<p>I hope I'm posting this in the right area -- I'm a new member so I'm still a little unsure of how all the boards are set up. I did a search and couldn't find an answer to my question, so I thought I'd start a thread here.</p>
<p>I'm a white female from Vermont. I applied to a few liberal arts colleges. One of my main EC's is soccer, but I only briefly contacted the coach at one school to see what their program was like. I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to play soccer in college (I'm worried about scheduling time my first year, handling practices/games alongside challenging classes and that sort of thing) but now I'm thinking that I might want to play in college.</p>
<p>Here's my question: should I contact coaches now, or is it pointless after I've already sent in my application? (January 1st deadlines for most of the schools) Do coaches have a lot of influence on admissions decisions? If I don't contact the coaches, will admissions let the coaches know that I'm a potential athlete? (I guess that was more than one question)</p>
<p>I have a fairly strong soccer career: varsity in high school, team MVP 11th and 12th grade, selected to the All-State team 11th and 12th grade, top-ranked defensive player in the state 11th grade, made the Twin-State team this year (Vermont vs. New Hampshire, indicates that I'm in the top half of the All-State selections)</p>
<p>Wow...sorry this post is so long, I'm just curious and tend to talk a lot. Thanks for taking the time to read this whole thing!</p>
<p>Oh, and if it makes a difference, the colleges I'm looking at are Vassar (1st choice), Wesleyan, Connecticut College, Oberlin, and Bates.</p>
<p>definitely contact the coaches. It can't hurt and it might help! You've got nothing to lose. Fill in the recruiting questionnaire on the college's website and send a separate letter by snail mail with your athletic resume. List everything you listed here plus why you want to play at "X" college.</p>
<p>A coach will welcome a player who can help him at any time during the process. I suggest creating a packet to send to the head coach at each school you are applying to. Include the following: unofficial transcript, copies of your SAT/ACT scores, etc, athletic resume with information about awards, skill level, etc, your contact information and contact information for your HS and Club coaches (for recommendations) and a letter explaining a little about yourself and why you would be a good fit for that school/soccer program. Talk about who you are as a person as well. Coaches love high character athletes who can excel both on and off the field. I would include a dvd or tape of yourself...not a highlight reel but a game you feel best represents the way you play. If it were me I would use the 2 day USPS delivery so I know my package would not be lost in a giant pile of regular mail. It costs less than Fedex or UPS. Do some homework-in your letter you should be able to talk about their program, style of play, star players that inspire you, and how you would fit in. You are probably late for admissions help but if a coach really wants you and you are competitive for admissions at the school, they may be able to flag your application for special attention. Do not play sports in college unless you really, really want to. It is rewarding but entails hard work and sacrifice. Good luck. Oh yeah, I would download the online recruiting questionanaire and include it in your packet. The head coach probably won't be checking that very often at this time of the year.</p>