Why Wooster? The College Selection Process of Student Athletes at The College of Wooster

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that could influence the college selection process of student athletes at NCAA Division III The College of Wooster. Participants were surveyed regarding the influence of academic, athletic, and communication factors that affected their college selection process. Past college selection process research examined fewer athletic teams at other levels of competition. This study, therefore, narrows the scope of this type of study since it examines the college selection process of six athletic teams at one institution. The six athletic teams that were chosen to participate at Men’s Basketball, Men’s Soccer, Baseball, Women’s Basketball, Women’s Soccer, and Volleyball teams. The findings revealed that the “Campus visit” was the most influential factor in the college selection process, males were more influenced by athletic factors than females, and the Men’s Basketball and Baseball teams were more influenced by the athletic reputation of their athletic program than the other athletic teams. One major implication of this study is that not all Wooster coaches recruit but those that do recruit have the more successful athletic programs