With their final year ahead, senior athletes are getting a head start by going on official visits to colleges to play sports.

“Official visits allow you to stay with students, attend classes, and get a feel for of what the school atmosphere consists,” senior Allen Hosler said. “Whereas regular visits just show you surface details of the school that you can find online.”

One of the benefits of official visits is that the school pay for all the activities, senior Maddie Boxer said. She said that some also get to watch a few practices to see what the coaching is like.

“You are allowed 48 hours on campus by NCAA and college rules,” Hosler said. “Within that time you stay with a student athlete, going to practice with him and going to his classes.”

Hosler, who is visiting colleges for crew, said that official visits take time from what he love’s, which is being a student athlete.

Boxer is visiting University of Wisconsin in Madison for rowing on September 23rd.

“They found me through a rowing camp I did there over the summer and they contacted me over the phone to plan the official in September 3,” Boxer said.

Boxer also said that she gets to stay in the dorms and hang out with current rowers who show her the college lifestyle by taking her out to football games.

“Officials are fun ways for students to get a feel of what a particular college is like,” Hosler said. “It’s a very rare opportunity, and all should feel very blessed for it.”