What does YOUR coach say?
The next time I see him it seems I have to ask him this question.
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I have never asked him really but at the same time he has told me he hasn’t watched a D1 game online or in person before so I’m not sure it’s worth asking him?
Once you have had the conversation, then look at the level of academics of the colleges he suggests, and what kind of scholarships they offer - academic merit, athletic, and financial need (which will be different for non-US students)…
You are likely going to have to make some trade offs in football level or academic level to get the kind of money you need…
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I would be more inclined to give a trade-off on the academic level than football level so we’ll see.
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Closer to home, have you looked at the program and scholarships available in the UK? They play in both a uni league, and semi prof league.
Stirling University in Scotland
Edinburgh is similar:
The university of Bath also have a performance program
Plus Loughborough of course…
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Yeah, I have looked at universities here in the UK with both Loughborough and Bath being part of my five UCAS choices.
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It’s really late in the process if you are looking for significant athletic money. There isn’t a lot of money in men’s soccer and at this point most of it at the d1 level will be accounted for. I would consider looking at d2 and naia, both of whom have large numbers of internationals and may still have money for the right player
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Re @TonyGrace idea , a call could be informative, but Pennington will cost more than OP is willing to pay and will not have academics for him. That’s not Pennington 's strength.
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Yes, I do think @jon21 's best option for fall 2024 will be D2/NAIA and then look to transfer later.
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I checked their website and they do offer merit scholarships so it still may be an option that could fit my budget. Also like I said before I would be willing to sacrifice the level of academics if it means I can play soccer at a high level.
First we have to figure out what your level is , wrt the US. I think the feedback you get from US coaches will be valuable.
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I understand, I will update the thread once I get a reply from one of the coaches
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True. I didn’t think about that, but it could be productive research.
Personally, I think the best option is to reclass for ‘25 and train with a strong club in the meantime.
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I don’t know exactly what Pennington offers, but BS merit scholarships are typically only for a portion (i.e.$10,000) of the costs.
The Pennington School offer merit scholarships which cover full tuition so I think it is still an option
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Realistically, what will you do beyond college? It seems foolish to double down on soccer vs academics is you have to choose one or the other. Regardless, if you want that kind of money, you will have to be a stand out. Are you good enough to be a stand out in a top program?
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If the OP decides he wants a PG year, (which probably isn’t likely) we can come up with a list of boarding schools that have high level soccer programs. One big issue will be paying for that PG year.
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Yes I have confidence in my ability that I can stand out in a top program
Would the list of school be similar if I wanted to reclass instead of doing a PG year?