I had exchanged a few emails with the coach of Rhodes, I know for a fact I could play there however it doesn’t suit me academically so I crossed it off my list. Most of those schools you listed are not the type of schools I am going for, however I am going to be attending Muhlenberg’s prospect clinic next week. As of right now my targets are Hobart, Bard, New Paltz, Muhlenberg and Skidmore.
The OP seems to be looking in New England/Middle Atlantic – an area flooded with accomplished athletes and students. My advice has been, if playing D3 soccer, without club experience, is a priority, then looking beyond that over-saturated east coast market is a good strategy. I’m from the east coast originally, so I understand the difficulty of looking beyond DC to Boston. Consider that Hobart is ranked 65 on US News, 92 on Massey and 137 on Hero Sports, vs. Centre which is ranked 44 on US News and 81 on Massey and 73 on Hero Sports. Or that, just like Hobart and Skidmore, Rhodes roster includes mostly players who were all District, All Region or All State, and played on Academy or other competitive club teams. Getting to the point where a coach – from a college the student wants to attend and wants to play for – makes a roster spot offer to that student, is a long process.
Having played D1 way back in the day when dinosaurs roamed the earth and still keeping an eye on the college soccer scene… unless you are truly a gifted player committed to soccer twelve months of the year imho you are better off finding the right school and letting the soccer work itself out. If you do it because you like the camaraderie and the exercise you will find it on almost every campus. Players change, coaches change, priorities change but the college campus atmosphere, the major, the alumni network, the roommates, the professors who become mentors those are the things that will matter most. Best of luck to you!
Yes I certainly agree with you, however my main goal right now is to try and find a college that has everything I want as well as a soccer team I will have a spot on. It is still a bit early in my college search as I am only a junior so I am trying to find the perfect place, obviously if later on this isn’t realistic anymore I will certainly choose going to a good school over playing soccer somewhere I won’t fit in.
Hello, so the past few months I have made a lot of progress in narrowing down my options. I went to a few ID camps including the Connecticut College one and it went well. I now realize playing in the NESCAC is extremely difficult and competitive and I am neither good enough or up for the challenge. I want to play at a school where it is not extremely competitive but still a decent team. My top choices right now are Bard, Skidmore, New Paltz, Bridgewater and Hobart.
Bard seems to be the best fit for me in regards to soccer, I’ve been told I can play there by a few of my coaches. I received my SAT scores yesterday and I got a 1360 which puts me above the average score of 1263 for the school. I will most likely take the SAT again and try to break 1400 so I can have even more of an advantage.
@Ozil123 Glad to hear things are falling into place. If you haven’t already been in touch with the coaches at Bard and others, now is the time to do that. Find out what camps the Bard coach may be doing this summer, and consider whether you can attend. Pay attention to finances, ask your family to run the Net Price Calculator to make sure your schools of interest are affordable. Have a list of schools which are safeties/matches/reaches for both admissions and for soccer. Good luck!