Researching schools can be a different process for every student-athlete, but it is important for EVERY student-athlete. Researching schools can get tedious, but you should be researching schools each week, no matter how old you are. The more schools you research, the more you will know what you are looking for in a school. You will be the one going to college for four years and you should be the one determining what you want in a school. Don’t leave the decision in someone else’s hands! Take the time to do this research, involve your parents and you will be on the right path for choosing the right school for you.

There are 3 main things you need to look at when starting to research schools: Academics, Athletics and Social Life.

Academics:

• Does the school offer several majors you would have interest in?
• Do your current cumulative GPA and/or test scores meet their admissions requirements?
• What is the school’s enrollment?
• What is the student to teacher ratio?

Athletics:

• What was the team’s record last season?
• Who do they compete against?
• What is the coach’s background?
• Read the players bios, how do you match-up in your position?

Social Life:

• How far is the school from home?
• Do you like the school’s setting (urban, rural, suburban)?
• Does the school offer activities you would get involved in outside of soccer and academics?

These are the types of things you should be looking for when you are researching schools, but they are just a starting point.  When you ultimately choose a school, you want to have interest in multiple areas, not just the soccer program.