I would like some opinions on College choice between D1 or D3. I have a child who is getting attention from one of the top D3 soccer programs. He also has some options to play D1 at some mid level programs. What do u think in terms of his soccer future? Is there any other way to get to Pro's besides D1? TIA
I think a more important question is what type of degree program is he looking to pursue and do any of these schools offer it? He should probably try to find a place that has a good mix of education and soccer. Also, how much can you afford to help him pay for school. There aren't very many full scholarships in D1 and no athletic scholarships at D3. There are a ton of other things that should be taken into consideration about choosing a college other then what type of soccer program they have. Probably not what you were looking for.
Looking at a Business Degree which seems to include most schools. I don't see him being a super scholar. I want him to have a good and rounded college experience and also have a chance to follow his dream which is to play Pro.
Education should a decicing factor here. If someplace like Johns Hopkins were recruiting your son, and he was smart enough to recieve a academic scholarship, vs a mid level D-1 program with no a strong reputation in academics. I would go with the D-III program.
As someone who had this same basic choice some 20 years ago, let me tell you that I chose DIII, but I would today choose DI given your criteria. When I was looking at schools, I essentially went to the highest bidder. My thoughts should be prefacd by the following: I was never good enough to even dream about playing "pro" or, for that matter, getting an athletic scholarship, and I knew that. The odd (and mediocre) DI programs that had some passing interest gave me little or no help in the financial aid department, while the very good DIII programs that I was looking at put together generous financial aid packages. Because cost was my paramount issue (and not my soccer career, such that it was), I ultimately attended the school that gave me the most money (much of which was academic achievement-based). That worked out fine for me (if for no other reason that I walked out of college with a good degree and almost no debt). But if I thought I was going "pro" after college, I would have chosen DI, for two primary reasons: (1) you have a better chance of being noticed at the DI level then at DIII; and (2) you have better consistent competition. My college matched up quite well in the occasional game against a DI opponent (one or two a year), and a handful of DIII opponents were, well, handfuls. But, we also played a lot of crap teams. At DI, your son's team may not be that good, but he will consistently face a higher level of competition, which will presumably make him a better player. And if the school your son chooses is a sufficiently mediocre DI school, the challenges he faces in practice day to day will be greater than what he would experience at the DIII level. Personally, my advice is for your son to go wherever he thinks he will be most happy, because if he goes someplace that makes him miserable, his soccer will suffer accordingly.