<p>If the GPA were a bit stronger and test scores are good I’d urge him to aim for one of the NESCAC schools. D-3 hockey is big there, and academics are outstanding. Hamilton, Bowdoin, Williams, Middlebury, and Amherst are all currently top 30 in D-3 hockey; Colby’s #37, Wesleyan #46, Trinity #47, Connecticut College #54. All great schools, but pretty reachy for a kid with a B average (Trinity and Conn college perhaps slightly less so than the others). </p>
<p>Among the other currently ranked D-3 teams, I’d say Hobart (#4), Skidmore (#33), and St. Olaf (#38) are very good schools and a bit less competitive in admissions than the NESCAC schools. Although little known outside its region, Gustavus Adolphus (#39) is regarded by many people in the Upper Midwest as being pretty close to St. Olaf academically; the difference is Gustavus is historically a Swedish Lutheran school, St. Olaf a Norwegian Lutheran school, which makes all the difference in the world to Swedes and Norwegians but no difference at all to the rest of the world. </p>
<p>I think he should put together a video showing what he can do in net and send it around to the coaches at some of these schools, and perhaps arrange a few school visits where he schedules a meeting with the coach. D-3 schools don’t have big athletic recruiting budgets, so athletes sometimes need to take the initiative. Getting the coach to advocate for the kid at admissions time can make a difference. But I’ve also heard a lot of stories about college coaches making big promises early in the process that turn out not to be as ironclad as the recruit thinks; and of coaches overselling how much influence they have with the admissions office. So I wouldn’t put too many eggs in that basket. The main thing, I think, is to come up with a list of schools that make sense for this kid academically and where being a recruited athlete is potentially an admissions plus, and/or where he has a good chance of making the team as a walk-on. If he’s not already being recruited by D-1 schools, that’s likely to be at the D-3 level.</p>