How to Choose a College!

(reprinted with permission of the author) Todd Hoffard, Founder, www.oneononesoccer.com

This is a question that I get asked A LOT! What is the best way to choose a college for my son or daughter and what are we looking for? Well, I am going to map it out to you in 10 simple steps (although there are certainly a lot more thank 10 things, but this is a good start). The hard part is that you are the ones that actually have to follow through with them. Here they are in order:

1. Figure out how far away you would like to be from Mom & Dad. I know this sounds funny, but do you want them to be very close, far/far away or close enough that you can travel to see them on a weekend and do your laundry/get a meal, etc. Once you figureout the distance you are willing to be away from home, get a map and draw a circlemarking that distance around your town.
2. Find out all the colleges/universities within that distance and make a list.
3. Think about your potential major and start to do some research on this list of schools. Ifthat major is not offered you can cross that school off your list.
4. Think about the school size you would like to be at. If you see yourself at a BIG school,then go through and start crossing out all the small schools or vice verse.
5. Do you want to be in a city? Small town? Again, figure this out and start crossing out schools that don’t match your criteria.
6. Once you have a general list of schools that match your academics, size, etc. that you arelooking for in a school, NOW you can start looking at the soccer programs. Are youinterested in Division I, II, III, NAIA, NJCAA. If you are unsure as to what level youwould be best suited for, go see them play in person!
7. Now you should have a much smaller list of schools that really match your criteria…Atthis point, start mailing/emailing your resume/cover letter to the college coaches on yourlist of schools expressing your interest in their institution and soccer program.
8. DO NOT be alarmed if you do not hear anything in return…keep trying and be persistent! Depending on your year in high school, the coach might not be able torespond to you. Remember, you are trying to recruit them just as much as they aretrying to recruit you!
9. Take unofficial and official visits to schools to get to know the school, campus, players,coaches, etc. Here is a hint: DO NOT make a decision based on a coach. Get toknow the players as they are the people you will be living with for 4 years, not the coach! Plus, there is NO guarantee that the coach will be there when you arrive on campus your freshman year.
10. Now it is decision time…you have all the information you need to make a good, educated decision.

This is the most important decision that you will make during your whole life and everything you do from here on will be determined by where you go to college. So if this is the case, don’t you want to have all the information that you can to make a good decision? It sounds extremely daunting and yes, it can be…but embrace it and enjoy the process! Take your time doing so and do not let anyone push you into making a decision…if a college coach is really pushing you…do you really want to play for someone like that anyway?

About the Author:
Todd Hoffard, Lancaster, PA

• 8 year professional career.
• Graduated from Division I, Hartwick College, 1994.
• Previously staff with US Soccer Region I ODP and PA ODP.
• Played for Charleston Battery of the A-League, 2001 and 2002.
• Drafted by the Harrisburg Heat, 1994 NPSL.
• Played for Cleveland Crunch and Philadelphia Kixx NPSL.
• Albany (NY) Alleycats and Reading Rage of the USL D3.
• Currently Asst. Women's Soccer Coach at Temple University.
• Founder of ONE on ONE Soccer ( http://www.oneononesoccer.com/ ).