A: We welcome inquiries and introductions from players at any stage. However, based on CSA and NCAA recruiting guidelines and our own internal calendar, we can only begin official correspondence with Prospective Student-Athletes (PSAs) during a specific window of time. This begins September 1 of a player’s (rising) junior year.. There are some dead periods during which there are limitations on recruiting contact as well.

A few noteworthy dates, facts, and regulations related to the recruitment of squash PSAs at UVA.

• The recruiting contact period officially begins on SEPTEMBER 1 of a player’s junior year. This is the first date of permissible recruiting contact between coaches and players and coaches and parents.
  • PSAs interested in UVA and our squash program are advised to contact us via email a few days prior to the opening of the recruiting window. Any time within the last week of August is a good time to email.
  • Players are permitted to reach out to coaches at any point prior to September 1. However, coaches may not initiate contact and may only respond to inquiries with strictly limited information. This information includes links to the PSA questionnaire (see below).
• All interested players should fill out our prospective player questionnaire.
  • Men’s Team PSA Questionnaire
  • Women’s Team PSA Questionnaire
  • Our recruitment offers and commitments are typically distributed evenly across the entire junior year. Our earliest offers may go out as early as September and occasionally we still have an open recruiting slot in the early fall of a player’s senior year.

For more information on visits, refer to section 5 (How Do I Schedule a Visit to UVA?)

A: Above all, the measure we consider most relevant is a player’s recent set of results in sanctioned tournament competition. Our strongest recommendation is for interested players to participate in the highest-level sanctioned events that are available. Tournament competition ensures that we are able to see how PSAs stack up against one another, either in direct head-to-head competition or by means of comparing results against mutual opponents.

Coaching staff members also attend a number of events each year in order to see PSAs compete in a live environment. During the 2023-2024 season, we intend to have a coaching presence on site at the following events:

• 2023 Arlen Specter Philadelphia Junior Championships (Philadelphia, PA): October 7-9, 2023
• 2023 US Junior Open Squash Championships (Philadelphia, PA): December 16-19, 2023
• 2024 Mid-Atlantic Junior Championships (Charlottesville, VA): January 13-15, 2024
• 2024 Junior Squash Championships (Philadelphia, PA: March 15-17)

We also suggest players consider attending squash camps at McArthur Squash Center. Participating in one of our camp sessions provides an opportunity to learn more about UVA and to meet the program’s coaches. Check Coach Allen’s camp website for additional details. This is by no means a prerequisite for recruitment. However, when we are considering players with very similar results and ratings, our decision is often made based on how we believe a player will develop over time. Camp sessions offer us that insight. Approximately 80% of the players that we end up recruiting have attended at least one of our summer camp sessions.

For more information on visits, refer to section 5 (How Do I Schedule a Visit to UVA?)

A: As mentioned in the previous section, the athletic metrics that we consider derive from a player’s tournament results.

The Universal Squash Rating system is a useful guideline for all PSAs, as it provides an indication of a player’s squash level relative to our current team and thus the likelihood of their being offered recruitment.

As a starting point for the men’s team, we anticipate recruiting players with a Universal Squash Rating of no less than 5.6. For women’s players, we anticipate a Universal Squash Rating of 4.8 higher. In both cases, we expect to be recruiting players who compete at the JCT level (or the equivalent level of tournament play internationally and/or in one’s home country.)

A: For players who are under serious consideration for recruitment, we go through a recruitment pre-approval process, which includes a check of academic/demographic info with our Department of Admissions and a character reference interview with a coach, mentor, teacher, or other qualified adult. The pre-app process is initiated by invitation only and a member of our coaching staff will reach out on an individual basis to solicit the relevant materials at the appropriate time. 

International PSAs may need to provide results of the TOEFL iBT exam. Exceptions may be made for students who attend high schools with an English-based curriculum or if a student demonstrates proficiency by a qualifying SAT or ACT score. Note that the TOEFL “Home Edition” version is not accepted by UVA.

It is important to understand the distinction between unofficial visits and official visits. For our highest-level prospects, we typically begin arranging unofficial visits starting in September of a player’s junior year. These will be by invitation only. We are currently arranging invitation-only visits for the 2023-2024 academic year; our earliest visits will take place in the fall semester (after the September 1 recruiting window opens).

A: We do have a limited number of scholarship positions for both the men’s and women’s teams. We look to offer these positions to players who we believe will occupy a spot in the top 5 on our roster.

It is important to note that we do not offer scholarships that cover 100% of the cost of attending UVA. Every one of our scholarship players will need to cover some of the cost of attendance. Without putting an exact figure on this, we can say that there is a direct correspondence between a player’s anticipated roster position and the amount of financial support offered.

Need-based financial aid is available. However, because the University of Virginia is a public university, this form of aid is available only to US citizens. We advise PSAs who are interested in applying for financial aid to identify this need at the earliest possible point in communication. The evaluation process for determining whether a player qualifies for need-based financial aid requires additional paperwork, which can take some time to fully complete.

A:  We are able and willing to consider transfers looking to enter as second, third, or fifth years. (We can only communicate once a player has completed the proper “permission to contact step” as outlined below.) We cannot accept fourth-year transfers due to UVA’s policy regarding transfer credit eligibility.

We are always interested in communicating with prospective fifth-year transfers who still have NCAA eligibility remaining. If you are a qualifying S-As, interested in pursuing graduate school while continuing to compete as a varsity college squash player, we encourage you to reach out, as soon as you have completed the applicable transfer eligibility steps as listed above.

The most important thing for transfer players to keep in mind is that they are on the same timeline as other recruits. We often end up hearing from prospective transfers too late in the process to be able to help. So players interested in transferring to UVA should be in touch with us as soon as they possibly can.

We do not have additional recruiting/admission support for transfer students. Whether we use a slot on a player applying directly from high school or as a transfer, it counts the same in terms of our number of available positions.

Players interested in transferring MUST complete the applicable process for transfer release per NCAA regulations. Be sure to communicate with your athletic department compliance officer to ensure you have taken all proper steps and are cleared to communicate. All Division I student-athletes must be listed as “Active” in the NCAA Transfer Portal in order for coaches to have any contact/communication with them. Those attending DIII or other institutions must ensure that they have completed all steps for permitted contact—this is often done through a “Permission to Contact” form.

A: We do not hold open tryouts for the UVA teams. We use the recruiting process to bring in the appropriate number of players so that our squad size remains consistent and so that recruits will be on the team for their entire undergraduate career.

“Closed” tryouts, that is, tryouts to which only select players would be invited, may be held in the event that we do not fill a recruiting spot, lose a committed recruit, or if a returning player is unable to play due to factors like injury, ineligibility, etc.

To summarize: it is highly unlikely that a non-recruited player will end up as a member of the varsity men’s or women’s squash team. As such, non-recruited players should not apply to UVA if competing for a varsity team is a priority for their college search.

A: There is a thriving squash community here at UVA and players who are not recruited to the varsity team can continue to pursue squash through various channels. All undergraduates who are enrolled full time at UVA have access to McArthur Squash Center’s 16 courts, as well as the two courts at UVA’s North Grounds Recreation Center, through their IM/Recreation membership. Organized play is offered in the form of a UVA-affiliated co-ed club team, which is coached and facilitated by the MSC club pros and managed by student officers. There are several players at the 5.0 plus level on the club side and a number of undergraduate and graduate students do pursue squash at a high level through both IM/Rec programming and leagues and ladders organized by the MSC staff.

Here is a list of resources and materials that we suggest PSAs review to learn more about UVA

UVA Squash Recruiting Materials

UVA Admissions Website

UVA Virtual Tour

UVA Athletics Video