So many downer posts! 
My nephew played club soccer at a D1 school and loved it. He was a good soccer player in high schoolâpossibly could have been recruited to a D2 or D3 schoolâbut like you, was only interested in a big, D1 university setting. He actually didnât make the club team cut his freshman year, but was captain by his senior year. The club team travelled, had amazing players on it and gave him exactly the level of commitment to his sport he was looking for.
I disagree with the blanket statement that clicking âplan to continue in collegeâ wonât help you at all. If that were true, why would it be an option on the common app? Just like any other EC, showing a commitment to continue on-- at the club level or whateverâshows youâre willing and able to be an active part of the college community, and can only help your application. Obviously it doesnât give you the same kind of support youâd have as a recruited athete, but anything you love and want to continue to pursue in college is a plus on an app.
If you think youâd be interested in other schools, many (D3) schools have ID camps in the summer. Itâs an opportunity for you to experience their program and for them to see how you play. You should probably be signing up for those now, though.
I also wouldnât get too hung up on the D1, D2, D3 thing if youâre simply interested in playing. There are D3 schools that have rosters of kids that also had D1 opportunities (i.e., many of the NESCAC schools), and there are D3 teams that your high school team could probably beat. Itâs all a matter of finding something that works for your level of interest. If itâs going to help you get in, though, the dialogue has to have happened before you get in.
And if you just want to play for fun and exercise, there will be opportunities beyond varsity or club. If there is enough interest, the school could have intramurals, the town could have an adult league, a nearby city could have a more organized league. My nephew could have played mid D1 or at any school D2 or D3, but he wanted to go to this school. Doesnât want to play club at his school (no mens D1, so the club team is very competitive, and has won the national championship). He, his roommates, a few other friends, and old high school teammates could assemble an extremely competitive pick up game, complete with goalies and referees. I mean competitive in that they could beat many D1 teams after a few practices. Some of these kids did go to other schools as D1, but transferred back to this state flagship because that is where they wanted to go to school.
Look at each school. If you want to go to a UC, donât assume youâll make the club team but see if there is an opportunity for you to still play. If you want to go to a big D1 that isnât as competitive in soccer, maybe you can make the club team.
CM,
I donât think anyone wants to discourage any athletes. Sometimes, however, a healthy dose of realism is helpful. Here, the OP is a sophomore. That is a great time to be thinking about college and so the OP is to be commended. On the other hand the OP doesnât feel like he or she is good enough to be recruited, but might be good enough to walk-on a D1 team. While at times CC posters can get a bit vehement, I think the majority just wanted to make it clear that if you are not good enough to get recruited, you probably are not good enough to walk on. Indeed, my point was that you probably needed to be better than the average recruit to be a successful walk on. Thatâs not to say the OP shouldnât try out. But being realistic is also important.
Having a resume of athletic achievements (without being a recruit) will help some with admissions. But it will help no more than being a leader in the choir or in student government. Colleges want engaged and active students, as they believe that if you are active in high school you likely will be active in college. However, the level of bump that provides is no where near the bump for a recruited athlete. In truth, it will depend on where the specific college is in building a class. If the college knows that the participation level of its club soccer team is dangerously low, if will be a bigger bump than if the club soccer team is cutting potential players.
OP, I recommend â as have the others â that you explore all the options open to you. Look at Club, D3, D2 and try taking to a few D1 coaches. Listen carefully to what they say. You will get a sense of what is available for you.
@gointhruaphase : I think you and I are saying essentially the same thing. And I agree that Ivies and probably Duke are unrealistic goals for someone with grades that âarenât that greatââpeople like to focus on the athletes theyâve known who get in to those schools with mediocre grades, but the vast majority of recruits Iâve known are excellent studentsâand this is especially true for athletes who are potential walk-ons hoping for a coachâs soft support or tip outside the athletic recruitment process (when and if that kind of support even happensâthereâs certainly no guarantee of it)
However, I think the OP was realistic that he wasnât good enough to be an athletic recruit. Iâm also hearing that OP likes the idea of a state flagship with a good club team. If thatâs the case, and OP can get his grades up over the next few years, then a good athlete who indicates interest in continuing to play a sport on the club levelâin combination with a solid GPA and test scoresâmight well have a ticket to a great flagship. Athletic recruiting is a different thing all together, I agree, but a strong EC or two are always a plus in admissions.