Choosing the Right School

Patrick Carver returns with the final article in his trilogy. Patrick offers his experiences and suggestions for managing the soccer recruiting cycle for players interested in playing in college. You can find all three articles posted on his site. The recruiting theme will continue next Wednesday when Patrick’s classmate at Parkview HS, Katie Brooks, brings us the first of her two planned articles. Katie will focus on her experiences and what differences women players might expect to find in the process. So, without further ado (sorry, I went to Tent Theatre tonight for Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew”) here is Patrick’s article.

Choosing the right school feels a lot like what I am told it feels like to fall in love; you get a feeling unlike anything you have ever experienced before. Choosing your college is probably a little less dramatic than falling in love. Nonetheless, when choosing to attend a college you will probably get a feeling for “the one” which is different than any other school you visit. There are numerous factors that can affect your college decision. It is important to find out what you want out of a school. But, how do you know which school will be the best for you over the next four years? Recruiting visits, talking to coaches and a multitude of other factors will help you decide which college you will call home. Being prepared for your visits and conversations will leave you feeling confident about your college decision. Your perfect college should be the personification of what you want out of your college experience. In the end, you shouldn’t really have to choose a college, the college should choose you.

If you are fortunate enough to have multiple schools recruiting you to play soccer, you will eventually have to narrow your group of top schools. Most likely, you will have all sorts of information about each college that has been sent to you. Review this information carefully because it will give you great insight into the schools you are reviewing. Brochures, pamphlets and press guides will only take you so far. You have to use some other ways of getting first hand information if you really want to get a good feeling about the college.

A great way to get information about colleges and how you fit into the plans of that college is to talk to the coach. On the other hand, the literature that coaches send you can be misleading. As you might imagine, college coaches don’t send every prospective player a personalized letter. They routinely send stock letters that share the same message with multiple players. These letters will usually say they are interested in you and will give a little information about the school and where they want to go as a program. That’s why having a discussion with a coach is a must if you want to find out where you fit in. Talking to the coach will give you insight into things that the standard material won’t tell you. Asking the coach questions such as, how many other freshmen are you looking to add in this recruiting class? How many players do you have that play my position? What type of contribution do you see me making my first year? These questions will all give you answers that will show how much of a priority you are as a player. If the coach says things like, “we are looking to bring in 3 players that play your position,” this might be cause for concern. This means that you are not the only player he or she is recruiting for your position. If you are looking to play your first year, this might not be an ideal situation. Then again, if you are willing to wait a year or two to play this could be an acceptable situation. Coaches will be pretty straightforward with you about their plans and won’t usually withhold information.
The recruiting visit is the most important part of picking your school. It is a hands-on look at the colleges where you could be spending the next four years. I went on two official visits to colleges. The first trip was to the University of Chicago and then two weeks later I went to Atlanta, Georgia to see Emory University. This back to back visitation format helped me pick the best school possible. I was able to see the benefits and disadvantages of both schools in a relatively small time period.

I went to Chicago without preconceived ideas. I had no idea which school I would like better. I had never stepped foot on either campus so my decision would have to come after the visits. When you arrive at your colleges for visits, they will treat you very nice. From the moment you step into the athletic office you will be meeting athletic directors, other coaches, players and faculty members. The coaching staff will be trying to make a good impression on you. You will get a tour of the facilities, free meals and a lot of attention. After meeting with the coaches, you will usually stay the night with some players so you can get a feel for what campus life is like. This is the most important part of the trip. This is where you can really get a feel for the school. In the end, you should choose the school that made you feel at home. After my visit to Chicago, I left feeling unfulfilled. The coaching staff was extremely nice. The players were all very nice and supportive. There was nothing that anyone had done there that made me feel bad, but I didn’t feel strongly about the school. The only thought I had in the back of my head was, I don’t think I can spend the next four years here and be happy. All I had now was the hope that my visit to Emory would be great.

When I went to Emory, everything was perfect. I was excited driving through Atlanta even before I got to the school. I arrived at the school and it was beautiful. The player that showed me around was extremely nice, someone who I thought I could become friends with. Most of the players I met in Chicago were very nice, but I didn’t really see myself becoming good friends with any of them. We were just different and that is fine. The players at Emory on the other hand, were all people that I felt I could be friends with. The coaching staff was fantastic. Another big factor, Chicago didn’t offer a business program, the major I wanted to study, while Emory did. I left Emory knowing that this school was the one. I didn’t need to go to any other schools for visits because I knew where I wanted to go. I told my parents as soon as I left that Emory was the place for me.

The schools that you visit will all be unique. Each school will have benefits and disadvantages. At one school, you might be able to step in and play your first year. At another school, you might have to wait a year or two before you get real playing time. One school might offer you a better financial package than the others. College is a unique experience that is different for everyone. You have to decide what is important to you and where you can find that. Don’t allow others to influence you. Whether it is other players, college coaches, or friends, if you try to please everyone else, you will feel bad down the road about your decision. When you find the right college you will know. The right college will be the place that meets all your expectations and more. The right college will choose you.

I’d like to thank Patrick for taking the time to write these three articles for Springfield Soccer. It was a significant commitment in time and could ultimately become the most referenced resource on this site. Patrick has offered to continue contributing so he and I are looking for suggestions and ideas. Please feel free to offer your thoughts via email (ole at sgfsoccer.com) or by using the Comments links below the article. Make this a two way effort folks!