The D3 Academic Pre-Read Playbook
Before the D3 offer…comes the pre-read with admissions
If you’re going through the D3 athletics recruiting process, there’s a term you need to know: academic pre-read.
It is the hidden checkpoint that determines whether you’re actually admissible to a D3 college or university, long before applications even open.
Today, we’re breaking down how it works to help D3 recruits increase their likelihood of admission.
D3 Academic Pre-Reads
Early in your senior year of high school, college coaches can request your transcript, test scores, and junior-year grades and then send them to admissions for an early review.
This “pre-read” of your materials by Admissions allows the college coach to gauge your likelihood of admission to the school, and is a great sign that they are seriously recruiting you.
Each D3 school handles this slightly differently, but after a pre-read the Admissions department will report back to the coach with something close to this menu of three options:
✅ Green = likely admissible
⚠️ Yellow = borderline admissible
❌ Red = unlikely to be admitted
A strong pre-read can turn interest into a D3 offer, which is why we’ve built out the D3 Academic Pre-Read Playbook below to outline actionable steps for recruits. Let us know what you think and if you would add anything based on your experience:
D3 Academic Pre-Read Playbook
Overview
We are referring to this early review process as “Pre-Read”, but it is important to note that it goes by different names. At several D3 institutions it may be called an “Early Read” or a “pre-application review.” If you hear any of those terms from a D3 coach, feel free to clarify but they are likely all referring to the same things.
Materials to Gather for Pre-Reads
If you are a high school senior and you want to play college sports, these are the most important materials you should gather and have ready to send to college coaches.
Up-to-date transcript - request it from your high school counselor or registrar’s office
List of extracurricular activities - this is something you have to create by yourself (do not overstate your involvement with clubs)
High School Profile - request it from your high school counselor
Projected senior year schedule - Admissions will want to see that you have enough rigor in your schedule
Optional writing piece - Ask the coach recruiting you if this is necessary
Why You Should Do an Academic Pre-Read
If a D3 college coach offers you the opportunity to do an academic pre-read, you should take it. The only reason you should turn them down is if you already know you have zero interest in that program. In this case, it is kind to save them the time and effort of recruiting you and let them focus on someone else.
Assuming you are interested in attending a specific D3 for school and to play your sport, asking about a pre-read is a great way to demonstrate interest - or signal that you would likely attend a school if admitted. It is important to know that there is no limit to how many pre-read’s you can do as a recruit so do not be shy in asking D3 coaches about the possibility. Pre-reads can be done pretty quickly if you have all of the materials required ready to go.
Pro TIp: During your first or second phone call with a college coach, ask him/her if they have an academic pre-read process.
What Happens After a Pre-Read?
We listed out a few options above (likely admissible, borderline admissible, and unlikely to be admitted) but wanted to share another framework that we got directly from a former D3 Head Coach. As we mentioned earlier, every D3 school will handle this process slightly differently.
Positive Pre-Read
Here are the options that a D3 admissions counselor could provide to the coach after a positive pre-read:
Your academic standards MET the requirements necessary to be admitted into the college WITH the support of the coach
Note that a positive pre-read does NOT mean you have been admitted into the college
A positive pre-read PLUS the support from the coach (i.e. a verbal offer) would likely lead to your acceptance into the school
Negative Pre-Read
Your academic standards did NOT meet the requirements necessary to be admitted into the college with or without the support of the coach
If you get this response back, you can still apply to the school but it is unlikely you will get in. In our experience, you should explore other options for sport and school.
Benefits of Doing a Pre-Read
The best thing about doing a pre-read with admissions is that learn what your chances are of being admitted are before officially applying. This can save you time by avoiding numerous applications that either don’t have a chance or are not needed, because you are already likely to get into your top choice college.
However, one note of caution - do not assume that because you got a positive pre-read that you can slack on your senior year academics. We saw a situation with the class of 2025 where a recruit got bad grades senior fall and their D3 school they’d already committed to asked for an updated transcript. When it came time for the recruit to apply, they actually got wait listed because they had a C on their transcript in one of the only hard classes they were taking.
If you are worried about the cost of college, ask the coach if there is an option for a financial pre-read as well. Sometimes, D3 schools have the capability to do this for recruits, which can be especially important if you are considering applying Early Decision and will not have time to compare financial aid offers.
Thanks for Reading!
If you have any additional questions about academic pre-reads at D3 schools, don’t hesitate to reach out!
We’re here to help so ask away.