National Signing Day

[Unregistered]

I am not the poster that you commented on, but I do know from my player's offers what to expect.
1) First offers to excellent players often come from good schools/programs, but necessarily the best ones. It's how those schools can get the top players.
2) Almost all offers are based on Cost of Attendance, the total bill for a school year. Find this number on the Financial Aid part of the college's website.
3) Many schools use the 20,40,60,80 percent awards scheme over the four years of college, based on COA. (20% freshman year, 40% sophomore year, etc.)
4) Books are usually 100% paid every year, and that can be a large amount.
5) Academic scholarships, loans for students and parents, grants are also part of the deal.
6) If you are really interested, have the coach get his Financial Aid department and the Compliance department to make you a written offer. That will take a week or two. All will be spelled out.

It can be confusing, you must know all the costs yourself by checking out the COA and asking questions about future years, not just the first year.

We have asked questions and they seem to be very forthcoming. There are no written offers because my player is a sophomore and is not old enough yet. The college is looking for a early verbal commitment. We have been told that the scholarship has potential to go up each year based on varying criteria 1) contribution to success of team 2) grades 3) good person etc... We were also told that the scholarship would not go down even in the event of injury.

We love the college, but since my player is so young we have not had the opportunity to explore other options. We are scrambling now trying to look around before the offer expires. The age of the player is somewhat of an impediment to looking around since there cannot be any direct contact unless we happen to be on campus at the same time, or we happen to call when they are in their office. It is a huge decision and we would like to get it right.

[Unregistered]

additional info

We have asked questions and they seem to be very forthcoming. There are no written offers because my player is a sophomore and is not old enough yet. The college is looking for a early verbal commitment. We have been told that the scholarship has potential to go up each year based on varying criteria 1) contribution to success of team 2) grades 3) good person etc... We were also told that the scholarship would not go down even in the event of injury.

We love the college, but since my player is so young we have not had the opportunity to explore other options. We are scrambling now trying to look around before the offer expires. The age of the player is somewhat of an impediment to looking around since there cannot be any direct contact unless we happen to be on campus at the same time, or we happen to call when they are in their office. It is a huge decision and we would like to get it right.

You need to arrange through a third party, like your club coach or DOC, to know when to call to catch a coach in his/her office. My DD got her first (surprise to us ) offer in early January of her sophomore year. It was verbal but the college offered to put in into writing, which we did not have done because neither my DD or us thought that it was the best college for her. Her better fit offers do not come until almost a year later. Maybe they'll put it into writing for you? Usually they want the information you would put into a FAFSA application to do this. It is a huge decision. (Also, offers can get better when the player has taken SAT's later, your player is a bit young to do well on SAT's that would normally be taken end of junior year to early senior year.)

[littlebit]

What you say about until the paper work is done is not a true offer is technically true, but a verbal offer is pretty good and usually just as good, its not fair to a coach to let it go to the paperwork and turn it down. Yes I have heard of girls that have turned down D-1s for a variety of reasons as have been stated in this post. My daughter being one of them.

What people have posted here about offers not being official until it's writing by both parties, is true. Verbal promises are just that and mean nothing until you have it in writing.
A college coach can see a player and really like them, want them for his team in the future and will tell the player that. When the coach is allowed to call and start recruiting and putting pressure on the kid to choose his college team, the kid thinks cool, I have an offer. That coach is doing the same thing with dozens of other players. Many kids have gotten to the college of their choice thinking they are going to play on the team there and then told they were never promised a scholarship, or even a spot on the team; they're going to have to "walk-on" and try out but they probably won't make it.
You may feel a little bad about changing your mind and turning down an offer to a school but, believe me, they have many other prospects and that coach will have plenty of other players willing to take that spot. You, however, need to look out for your kid and make sure that if you do get an offer, a real offer, that it is in writing.
But like other said, once someone has gone through the whole process, applied to the college, been accepted, applied for financial aid (for scholarship purposes) and all the other paperwork, it's highly unlikely that they will suddenly decide they don't like that school and don't want to play there. If they've been working toward this their whole lives, to play in college, and it's gotten down to everyone signing those papers, it's official.

[littlebit]

Why do people always have to tear down choices and accomplishments of others? I think if a soccer player would prefer a D2, D3 or NAIA school then more power to them. I think they can have rewarding soccer and a great education at any of these schools. People come on this forum and cut down just about anything.

For example insinuating that the education you can get from a OSU or U of O is subpar. I call nonsense on that. Is Stanford better known? Yes it is and only 5 or so years outside of college no one is going to care where you went anymore. This is a time for these youngsters to be proud as they transition into adulthood. I am impressed with all of them that continue their education and get into college. If they can play a sport they love then that is just gravy.

I want to congratulate all of the youth that have signed a national letter of intent. Awesome job and way to go!!!!!!

I agree.

There are A LOT of things to consider when choosing where to go to school. Some kids like big schools, some like small schools.
Some kids want to be in or near a city and some want to be rural; community matters.
They have to like the campus, they have to like the "feel" of the school.
They have to like the philosophy and obviously, the programs offered.
**What do they want to major in?? They have to narrow their search down by that. If the school doesn't even have the degree program that you want to study, why would you go there?
How much does it cost, what kinds of scholarships can they get to go there, what's going to be the out of pocket expense?

As for D-1, they come in many shapes and sizes and their sports programs run the range, too. So for their soccer teams, what would your kid get out of that school's soccer program there?

If what ever school they choose is a good fit for them, in every way, then it doesn't matter if it's a D-1, D-2, D-3, NAIA. What's matter is that it works for them and they will get a good education and love where they go to school.

[Unregistered]

The level is not the entire story when it comes to a scholarship. Lets take what you have to pay out of pocket ON TOP OF the scholarship at U of O vs. Gonzaga. If your DD is lucky enough to get an offer they will not be getting more than 25% the first year which means that at the U of O you will be writing checkw for roughly $15K. At Gonzaga you will be writing checkw for $30K.

Similarly, at Standford you will be writing checks for $35K. So while it might be nice to have the option to play for one of the "big dogs" or a top academic program soccer is not going to cover even half of the costs to attain a degree.

In the second year the percentage goes up and if they are a star player they might get to 75% in their Junior year and possibly 100% their Senior year so when you are considering the offers you also need to consider the structure of the offer and the Gross costs of attendance.

I have a son playing soccer at a D3 school on a partial (about 50% tuition for 4 years) scholarship (although it's worded as a scholarship for something else) and I have a son going to OSU playing intramural soccer, so no scholarship. Because of the money that private universities/colleges have and can offer for multitudes of reasons, we pay about the same "out of pocket" for our soccer son as we do to OSU even though the dollar amounts on paper are double at the D3 than at OSU. Stanford and other private institutions just might cover the same or more of the cost of an education than at U of O or OSU. Every offer is different; family financial circumstances are different. Don't knock the pricetag of a D3 school until you've applied and have been given a "package."