> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://recruiting.balltime.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://recruiting.balltime.com/getting-started/creating-your-list-of-schools.md). # Creating your list of schools Are you ready to start contacting schools, but don't know where to start or who to reach out to? We are here to help! You should create an excel sheet that helps you keep track of the schools you're interested in and have contacted. Use this as a working document throughout your recruiting journey. Step 1 - Identify what is important to you * Volleyball Program (culture, coaches, teammates, history) * Academics (area of study, size of school, campus life) * Location (part of the country, distance from home) Step 2 - Choose a few regions that meet your location requirements. * If you want to stay close to home, research schools within a three hour radius of your house. If you want to be on a beach, only research schools that are on the coast. If you have no preference for distance from home or geographical location, pick random states! Or states you think might be cool to go to school in. Step 3 - Research 5-10 schools in each of those regions. * While this is still pretty broad, below are some of the searches you can use to get started: * If you know what you want to study, start your google search with "Best Colleges in \_\_\_\_\_(state) with \_\_\_\_\_(major)." * If you know you want a certain size school, google "Colleges in \_\_\_\_\_\_(state) with more/less than \_\_\_\_\_(#) of students" * If you know you want to be in a specific place, google "Colleges near \_\_\_\_\_(city), \_\_\_\_\_(state)." * Keep your list diverse at first! If your goal is to play Division I volleyball, create a list of 10 schools in the regions you're interested in. Do your research, choose 6 DI schools and contact those coaches to see if they're interested in recruiting you. At the same time, also research 2-3 DII schools, and 1-2 DIII/NAIA schools to cast a wide net.. * You don't know what the right fit for you is until you start doing the research, getting on campus, talking with the staff, and continuing to develop your volleyball game to be able to play at different levels. Step 4 - Collect coach contact information to send your initial email. * Most programs have the coach's contact information on the 'roster' page of the athletics website for volleyball. If it is not listed, you can also go the Athletics Staff Directory and usually find the email addresses there. * Find emails for each coach on staff to send your email to each coach. Once you have created your initial list of schools, it is time to email them! --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://recruiting.balltime.com/getting-started/creating-your-list-of-schools.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.