Div I or Div III

I wanted to ask a question to all parents and see what type of responses there are out there.

Two choices:

Door #1
Div 1 school (large undergrad population)
Tier I school (ranked 100-150 in country among National Universities)
Soccer Scholarship
Driving distance from home

Door #2
Div III school (small underad population)
Tier I school (ranked top 25 among National Universities)
No soccer scholarship; however able to get aid that would ~ equal amount from Div I school
Driving distance from home

Re: Div I or Div III

If you are a parent, where does your child want to go? If you are a player, where do you want to go?

There have to be so many more factors you consider when choosing a college..... Do they have a strong program in the academic major you are interested in? Have you visited the school (overnight preferably) and gotten a feel of the campus, the classes, the soccer team? Have you talked with current students to get the inside scoop on the college (including current team members)? What does the school offer for every non-soccer experience that interests you?

As far as just the soccer (and we know you aren't choosing the college for the soccer only, of course, should that knee give out on day 1 of practice), what about the coach? How long has she/he been with the school? Have you spent enough time talking with the coach to get a feel for whether you gel with him/her? What position do you want to play and are there openings there on the current roster? Do you think you'll play as a freshman? What do the players say about the coach, the staff, their team members, the program?

Except for the tip top programs, clearly Div 1 vs Div III is meaningless in terms of soccer strength. I'd bet on Wheaton vs Cornell any day (just some fun for Mr. Cornell out there somewhere) :) And academically, no question Bowdoin beats out Univ. of Div 1 school in most instances.

Good luck!

Re: Div I or Div III

I wanted to ask a question to all parents and see what type of responses there are out there.

Two choices:

Door #1
Div 1 school (large undergrad population)
Tier I school (ranked 100-150 in country among National Universities)
Soccer Scholarship
Driving distance from home

Door #2
Div III school (small underad population)
Tier I school (ranked top 25 among National Universities)
No soccer scholarship; however able to get aid that would ~ equal amount from Div I school
Driving distance from home

Form a parent's view, they seem like a wash, but the deciding vote should be from the child with parental or HS guidance advice. The focus should be on academics first and comfort level first

Re: Div I or Div III

First and foremost..what is the best all-around fit for the child in their opinion

If thats still a wash, unless your child is going to make a living from soccer, go with the better academic school. A degree from a top 25 academic college/university will definitely be a leg up for the rest of your child's life.

Re: Div I or Div III

door 2

Re: Div I or Div III

Why not Division II???
-Year-round soccer
-athletic scholarships
-same 4 year degrees
-in-state tuition savings (if attending a mass school)
-the "New England League", the Northeast-10 is the best and most competitive in the country...

WHY NOT DIVISION II?