(With another school year underway, we republish this article from 2015, adding Financial Aid Estimator and Net Price Calculator links.)
By Lisa Lavelle
Notwo children are alike and their dreams are as unique as their goals. As high school students across the nation complete another grade, many will begin the exciting — and at times overwhelming –process of preparing for college.
With 5,800 two- and four-year universities to choose from and nearly 3,000 collegiate soccer programs, finding the right fit can seen like a dauntingtask.
A question we are often asked is, how do you choose the right college? In short, it begins with creating a personal roadmap. To help, we have prepared a few guidelines to get your familystarted:
Start with documenting volunteer activities, academic, athletic accomplishments and the things that make you unique. This will help you create an academic andathletic profile (or resume) that can be distributed to college coaches and university officials at schools that interest you.
If you are a junior in high school, start with alist of 20 universities and consider factors such as geographic location, enrollment size, program of study, degrees offered, athletic program, campus life, and the community surrounding thecampus.
You can add other factors you feel are important to your college search. The goal is to consider aspects of college life — being happy and prepared is essential. Money also plays avital role, but don’t let money be the only reason you choose one school over another. One thing we tell all families and students is GRADES = Money.
LINKS:
U.S. Department of Education’s Net Price Calculator
Links to all colleges anduniversities to get better idea of the cost and scholarships you may be eligible for.
Federal Student Aid
Grant,scholarship, financial aid & student loan information; free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
FAFSA4CASTER
Financial Aid Estimator — lower right, under subhead “Thinking About College?”
Each year more than $100 million in academic scholarships, grants and aid willgo un-taken at many universities. Why? Athletes seem to think the only way to pay for college is an athletic scholarship. The best opportunity to earn money for college is good grades. It’s thatsimple.
Academic scholarship money far outweighs what most student-athletes will receive via athletic scholarship dollars. As you narrow your college list, do your homework on the universityand see if Presidential, Provost, Merit and or Academic scholarships are available and if so, check the deadlines to apply.
Consider taking practice SAT and ACT tests inthe fall, and then make a point of taking the official test in the spring. Not only will this help determine if you are meeting admissions standards, it’s a great opportunity to find out whereyou stand.
Reach out to schools you like, ask for more information or a media package, contact admissions/financial aid, connect with the coach, and begin to think aboutan unofficial campus visit.
Before you visit, contact the dean of the academic department that interests you most, contact admissions and send your player resume to the college coach and askfor a meeting.
Allow 2 to 3 hours per campus tour. Prior to the unofficial visit, evaluate where you are academically and if you can’t meet college admissions for NCAA Division I, II orNAIA, you might consider NCAA Division III, NCCAA or NJCAA.
If your goal is to play NCAA Division I or Division II soccer, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center (not applicable to Division III) the summer prior to your junior year. If you’ve started your junior year and haven’tregistered, do so immediately.
The NCAA is responsible for 23 sanctioned sports and ensuring all prospects can meet both academic and athletic requirements. The goal is to ensure core courserequirements and amateur status has been met. If you are considering NAIA, registration is also required to determine eligibility.
Prior to registering with the NCAA or NAIA, parents are encouraged to meet with your son or daughters’ guidance counselor and make sure transcripts are in order andreflect accurate grading for classes taken. Have the guidance counselor correct any errors to eliminate delays with the eligibility process.
Each year roster spots go un-filled because kidsthink of schools that are top of mind. In reality, opportunity abounds on all levels of the NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA and NJCAA, with most offering athletic scholarship opportunities.
When it comes toidentifying where you fit athletically, be realistic about your abilities. To understand why one player is selected over another, simply look at the team roster. When a college coach evaluates you, heor she will look at your technical, tactical, physical and psychological abilities to determine if you would be a good fit for their program.
Define your strengths and how you can contributeto the program, and why you would be a good fit if offered a roster spot. This is what we call your personal USP — Unique Selling Proposition.
Remember, beingprepared, proactive and persistent can make your transition from high school to college a seamless one. Besides, long after soccer has come and gone due to old age, injury, or retirement, youreducation will last a lifetime!
(Lisa Lavelle is President of The SportSource, which has been connecting kids to college opportunities since 1989. For more information on The Sport Source’s Official Athletic College Guides, tools, and resources, go to
I am suspicious of any “guidance” for choosing your college on the basis of playing soccer. Get a life, get away from adults who live vicariously and/or making a living telling you that soccer is the center of your life.
Perhaps a bit of perspective is in order here sir instead dismissive insults. My experience shows that top high school players that have a love of the game can use it as a springboard to launch themselves into additional opportunities to attend a top tier, elite college that would otherwise be out of reach, despite having a 4.0 gpa and high test scores, so soccer can indeed be a guiding choice in school selectiom.