D1 Scholarships

Discussion in 'Women's College' started by GKparent2019, Jul 30, 2018.

  1. bigquestions

    bigquestions Member

    Liverpool FC
    Japan
    Nov 8, 2018
    Agreed that match fitness is difficult to obtain. However giving 110% at practice EVERY SINGLE PLAY does help. Doing extra conditioning (as all teams back up players do when their teams are on the road and also at home if they didn't play) as if you're preparing to play can go a long way if the work they put in is relentless. Ditto with the off season conditioning.

    There are so few spots open for women to play professionally (unless they're willing to just go to Europe/Australia/Iceland etc and play for pennies with the lower leagues-but even then the ones I know that have done that still had significant playing time as an underclassmen) that truly if your child isn't able to get playing time as a freshman or sophomore they probably are not going to play at the next level.

    As far as building confidence, this is something that is your daughter's responsibility. Again, I'd venture to say that players who go to the next level don't lack confidence even when they have a bad game. There is a different mentality that being a pro (or even being a really successful collegiate athlete requires).

    I don't disagree that as the girls age and have success on the field, their confidence grows but those players generally come in with such a "fight" to them that lack of confidence generally isn't an issue.

    For the 2016 NWSL draft of 40 players (out of all of the NCAA senior women who put their names in the draft) only 30 made a roster spot. It's a very small number of women who play after their college eligibility is completed. It's difficult to get a visa to play in Europe for longer than 3 months. We know a few who graduated and played over there (kind of used it like a semester abroad) then came back to the US and got a "real" job. Some had jobs and just deferred their staring dates until the Fall and played for one season.
     
  2. nocarters

    nocarters Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Georgia
    Got a somewhat related topic as it pertains to recruiting.
    Our background:
    My daughter is currently a freshman (high school). Plays for local DA team. Currently being recruited pretty heavily by UNC (local school), Penn St. and Boston College.

    Since the Florida showcase she has received 7 personalized emails from other schools inviting her to ID camps (the only communication they are allowed to make).

    My question is do these coaches just send a "form" email to all the kids at the showcase or are these really targeted to the select players they are interested in? Mostly want to know as I think she should respond to all coaches that send her a personalized email even if she won't be attending their camp (a thank you letter). Love to hear what you guys think. Thanks!
     
  3. ytrs

    ytrs Member+

    Jan 24, 2018
    It is a bit of both. Some schools send a lot of these invites out because ID camps are usually money makers for the coaching staff. Other staffs are more selective, and only want top players there. There is really no way to know of their specific interest in your daughter (based on these ID camp letters) unless she calls and speaks to the staff, or the coaching staff lets her club coach know of their interest.
     
    Eddie K and nocarters repped this.
  4. Eddie K

    Eddie K Member+

    May 5, 2007
    That previous post is correct.
    No D1 coach is supposed to be initiating any contact with recruits before 9/1 after Soph year now but they are allowed to send camp fliers and invitations. Funny thing is they aren't supposed to talk recruiting as any part of the camp or visit for the camp either. So the camp invite and talk about the camp is almost 'cover' for contacting kids. It's the only permitted way they can reach out to 9th/10th graders.

    So, the phone call 'appointment' is still the key. College coach tells your club coach, "have her call me at this # Tuesday at 8:15" Of course, IF your club coach does not filter those requests at all. Also good to just have the club coach contact the college coach for you and find out. The college coach can take their call and they will usually be very honest with feedback. They may not always want to talk money but many will. This is where it gets sticky.
    Depending on how good the player really is, you may get lots of variety here.
    example-
    School A says 50% but it's a big State school (so affordable like SEC)
    School B says 75% package of combined aid with a 1200 SAT but is a good private but not in the Power 5. (say a Big East or WCC school).
    Bottom line costs may be very similar but what's the better option??? That's the fun part to work out on the car rides home!

    Here's the crazy part about the new rules - folks looking at P5s and top tier soccer schools will now be making decisions before you even have a face to face meeting with the coach on campus! Everyone is supposed to be waiting until that Sept 1 date but not sure that's going to happen at the top of D1.
    Good Luck!
     
  5. nocarters

    nocarters Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Georgia


    Thanks Eddie!
    I agree that the whole process is a bit odd. Several of the schools have asked her coach to have her call them and she now regularly (every other week) talks to 3 of them. So not sure what the new rule accomplishes. Then the whole dance around what are we really talking about and how to bring up the finances. The big ones (the P5 schools) have even said she can be set before the holidays (eg, committed). As you point out, other than the conversations by phone, and the ID camps, it feels strange to commit before officially visiting the school or really talking in depth with the coaches.

    As for the emails she's received since the FLA showcase - some you can tell are more obvious about wanting her to come as code for we are interested, a couple others read more like form letters.

    However, the most difficult part is trying to ascertain what the financial commitments are between the in-state school and the out-of-state school. Love to hear others experience with this and how they negotiated the verbal commitment.
     
  6. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    Do you ever talk about quality of education in a field of interest?
     
  7. Eddie K

    Eddie K Member+

    May 5, 2007
    Totally my opinion of course - I think the "quality" argument for elite private schools is Very overstated (especially by them clearly). These days, you can make a great living by learning to code in Python or Java, or learning Arabic and getting a security clearance. Google and other IT's are paying smart kids not to go to college!
    Lots has been written about this of course and "Elite" colleges are a bit on the defensive these days about the value of a traditional Liberal Arts education but are not running short of applicants I don't think. Below is a recent example. Basically, smart students do well in college and in their careers with degrees from just about any kind of college.
    What do I recommend students generally? - save your money in the first four years so you can spend it on the next four (at a truly elite graduate or professional school). Some folks will just never put a "State" school sticker on their BMW or Lexus! I do think it's funny how often the families most capable of paying for college are the one's saving with athletic scholarships.

    https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/does-it-matter-where-you-go-college/577816/
     
    Got Jukes? repped this.
  8. Cliveworshipper

    Cliveworshipper Member+

    Dec 3, 2006
    #33 Cliveworshipper, Jan 14, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2019
    Your link states it doesn’t matter for a rich White guy. ( they probably work in dad’s firm).
    What’s the data for a woman, not necessarily rich or white, which is the group we are discussing here?

    And the scholarships aren’t really an issue for most of the top elite schools. Students do t really have to pay most of the tuition load at Harvard, Stanford, and most of the ivy’s.
     
  9. whattodo

    whattodo New Member

    Barcelona
    Japan
    Dec 3, 2018
     
  10. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "I disagree on this statement. We had a player in our club who was Harvard's #1 target her recruiting year. Her parents do very well. Harvard couldn't figure out how to get her any money. At the end of the day she ended up at a power five on a full ride. Parents couldn't justify paying out of pocket 65k plus per year when she had other offers that cost her nothing."
    This is what really concerns me. All of sudden girls are playing soccer to get their college tuition covered by athletic/other scholarships even though their parents could afford to pay. Shame on the parents.

    Paying for my daughters to go to the schools they wanted to go to -- and they were very good and expensive schools -- was some of the best money I ever spent.
     
  11. Westcoastbias

    Westcoastbias New Member

    Jan 9, 2019
    You find anyway you can to pay for Stanford, Princeton or Harvard
     
  12. Eddie K

    Eddie K Member+

    May 5, 2007
    You're shaming the parents for saving 250K on college expenses? I'm glad you're not my kids HS counselor!
    What if she wants to be a nurse or elementary teacher or athletic trainer? What if she was from CA or TX and didn't want to be that far away? What if she's 1 of 5 kids who all will want a college education?

    Everyone knows the Ivy League is special and where the best of the best go to teach and to learn. But, everyone should also know it doesn't make the most sense for everyone. Even for those that could gain admission and pay for it. I'm sure this family put more than just some casual thought into attending Harvard.

    Again, the Ivies are special and I don't dispute that at all. My advice would have been to give it serious consideration but my first questions would have been something like: What do you want to study? What do you want to be doing in 5-10 years? Can you see yourself in a super rigorous academic environment X miles from home? Harvard's coaches should have asked these questions and the answers should have ended or continued the recruiting relationship.

    This idea that you always get exactly what you pay for in higher education is a fallacy. That if you spend 5x more, you get 5x smarter, earn 5x more money, or become 5x happier. I hope that's not what you're saying but it is being said out there for sure.

    I completely agree and am always concerned that soccer parents are way too focused on the scholarship and the money and that often clouds their judgement. Unfortunately, the pay-to-play model takes full advantage of this and kids often don't get the best advice.

    But that still doesn't mean it makes sense for an elem ed major to spend 250K on a private school degree, for example.

    BTW - a good private academic school - Washington-St. Louis is advertising on my twitter feed for an on-line Masters in Legal Studies. I wonder what their alumni think about what that does to the value of their degree? The higher ed market is changing every year.
     
  13. Number007

    Number007 Member+

    Santos FC
    Brazil
    Aug 29, 2018
    Unless in possession of all the facts, its too easy to comment on other peoples decisions. We all have done it. We should try not to
     
  14. bigquestions

    bigquestions Member

    Liverpool FC
    Japan
    Nov 8, 2018
    #39 bigquestions, Jan 21, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2019
    To each his own.

    It really depends on the family's situation and student goals.

    I'm all for using soccer to do what you need/want it to do. If it is getting you in early decision to a highly selective school (let's be realistic, even with a perfect SAT score, great grades and activities, your child isn't guaranteed admission as a non-athlete) go for it. If it is to get your child's undergraduate school paid for so that they won't graduate in serious debt, then go for it.

    It's such a personal decision. What works for some doesn't work for others.

    I do know that my oldest child thanks me often for not having student debt. She's making a lot of money with her first job but is living in one of the top three most expensive metro areas in the US. She's sitting next to kids who graduated from some top schools (Stanford etc) and she's in the same place (arguably on a faster track to promotions as she's passed some of them within 18 months of working there and they've been with the company for 4-5 years) with a hell of lot less debt. Her quality of life is better because she's not an hour commute from work. She can afford to live closer.

    So a state school worked for her. She loved her time there, and had happy memories with great friends and now is very successful in her chosen field. It's a highly competitive job on a very prestigious project.

    Everyone's situation is different.

    And what she didn't spend from her college fund we gifted to her and she's made a investment in real estate. Again, it's not a shame on the parents for not paying if they can afford it. It is finding out where your child will excel and grow. For many many children that answer is not an Ivy or a highly selective school.

    And this child didn't play sports. She had a terrific academic scholarship.

    We went through the same process with our athlete. Where does she fit best? She probably could have gone to any Ivy and was definitely competitive for admissions without soccer (again you never know for sure but her test scores, national merit and activities were all in line with Ivy standards) but the Ivies were not a good fit for her. She's excelled both on and off the field at a Power 5 school and the opportunities that she's created for herself there have been extraordinary.

    It's just not a one size fits all. We were lucky with both kids. They both stepped on their respective campuses and felt at home from the first visit. Would we have paid more money for them to go elsewhere? Absolutely! But they found their places and the oldest had quite a bit left over from the college account. The younger one will have even more left over. She'll be able to pay for graduate school at any institution she desires or make a substantial downpayment on a house etc, start a business.
     
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  15. Enzo the Prince

    Sep 9, 2007
    Club:
    CA River Plate
    I'd recommend not naming which schools you guys are in contact with, for a whole bunch of reasons, just for your own sake. Those coaches, or someone associated with the program, likely reads these boards. If you start talking about other programs, other contacts, offers etc, especially illegal ones (which some of these emails clearly are) it could start going into territory you don't want. Not a big deal, just better off not naming schools imho.
     
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  16. PlaySimple

    PlaySimple Member

    Sep 22, 2016
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I mostly agree with what everyone has stated here. Students absolutely should go to the best possible school that they are able to but is a personal decision and everyone's situation is different. While I totally understand the logic of "finding anyway you can to pay for Stanford, Princeton, or Harvard", those schools are not necessarily for everyone.

    I know a player that was on Stanford's men's team. He is a good student but did not get as much playing time as he thought that he should be getting. He transferred to a highly rated California state school and will play a lot more. On the surface I thought to myself "he's crazy....he's at Stanford....who cares about the playing time?" When I found out more about the situation I learned that although he is a good student, he felt as if he was a bit over his head and in order to remain at Stanford would have had to quit soccer. Also, he was receiving very little money from soccer and the school he transferred to would end up being much more affordable.

    The incident also drives home another point that I have emphasized with my kids. I have told all of them, and all of them were/are collegiate athletes, that the school that they chose to attend should be the school that they want to be at regardless of if they play a sport or not. If they decided to quit or were to get injured and not able to play, I wanted them to feel like they were at the school they wanted to be at. I wanted them to fall in love with the school and the academics at the school before the athletic program or the coach. Too often that doesn't happen. A kid commits to a school that they're not entirely thrilled with and when the sport that they play quits being fun, they end up hating the coach, or they get injured and can't continue to play, they want to leave the school. Soccer or any sport can open a lot of doors to various schools that might have not been open otherwise but it should not be the overriding factor in determining what school to attend.
     
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  17. Elizabeth Moore

    Elizabeth Moore New Member

    Jan 26, 2019
    Hi everyone! I am a former DI soccer player at St. Bonaventure University and now pursuing a M.A. in Integrated Marketing Communications. As a requirement of our degree I have to conduct primary research on the topic of my choosing, so naturally I fell back to soccer.

    This survey is meant to be used as a teaching tool for conducting and analyzing the responses of current girl club soccer parent’s beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions of club soccer. I would greatly appreciate any current club soccer parents who could take a few minutes to fill out this survey to help me continue my education!

    https://sbu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Qqdu6D1mDZxNWd

    Lastly, this survey is in no way meant only for the parents of a certain club team, so if you have a few seconds to forward this link to other girls club soccer parents I would be incredibly grateful!

    Thank you for your time!
     
  18. nocarters

    nocarters Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Georgia
    My child has been offered full rides (the coach states it as you won't pay a dime) from a couple schools. Just recently, from a major school, they made an offer I am not sure I completely understand. They said it includes tuition/fees/Room. Then said something about Board grant, and she would only have to pay for a couple meals a day. Anyone have experience with this type of offer?
     
  19. ytrs

    ytrs Member+

    Jan 24, 2018
    A full ride consists of tuition, fees, books, room and board. Plus some schools (typically the power five conference schools) are including cost of attendance stipends.

    A new era in college sports arrived for the 2015-16 school year in the form of full “cost of attendance,” a stipend paid over and above the benefits of a scholarship. The amount of the stipend varies by school, ranging from about $2,000 to $5,000extra going to each full-scholarship athlete.
     
  20. nocarters

    nocarters Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Georgia
    Thanks ytrs. I am assuming this offer includes all but the "board" piece. Can you tell me how the offer works when making a verbal commitment? Other than the offer presented over the phone, is there anything "on paper" reiterating what the offer is?
     
  21. Glove Stinks

    Glove Stinks Member+

    Jan 20, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Typically nothing on paper. The coaches obviously file all off their offers so if there is a coaching change the new coach understands what the athletes have been offered. Make sure you do your homework on the Coach, the team culture, and look to see the incidents of transfers. It has to be a trust thing
     
  22. nocarters

    nocarters Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Georgia
    Thanks GS - this is an offer from a coach that has been there a loooong time so the trust is there. Just feels a bit odd to make this kind of commitment now with nothing written down until a couple years later during official signing day. But then again this whole process has been quite the adventure..
     
  23. ytrs

    ytrs Member+

    Jan 24, 2018
    I think schools do not like to put it in writing to protect themselves from potential liability if they were to pull the offer later. I would like to hear others chime in to see if some schools do put it in writing.
     
  24. Eddie K

    Eddie K Member+

    May 5, 2007
    Of course it should be in writing BUT....for D1 WS, the coach can't put the offer in writing until Sept 1st at the start of the Jr year. They aren't supposed to have recruiting contact at all until then. (so a written offer is actually a violation). The incoming call is allowed for youngins so only thing you should get until then is a verbal offer. If you ask for everything in writing on Sept. 1 or thereafter, that should not be a problem.

    About the offer, you'll find them sliced and diced all kinds of ways. Not offering meals(board) may mean it's just not in the budget for that year or that the coach wants that 10-15% (or whatever) equivalency for another player. Often you end up getting a "credit" for room and meals on your school bill that is the campus average so if the student chooses the best single apt, or the best maximum meal plan, for example, they pay the difference. Some schools just don't like to pay for off-campus housing at all so important to ask lots of questions about years 2,3,4. What happens if.......?
     
  25. ntxsage

    ntxsage Member

    Apr 25, 2012
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    What resources do high school (or younger) players have to do homework on a college coach? Other than getting lucky enough that her club coach or DOC happens to know, seems like most kids have minimal info to weigh out coach character prior to accepting a verbal offer.
     

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