What is typical scholarship offer

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I have (2) kids

(1) never played soccer, great academically, full scholarship to a D2 school
other kid played soccer all his life, decent player, got half tuition, mostly academic money from D2 school

And that’s how it works, it’s better for the kid to have a 3.6 and better GPA ....AP courses under the belt along with a blazing SAT/ACT score. Now you tell the coach ‘ no thanks’ to his 20k and take the Academic deal for 25k each year. Beats worrying about injuries .

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And that’s how it works, it’s better for the kid to have a 3.6 and better GPA ....AP courses under the belt along with a blazing SAT/ACT score. Now you tell the coach ‘ no thanks’ to his 20k and take the Academic deal for 25k each year. Beats worrying about injuries .

Boy - Girl comparatives are pointless.

[Unregistered]

We are dirt poor. I work three jobs just to pay for my kid to be able to play... my kid is only 12 but can someone help me understand the scholarship thing for lower income families?

Congratulations being dirt poor you will get more money than the rich girls with their partials

[Unregistered]

Congratulations being dirt poor you will get more money than the rich girls with their partials

Rich girls don't need the partials. It's the middle income folks who can't afford college. They make too much for aid but not enough to afford full price college. It's especially true in high cost states - you need the higher income to live around here but it throws you out of most aid calculations.

And yes if you're smart and poor you will likely get more aid. But even then they usually have to pay something and poor students struggle to afford other things not covered by the school. Their graduation rate is much lower than that of more affluent families

[Unregistered]

A fully funded Div I school can offer up to 14.9 scholarships for women's soccer and 9.9 for men. Look at the school's team roster and count. Most will be 25-30 players. How many do you think are getting a full athletic scholarship? How many coaches will be giving an untried freshman a full athletic scholarship? Can it happen? Of course. The kids playing on the US Natl youth teams doing overseas tournaments are certainly in that realm. Kids with legit pro offers will merit that kind of commitment too. And, a kid who is way above the typical level of recruit for a given school could get one.

Outside of big BCS schools the percentage of schools that fully fund soccer scholarships is not good. A coach with 6-8 scholarships total is not giving out full rides. There are Div I schools out there with 1 or 2 as well.

Academic money stacks with athletic money. That is one reason why coaches love, love, love kids with good grades. Look at target schools academic scholarship requirements. A 3.5 and good test score may qualify for some $. A 3.7 and up and a lot more schools will have academic money. If your kid can get 25% in academic money the coach can offer a half ride and you are at 75% before financial aid.

Having said all that the more important point is good fit - athletically, academically and socially. From a soccer standpoint the question really is will you play? The commitment is huge and it sucks if you don't play. Also, athletic scholarship money will go away if you don't play. That nice coach who was doing the recruiting is gone as of the first practice. If you are not playing that nice coach will want the scholarship money for someone else and would be happy to have you off the team. Take a look at the team roster again. How many seniors are there? Now go back 4 years and look at the number of freshman who started out. An attrition rate of 50% is actually pretty good.

Academically the school has to work too. A kid will be spending a lot of time on soccer. They have to find a major that works with that and stay on top of their studies. There is academic support available including typically access to better tutors, required study table, and priority in scheduling. But if you screw up academically there is no special leeway given to soccer players that you might find with $ sports. Some majors do not work well with playing. Mostly it is those that require a lot of time in a lab or studio. If you take a lab class that allows you to miss one lab, and that lab is on a typical game day then you can't take it. That becomes a big problem as you can fall out of class sequences and fall off track for even a five year graduation rate (an NCAA requirement). Art and music classes have the same issues.

Socially it has to work too. You spend a ton of time with teammates but keep in mind many upperclassmen will not be friendly. You are a threat to their or their friends playing time and scholarships. There is no I in team but there are two in playing time. You need to make sure the school feels good socially outside of soccer.

Finally be realistic. During the season the NCAA allows for a weekly 20 hour time commitment including travel. But that does not include "voluntary" fitness training or time spent getting ready for practice (changing,walking to the facility getting taped up etc ) or after practice. Off season the NCAA allows 8 hours. So - pretty much 4 days a week figure 3.5 hours a day. Add classes and studying and it is a lot.

[Unregistered]

Good explanation.

To estimate time commitment at least double the NCAA numbers. Many programs and kids don't follow the NCAA guidelines. Many more hours than 20 a week in season or 8 out of season, much of it voluntary really isn't.

Ironic, but the one item most teams sorta follow is the actual practice length. Other than pr-season, most kids don't have enough time with a ball on their feet to retain, let alone improve their skills. 8 hours a week out of season, including warm ups and scrimmaging leaves little time. In season, once you factor coaches droning on about tactics, scheming for next opponent, or scheduling light practices prior to and following games, there again is very little time for skills. Freshman and sophmores typically are the most skillful players on most college teams.

[Unregistered]

Good explanation.

To estimate time commitment at least double the NCAA numbers. Many programs and kids don't follow the NCAA guidelines. Many more hours than 20 a week in season or 8 out of season, much of it voluntary really isn't.

Ironic, but the one item most teams sorta follow is the actual practice length. Other than pr-season, most kids don't have enough time with a ball on their feet to retain, let alone improve their skills. 8 hours a week out of season, including warm ups and scrimmaging leaves little time. In season, once you factor coaches droning on about tactics, scheming for next opponent, or scheduling light practices prior to and following games, there again is very little time for skills. Freshman and sophmores typically are the most skillful players on most college teams.

Many underestimate the commitment for D3 in season as well. Even out of season there's still have plenty going on, just not as much as D1 and all "voluntary" but still expected. However, it definitely gives D3 athletes more of a break and D3 coaches tend to be more accommodating for things like internships or study abroad. Some majors and opportunities aren't very conducive for being a D1 athlete.

[Unregistered]

Many underestimate the commitment for D3 in season as well. Even out of season there's still have plenty going on, just not as much as D1 and all "voluntary" but still expected. However, it definitely gives D3 athletes more of a break and D3 coaches tend to be more accommodating for things like internships or study abroad. Some majors and opportunities aren't very conducive for being a D1 athlete.

my daughters D1 scholly paid for her study abroad- and D3 commitment isnt any less
they just have less resources to use,so they are forced to improvise their time

[Unregistered]

A fully funded Div I school can offer up to 14.9 scholarships for women's soccer and 9.9 for men. Look at the school's team roster and count. Most will be 25-30 players. How many do you think are getting a full athletic scholarship? How many coaches will be giving an untried freshman a full athletic scholarship? Can it happen? Of course. The kids playing on the US Natl youth teams doing overseas tournaments are certainly in that realm. Kids with legit pro offers will merit that kind of commitment too. And, a kid who is way above the typical level of recruit for a given school could get one.

Outside of big BCS schools the percentage of schools that fully fund soccer scholarships is not good. A coach with 6-8 scholarships total is not giving out full rides. There are Div I schools out there with 1 or 2 as well.

Academic money stacks with athletic money. That is one reason why coaches love, love, love kids with good grades. Look at target schools academic scholarship requirements. A 3.5 and good test score may qualify for some $. A 3.7 and up and a lot more schools will have academic money. If your kid can get 25% in academic money the coach can offer a half ride and you are at 75% before financial aid.

Having said all that the more important point is good fit - athletically, academically and socially. From a soccer standpoint the question really is will you play? The commitment is huge and it sucks if you don't play. Also, athletic scholarship money will go away if you don't play. That nice coach who was doing the recruiting is gone as of the first practice. If you are not playing that nice coach will want the scholarship money for someone else and would be happy to have you off the team. Take a look at the team roster again. How many seniors are there? Now go back 4 years and look at the number of freshman who started out. An attrition rate of 50% is actually pretty good.

Academically the school has to work too. A kid will be spending a lot of time on soccer. They have to find a major that works with that and stay on top of their studies. There is academic support available including typically access to better tutors, required study table, and priority in scheduling. But if you screw up academically there is no special leeway given to soccer players that you might find with $ sports. Some majors do not work well with playing. Mostly it is those that require a lot of time in a lab or studio. If you take a lab class that allows you to miss one lab, and that lab is on a typical game day then you can't take it. That becomes a big problem as you can fall out of class sequences and fall off track for even a five year graduation rate (an NCAA requirement). Art and music classes have the same issues.

Socially it has to work too. You spend a ton of time with teammates but keep in mind many upperclassmen will not be friendly. You are a threat to their or their friends playing time and scholarships. There is no I in team but there are two in playing time. You need to make sure the school feels good socially outside of soccer.

Finally be realistic. During the season the NCAA allows for a weekly 20 hour time commitment including travel. But that does not include "voluntary" fitness training or time spent getting ready for practice (changing,walking to the facility getting taped up etc ) or after practice. Off season the NCAA allows 8 hours. So - pretty much 4 days a week figure 3.5 hours a day. Add classes and studying and it is a lot.

This is a good post. Thanks, as my DD thumbs through her options I'm relived that she did not take the first thing that came along and as a parent I have looked at every opportunity that has come her way as a skeptic first. This said the avoidance of landing in the wrong program later is offset by lots of work and associated stress of weighing so many directions. In the end I see the final choice leaving her feeling good going both academically and athleticly. Without a doubt there will be less athletic aid and more 'other' aid and she will have made a mature choice and will step into the college experience ready to take it all on as an independent individual. All of this outweighs early commitment and excepting conferences that bind the Athletic aid to the individual for 4 years only time will tell if the path was the least cost as this kid is just the model who those upperclassman lose sleep over.

[Unregistered]

This is a good post. Thanks, as my DD thumbs through her options I'm relived that she did not take the first thing that came along and as a parent I have looked at every opportunity that has come her way as a skeptic first. This said the avoidance of landing in the wrong program later is offset by lots of work and associated stress of weighing so many directions. In the end I see the final choice leaving her feeling good going both academically and athleticly. Without a doubt there will be less athletic aid and more 'other' aid and she will have made a mature choice and will step into the college experience ready to take it all on as an independent individual. All of this outweighs early commitment and excepting conferences that bind the Athletic aid to the individual for 4 years only time will tell if the path was the least cost as this kid is just the model who those upperclassman lose sleep over.

what if her first offer was her best offer and you blow it?

[Unregistered]

There are many examples of CT soccer studs “getting D1 scholarships” and then sitting on the bench, transferring after a year or just giving up soccer all together.

Wouldn’t it be sensible to have your child choose the college that is right for her academically, and have her try out as a walk on?

[Unregistered]

There are many examples of CT soccer studs “getting D1 scholarships” and then sitting on the bench, transferring after a year or just giving up soccer all together.

Wouldn’t it be sensible to have your child choose the college that is right for her academically, and have her try out as a walk on?

Of course academic fit is the most important and always should be. But these kids want to play soccer also. Trying for a walk on is risky at best, fruitless most times. Some families also need athletic dollars to make college work, and many also hope that athletics can help their student get into a better school than they would without soccer.

Problem is, as you point out, many overshoot athletically. A club DOC or coach that steers players towards programs that are appropriate for THEM and is HONEST is what is needed. Many will not be honest because they don't want to upset a paying customer. Clubs also want their recruiting lists to look good. Families also need to be honest with themselves and their child as well. Seek other opinions if need be. Also I think some players underestimate the demands of college sports, some are burnt out, some just don't work out, some struggle with school. If you're at the right school that is what matters in the end. But having soccer come to a close is tough to grapple with emotionally so some will trasnfer in the opes it will be better elsewhere.

[Unregistered]

There are many examples of CT soccer studs “getting D1 scholarships” and then sitting on the bench, transferring after a year or just giving up soccer all together.

Wouldn’t it be sensible to have your child choose the college that is right for her academically, and have her try out as a walk on?

my kid turned down a D1 offer for a D2 offer at a school she liked better- it happens all the time
these kids are not dopes they know exactly what they are getting into and where they feel will work for them
thats not to say all D1 offers are bad or good. they are offers, you still have to make sure it fits what you want to get out of it

[Unregistered]

Of course academic fit is the most important and always should be. But these kids want to play soccer also. Trying for a walk on is risky at best, fruitless most times. Some families also need athletic dollars to make college work, and many also hope that athletics can help their student get into a better school than they would without soccer.

Problem is, as you point out, many overshoot athletically. A club DOC or coach that steers players towards programs that are appropriate for THEM and is HONEST is what is needed. Many will not be honest because they don't want to upset a paying customer. Clubs also want their recruiting lists to look good. Families also need to be honest with themselves and their child as well. Seek other opinions if need be. Also I think some players underestimate the demands of college sports, some are burnt out, some just don't work out, some struggle with school. If you're at the right school that is what matters in the end. But having soccer come to a close is tough to grapple with emotionally so some will trasnfer in the opes it will be better elsewhere.

your club may get you the look but they certainly dont get you an offer with $$$$ attached to it- if you get aan offer worth decent $$$$ the coach thinks your kid can play there- they dont have enough money to pay for bench sitters

[Unregistered]

your club may get you the look but they certainly dont get you an offer with $$$$ attached to it- if you get aan offer worth decent $$$$ the coach thinks your kid can play there- they dont have enough money to pay for bench sitters

I was referring to when they first talk to players about playing in college. Many families walk in starry eyed and a coach should be very frank about types of programs to target. The other problem in girls soccer is with more money to go around many will still get something, and some families are happy with "something." Throw in some financial aid and maybe merit $ and the family is happy while ignoring the athletic realities. On the men's side there's so little money it almost makes it more clear cut.