College Admissions Expert Elizabeth Levine: Sports Scholarship

Sorry we have to say this, but someone has to. Yes, you may have spent years playing soccer, or softball, and you’ve caught the eye of a college recruiter. What comes next can be very exciting. You get invited to the school by the coach, get a nice welcome, and offers of some nice benefits for signing on, not to mention the potential of a partial or full scholarship for DI and DII schools. But stop and think.
What is the fine print? What kind of schedule will you have to adhere to? What grades MUST, MUST, MUST you have to get so you can stay in their scholarship program? Last of all, consider this: what if you couldn’t, or don’t want to play the sport for some reason? What if you get injured and you can’t play the sport any longer? You have handcuffed yourself to a college that may not be for you, and ultimately, may have to pay a hefty price (in terms of money, or credits lost) to switch out.
All this is just to remind you to pick a school for its social, academic, financial and emotional match (Your SAFE match), only considering schools that meet that criteria and then pursue your sports desires from those schools. Not the other way around.