What are recruiting services, Recruiting Advisors and Independent Educational Consultants? Part 1 of 3

The recruiting service

I’ve put off writing about this topic longer than I should have, and in hindsight, it probably should have been the first post in my blog series. Last weekend, while speaking to a group of parents, one asked a very direct and specific question after I showed my pricing on the screen. He wanted to know why recruiting services are so expensive and why, with many families potentially being priced out of these services, they still cost so much. It’s a fair question, and one that I’ve heard many times before. I always present my price as a monthly cost for one full calendar year, while many recruiting services first quote an overall cost, then break it down into monthly payments to make the high price seem more manageable.

As an advisor, I’ll be upfront: I have a strong preference for my own approach and model, and I’ll be addressing the pros and cons of each option. That said, this post is about why I personally don’t favor recruiting services, and how that dislike actually played a role in my decision to start PrepSearch in 2007. To be clear, I’m speaking about the models of recruiting services, not the people who work within them. Full disclosure: about 50% of my client referrals come from families who have already spent money on recruiting services, including some of the well-known, big-name agencies. All of them say the same thing after working with me: “I wish I had known about you before we wasted our money on @#$%.”

One thing that has remained constant since 2007, when I first started PrepSearch, is the expensive nature of recruiting services and their tendency to operate in a way that preys on the fear and confusion of middle- and low-income families who have the least access to resources. But there’s a key difference today that didn’t exist when I first started helping educate families: recruiting services have evolved into sales organizations first and foremost. The entire foundation of the recruiting service model is built around selling, upselling, and continuing to push clients into increasingly expensive packages.

The model for recruiting services used to be relatively simple: gain access to thousands of potential new clients by paying for strategic relationships with high schools, school districts, sports clubs, tournaments, camps, clinics, and other sponsorships, all of which paid for access to students and families. Then, these services would sell families a single recruiting package—typically priced around $500. Fast forward to today, and the base marketing package for most recruiting services is now over $1,000, with the “top-tier” packages complete with every bell and whistle often running over $6,500 and, in some rare cases, surpassing $10,000. Keep in mind, recruiting services now offer a much broader menu of add-ons. Yes, I said “menu,” because that’s exactly what it is, a list of extra services designed to meet everyone’s budget. And it’s a menu that can be both extensive and, frankly, overwhelming.

While recruiting services package these extras as a convenience for their clients, they’re often marked up significantly. In contrast, when my clients want additional services outside the scope of my work, I refer them to trusted providers. For example, recruiting services often push a personal website, which can start at $500. I tell my clients they can create one themselves for free. They also recommend professionally made highlight or skills videos that can cost upwards of $800, but I offer less expensive alternatives. Services like performance, mental health, nutrition, and other specialized coaching often start at $1,000, but I advise clients to carefully evaluate whether these services are truly necessary. Unfortunately, recruiting services are often more focused on the upsell than whether those services are actually the right fit for the student.

Beyond athletics, recruiting services also bundle in services like college and program research, financial aid counseling, test prep tutoring, and other non-athletic components. These additions can easily add another $1,500 to $10,000 to the final cost. In contrast, I include at least six hours of research and counseling in my pricing, saving my clients thousands compared to the total cost of a recruiting service package.

Did you just read an advertisement for PrepSearch and a critique of traditional recruiting services? Yes, you did. I warned you that this post would be biased toward Advisors like me, and I’ve stuck to my word. But I also hope you now have a clearer understanding of the recruiting service model, why it’s so expensive, and why I’m so passionate about the value I provide as an advisor. Ultimately, my goal is to help students and families make informed decisions, so they can navigate this process with the best possible guidance.

To learn more about PrepSearch and how I’ve helped over 1,700 students attend college through sports since 2007, please explore the rest of my website. For more information about my seminars for high schools and clubs or to inquire about my recruiting advisory services for prospective student-athletes and their families, feel free to complete the contact form on my website at www.prepsearch.net.

If you know a prospective student-athlete in grades 8-12 who could benefit from additional free exposure to college coaches, have them download the new PrepSearch app today! It’s available now for download in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Stores.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.prepssearchappsapp

https://apps.apple.com/app/prepsearch-app/id6738037970

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