research to comparing schools and reviewing potential opportunities.
WHY THIS RESOURCE MATTERS
College decisions can have significant academic, financial, athletic and personal consequences. Making those decisions without enough information can lead to unrealistic expectations, missed opportunities or choosing a school that does not meet your needs.
The Adult IQ College School Research Worksheet encourages a more disciplined approach. It helps you look beyond the surface, think critically about each opportunity and take an active role in your future.
Instead of asking only, “Do I want to attend this college?” you begin asking more useful questions:
Does this school offer the education I want? Is the athletic program a realistic fit? Can my family understand and manage the financial commitment? Would I be comfortable living and studying here? What information do I still need before making a decision?
These are the questions that lead to better research and more informed choices.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH
Your college future deserves more than guesswork. It deserves research, careful evaluation and informed decision-making.
The Adult IQ College School Research Worksheet helps student-athletes and families approach college opportunities with a clearer process, stronger questions and a better understanding of what to consider before moving forward.
Research every opportunity. Compare your options. Ask the right questions. Make an informed decision about your future.