So, back to stuff that actually is important. A recruiting question. Daughter received interest from the majority of schools she is interested in. There is no perfect school. They all have strengths and weaknesses. Either they are outstanding academic (top 10) with ok lacrosse. Meaning little to no chance of a national championship, but for some (not ACC), a chance for a conference championship. One has a decent chance to win a NC, but is a plane ride away, while the others are 3 hours are less driving. Then there are a couple which are 5-8 hour drive and top 20-30 schools, but will probably not offer any money. A couple other calls informed her that she is not the top of the list, but will likely move up after girls start to commit. Some of these schools also said if they recruit her, she will only be allowed to play a certain position which is not the position she wants to play. She will probably not be waiting around for those schools, as they are no better than the other options that have her higher. She really liked/connected with some coaches she spoke to, but not so much for others. Ivies are definitely in the mix, and we would probably get about 50% there (need based). Does anyone know if any of the Ivies have grants? Would you go for top academic over good academic with better lax? We will obviously be visiting about 5-6 schools, but it is all getting so confusing to make the best choice. Anyone out there going through, or went though a similar scenario and have any advice?
Have your daughter write out a “T” chart of pros and cons for each school. Have her write her feelings and impressions during the phone calls. These she can go back and reference later on when she prioritizes the interest level (both hers and the schools). Rank the schools (1-10) in terms of education,lacrosse, campus, feel, distance and $$$. Just be aware many coaches can and do change positions. These coaches are being up front with her. In the end there is no wrong choice. It’s a personal decision and she needs to know that her opinion (and yours lol) is all that matters.
Good luck
The above response has great suggestions. I've been through it twice. You really need to pick the school that checks the majority of the boxes and not just the ones pertaining to lacrosse. It has to be a college that the recruit can see themselves attending without lacrosse - but with the best possible combination of college and lacrosse attributes. Believe it or not, a lot can change between verbal commitment and Year 1 of playing. Coaches change schools a lot - take a look at all the movement just this summer. As opportunities open up, head coaches take advantage and there is a substantial domino effect in the coaching world (including assistant coaches who are an integral part of the recruiting process). Even the position you are recruited for can change. Each year the player makeup of the team can change significantly based on graduations and new recruits. You may have been recruited as a middie and played middie freshman and sophomore years but by your junior year, a younger middie may have been recruited that takes your position and you are now needed as a defender. Or a new coach sees you in a different position. Midfielders are highly recruited because the coaches know they will be able to play all positions (except goalie of course). Bottom line, things change and this is why picking the school outside of lacrosse is so very important. This is the reason you will see recruits that could easily play at the Division 1 level choose D2 or D3. The total package (and not just financial package) with a D2/D3 school may be more attractive to the recruit than their available options in D1. I see this happen all of the time. All of the things you mention are a very important part of making your overall decision. Tell your daughter to do her due diligence and then trust her gut from there. Good luck!
