Many of the top lax programs are also the top academic schools as well - and therefore harder to get into without lacrosse. I would definitely take the time to prep for the SAT and take it by Fall of 11th grade. A top academic school will most likely have 1300-1450 SAT requirements for admission. If you fall in the higher end of that range - you will receive more academic merit regardless of college. I believe a 1250 SAT score will exempt you from counting as part of the 12 athletic scholarships allowed per D1 team - and you will be able to stack athletic money and multiple academic grants at some schools. Some lower D1 schools only have 1100-1250 SAT requirements, so if you score higher than that range - you would probably qualify for more grants because you would rank higher as a student at that school. Coaches always ask for transcripts and SAT scores to see how many academic grants they can offer you - and to see if you can get into their school via admissions.
In many of these smaller schools, 1300-1350 can also get you into their honors programs - which is more money in academic grants. Surprisingly, the honors program SAT requirements at one D1 school could be at, or lower, than the minimum SAT requirements at more prestigious school. If cost matters - than that deal will probably be a better fit. There are some really great state schools as well that would probably cost nearly the same - or at least in the same ballpark - as attending a private college without any athletic money at all. Also, not every college accepts AP and college credits the same way. Higher end schools want to see 4 or 5 on APs, where smaller colleges and state schools will accept 3s for credit. If your child spent the time taking college classes in high school, it would be worth if for them to get credit for the classes - and that is money too. 30 credits is a year of college in the bank.
Academics often get overlooked in the recruiting process. Not pushing small schools at all - but if money is an issue - they make sense for a lot of families. Good luck with the process!
Some good advice, except the very best academic schools don’t give any academic money (Ivies). 1300 SAT is what you need
