Create a College Wish List Based on What Matters Most to You
There are a lot of colleges out there, each with its pros and cons. Keep your thoughts straight while you search. Create a list of what matters to you—the feel of the campus, the choice of majors, your sense of the team and anything else. Then create your free CaptainU recruiting profile and utilize the colleges feature to rank and re-rank schools that are a great fit for you.
When you look for your college, you have all sorts of options. Every type of campus, major and team is out there. Do you want a rural school that has business classes? What about a big-city college on the East Coast? Really, with thousands of colleges across the country, you can find any type of fit for the next few years of your life. It just comes down to create a college list based on what matters to you.
Start with these questions
One popular way to sort through colleges is to start with the campus. Think about the type of city and the size of school you like. Stay near home, or check out a new place. Try a big city like Boston, Chicago or New York; go for peace and quiet at a rural college; or find a happy medium. Share a campus with tens of thousands of students or just a few hundred of them. If you have strong ideas about the size and site of a school, start here to narrow your list.
What level is the right fit?
College sports are played at a few different levels. You’re best off in one that fits your skills. Search through programs in NCAA Divisions I, II or III, the NAIA or a mix of options. If athletic scholarships are a big deal for you, keep in mind that Division III colleges aren’t able to offer them. You can rank other schools above Division III colleges on your list or look for great non-athletic aid.
Don’t forget about academics. What are you interested in?
Remember that as a student-athlete, the first thing to consider is how your life will be as a student. Find a place where they hold your interest and fit your schedule. Check out what majors a college offers and make sure the college has a few that excite you, even if you don’t totally know what you want to study. Ask about the homework—how much time it takes and how athletes at the college balance it with practices and games. If you want to join clubs or groups during college, find out which schools have the ones you want and if they can fit your schedule.
Consider your entire college experience; what would life be like at this school?
Your college years can be some of your best in life. Look for a school where you can have a great time and be yourself. Find a team with personalities that fit yours and a school where the social life lets you do what you love. If you had to give up your sport because of an injury or for any reason, would you still like this college? You want to have a great time on your team and away from it in the next few years.
Get excited, take action and take control of your college search
This is a lot of info to think about. You can keep your thoughts in one place by making a college list on CaptainU. Start your list with your favorite colleges, but add the others on your mind. With each college, write down a few of its pros and cons. When you see your list in writing, you get a better sense of which factors really matter to you. And if you ever can’t figure out what you like or don’t like about a college, talk it over with the people who know you best.
You’re in control of your college search. Trust yourself and the things that matter to you as you find your fit. Whenever you hear about a new college that excites you, add it to the list so you remember to find out more about it. At first your list might be huge, with 20 or 30 colleges, and by your senior year you can bring it down to your top choices.
Check out the college list features through your CaptainU recruiting profile that help you keep all of your schools and notes about them in one place while you make your choices. That way you can relax and keep a clear head as you get ready to make a great college team.
Don’t have a Captainu Recruiting profile yet? Create your free recruiting profile here.
READ MORE:
- A Simple Trick for Finding the Perfect College
- Want a Division I Athletic Scholarship? Make Sure Your Grades are on Point
- How to Make a CaptainU Profile That Will Wow College Coaches
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Create a College Wish List Based on What Matters Most to You
There are a lot of colleges out there, each with its pros and cons. Keep your thoughts straight while you search. Create a list of what matters to you—the feel of the campus, the choice of majors, your sense of the team and anything else. Then create your free CaptainU recruiting profile and utilize the colleges feature to rank and re-rank schools that are a great fit for you.
When you look for your college, you have all sorts of options. Every type of campus, major and team is out there. Do you want a rural school that has business classes? What about a big-city college on the East Coast? Really, with thousands of colleges across the country, you can find any type of fit for the next few years of your life. It just comes down to create a college list based on what matters to you.
Start with these questions
One popular way to sort through colleges is to start with the campus. Think about the type of city and the size of school you like. Stay near home, or check out a new place. Try a big city like Boston, Chicago or New York; go for peace and quiet at a rural college; or find a happy medium. Share a campus with tens of thousands of students or just a few hundred of them. If you have strong ideas about the size and site of a school, start here to narrow your list.
What level is the right fit?
College sports are played at a few different levels. You’re best off in one that fits your skills. Search through programs in NCAA Divisions I, II or III, the NAIA or a mix of options. If athletic scholarships are a big deal for you, keep in mind that Division III colleges aren’t able to offer them. You can rank other schools above Division III colleges on your list or look for great non-athletic aid.
Don’t forget about academics. What are you interested in?
Remember that as a student-athlete, the first thing to consider is how your life will be as a student. Find a place where they hold your interest and fit your schedule. Check out what majors a college offers and make sure the college has a few that excite you, even if you don’t totally know what you want to study. Ask about the homework—how much time it takes and how athletes at the college balance it with practices and games. If you want to join clubs or groups during college, find out which schools have the ones you want and if they can fit your schedule.
Consider your entire college experience; what would life be like at this school?
Your college years can be some of your best in life. Look for a school where you can have a great time and be yourself. Find a team with personalities that fit yours and a school where the social life lets you do what you love. If you had to give up your sport because of an injury or for any reason, would you still like this college? You want to have a great time on your team and away from it in the next few years.
Get excited, take action and take control of your college search
This is a lot of info to think about. You can keep your thoughts in one place by making a college list on CaptainU. Start your list with your favorite colleges, but add the others on your mind. With each college, write down a few of its pros and cons. When you see your list in writing, you get a better sense of which factors really matter to you. And if you ever can’t figure out what you like or don’t like about a college, talk it over with the people who know you best.
You’re in control of your college search. Trust yourself and the things that matter to you as you find your fit. Whenever you hear about a new college that excites you, add it to the list so you remember to find out more about it. At first your list might be huge, with 20 or 30 colleges, and by your senior year you can bring it down to your top choices.
Check out the college list features through your CaptainU recruiting profile that help you keep all of your schools and notes about them in one place while you make your choices. That way you can relax and keep a clear head as you get ready to make a great college team.
Don’t have a Captainu Recruiting profile yet? Create your free recruiting profile here.
READ MORE:
- A Simple Trick for Finding the Perfect College
- Want a Division I Athletic Scholarship? Make Sure Your Grades are on Point
- How to Make a CaptainU Profile That Will Wow College Coaches
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Create A Free Recruiting Profile Today!
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