Is it hard to do a STEM degree and play D1 soccer at a high academic university?

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You asked for a reason. I gave one. Don’t add extra conditions to each answer after the fact.

It is a big deal that requires various follow up questions.

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Each family circumstance is different. For our family, D is mostly interested in playing D1, but she also knows cost is a factor, so the only way she is going to attend a higher cost school is with soccer and potentially academic money helping defray the cost. If it comes down to it as a fall back, she will attend state U and walk on the team and see what happens. While the roster limit is 27, the team generally doesn't carry that many, usually 25-26 and walking on may be the best of all worlds, even though it is a hit to her pride in not being one of the few recruited to that school in state... and as you state, club soccer is always an option. Lots of choices to make over the next 12 months.

I think this is very smart, but like you said, every family is different. Mine had to turn down an Ivy and a top NESCAC because we are in the donut hole where we are just over the line to being on the hook for basically the whole COA. If money were no problem, she would’ve jumped at it but 300k for 4 years simply is too much for our family. Frankly it was our fault for not looking closer at the detailed money factor earlier in her recruiting. Went down that path for far too long before deciding it just was too much. Now, late, making decisions on other, more budget friendly D1s...

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I think this is very smart, but like you said, every family is different. Mine had to turn down an Ivy and a top NESCAC because we are in the donut hole where we are just over the line to being on the hook for basically the whole COA. If money were no problem, she would’ve jumped at it but 300k for 4 years simply is too much for our family. Frankly it was our fault for not looking closer at the detailed money factor earlier in her recruiting. Went down that path for far too long before deciding it just was too much. Now, late, making decisions on other, more budget friendly D1s...

Would add that, unfortunately, she wasn’t really interested in D3 schools where you can get the most merit money. Not because of the soccer but because she wanted bigger research type university experience. The top NESCAC was more a parental push and recruiting there started much earlier before she decided small LACs were not what she wanted for college. For students who’d like that, I’d say it’s a great option.

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Yet you gave examples of former professional athletes going back to school. Presumedly they made some coin to pay for it. For the vast majority of athletes who won't go pro, the scholarship train is done once your athletic career ends.

Scholarship also goes away if you stop playing. Question was about dropping sports to focus on academics

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Based on roster bios, stem majors are rather rare, but it is done. My question is why do any serious about academic students play D1 sports anyway? Unless you’re going pro or getting a significant scholarship, doesn’t it make more sense to concentrate on academics, internships, semester abroad, gpa for grad school, and regular college fun? What percentage of d1 female players drop out after one or two years?

Very good points you make. Playing a sport in college, especially a high level
D1 does not leave time for much else.

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Very good points you make. Playing a sport in college, especially a high level
D1 does not leave time for much else.

Coaches will tell you college has 3 components: academics, athletics and social. You can only do 2 well.

Kicker for my soccer kid was the difficulty to do internships and study abroad. That is an important part of college to her. Her older sibling plays D1 basketball and loves it, but her life revolves around her team and little else. She's a business major, science with labs is very difficult to pull off.
Each kid is different.

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Coaches will tell you college has 3 components: academics, athletics and social. You can only do 2 well.

Kicker for my soccer kid was the difficulty to do internships and study abroad. That is an important part of college to her. Her older sibling plays D1 basketball and loves it, but her life revolves around her team and little else. She's a business major, science with labs is very difficult to pull off.
Each kid is different.

Basketball is different because it is a headcount sport so the scholarships are full rides. Most d1 soccer players are getting a relatively small amount to counter the loss of social life, internships, study abroad, other extra curricular, and the inability to do many majors or compete well for grad school. My question is: why do so many play d1 soccer anyway? Do they really and truly want to or is it just the next step on the pay to play sports pyramid?

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My question is: why do so many play d1 soccer anyway? Do they really and truly want to or is it just the next step on the pay to play sports pyramid?

Why play D3 soccer when you could play club soccer at a big D1?

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Basketball is different because it is a headcount sport so the scholarships are full rides. Most d1 soccer players are getting a relatively small amount to counter the loss of social life, internships, study abroad, other extra curricular, and the inability to do many majors or compete well for grad school. My question is: why do so many play d1 soccer anyway? Do they really and truly want to or is it just the next step on the pay to play sports pyramid?

I see four types:

Many are highly competitive athletes it's literally part of their core being.

Some can't afford college any other way

Some are going through the motions, have been doing it forever but the passion is dwindling

A very limited number might go pro some day and college is the best way to get there (note: not soccer, more basketball and football).

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Why play D3 soccer when you could play club soccer at a big D1?

Because the D3 school might be the perfect fit for the student athlete? Yeah, that. Not everyone wants a bigger D1 school regardless of any sports participation whatsoever.

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Basketball is different because it is a headcount sport so the scholarships are full rides. Most d1 soccer players are getting a relatively small amount to counter the loss of social life, internships, study abroad, other extra curricular, and the inability to do many majors or compete well for grad school. My question is: why do so many play d1 soccer anyway? Do they really and truly want to or is it just the next step on the pay to play sports pyramid?

There is truth to the next step in the pyramid claim, and ultimately many do play D1 because they can, just as everyone espousing the downside of D1 (no semester abroad - ha) does so because they can’t

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Because the D3 school might be the perfect fit for the student athlete? Yeah, that. Not everyone wants a bigger D1 school regardless of any sports participation whatsoever.

I think this is right. There are so many student-athletes that pick school for fit and academics first, then they enjoy participating on D3 or Club teams. Athletes want to play D1 and those athletes that are also great students, they go Ivy

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I think this is right. There are so many student-athletes that pick school for fit and academics first, then they enjoy participating on D3 or Club teams. Athletes want to play D1 and those athletes that are also great students, they go Ivy

More great athletes that are also great students than spots on Ivy or Ivy-like rosters.Even if there were enough spots, there are many players like ours who had to turn down an Ivy spot because, despite a decent salary, not in any kind of financial shape to pay 80k plus a year.

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I think this is right. There are so many student-athletes that pick school for fit and academics first, then they enjoy participating on D3 or Club teams. Athletes want to play D1 and those athletes that are also great students, they go Ivy

Now that athletes can stack financial aid/merit money on top of athletic scholarships a low COA at very appealing D1 schools is a real possibility. Why pay $75k to go to Harvard when you could pay short money to go to Penn State, or some other big sports school that would roll out the red carpet for a top prospect with a 1400+ SAT?

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Pretty sure Penn State cares more about national team experience that SAT score. Not a great example.