By beginning of junior year in high school:
- Register with NCAA Clearinghouse and understand what courses and grades you need to be eligible.
- Have resume completed and ready to send
- Narrowed search to 5-10 colleges/universities
- Researched the teams and academic programs at the colleges/universities you are interested in.
- Resumes sent to coaches you are interested in playing for.
- Make follow contact coaches by phone/email to determine good times to visit the campus for an unofficial visit.
By end of junior year of high school:
- Made unofficial (at your expense) visits to colleges and universities you are interested in.
- Narrow search to 5 colleges/universities.
- Resumes sent again with updates.
- SAT retaken
- Check status with NCAA Clearinghouse.
By beginning of senior year in high school:
- Check status with NCAA Clearinghouse.
- FAFSA form filled out (if applying for federal aid/grants/loans) for an early estimate of available aid…see high school guidance counselor/college financial aid office for FAFSA form, or, see bottom of page for web address.
By February of senior year in high school:
- Check status with NCAA Clearinghouse.
- FAFSA form filled out again with recent year tax information
- By now you should be prepared to make a decision and enjoy the rest of your senior year!
Questions to consider when deciding on a college:
- Where will I succeed athletically, academically, and socially?
- Do I need a small college atmosphere or a large university atmosphere?
- Will I get a chance to play on this team?
- Do I like and respect the coach?
- Do I like the players?
- Will I be red shirted?
- Have I seen them play in a match to gauge their level of character, play, and sportsmanship?
- Have I spent sufficient time with players and coaching staff to determine if their morals and beliefs are similar to mine?
- Can I afford the costs of school?
- Am I being offered a guaranteed spot on the team or a chance to walk-on?
- Is the academic program if high standard?
- Are there academic standards and academic support programs for the team?
Things your Profile/Resume should include:
- Name, address, phone, fax (if available), email
- NCAA Clearinghouse Pin #
- Height, weight, positions played
- Club Team, high school team, club and high school coaches contact info
- OPD information (if available)
- Soccer accomplishments (ex: tournament MVP or high school all-state)….Do not include any information dating before your high school years…coaches do not care if you were a rec league all star at 12 years old. They also do not care if you played on a state ODP team when you were 13.
- Tournaments you will be playing in…so the coach will know where you will be. As soon as you find out tournament schedules make sure you forward that info to the coaches.
- Anticipated major(s) in college, SAT score, g.p.a., and graduation date
- A cover letter with correct information. Do not send a resume with "Dear Coach,"…make sure you have the coaches name spelled right. Also do your research and include some details about the team like, "Coach Neal, I came to see you play last weekend and I am very impressed with your team! I see that John Doe, your defensive center midfielder, is a senior. He is great in the air, defends one v one very well, and plays beautiful long balls out of the back to your forwards. As a defensive center midfielder, I feel I can provide these qualities for you next year when John Doe is gone."
Common Myths:
- "All NCAA Division I teams are better than Division II or III."(There is great soccer at all levels)
- "I should play for the team which offers me the most soccer scholarship." (Just because you are getting more soccer scholarship at one school does not mean that it will be cheaper to attend versus others offering you less soccer scholarship.)
- "I should play for this team because they have the nicest soccer facility."(Just because the field is nice doesn’t mean you will ever get to step on it in a match.)
- "Scholarships are guaranteed for 4 years." (They are one year contracts renewable every year)
Reference:
To register for the NCAA Clearinghouse and for questions concerning Eligibility go to:
http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future/how-register
To find out more information on the FAFSA and to complete the FAFSA online go to:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
