My D is somewhat going through the same thing. It appears that my D will be making a decision between possibly playing her sport at a D3 or attending a D1 without playing her sport. However, the D3 my D is considering is a large school located in a large city. The other D1 schools my D is looking at are similar to this D3 school in terms size, location, social mix, etc. My D attends a highly competitive, academic high school and wants to attend a college that is more well-rounded with regard to its students. My D is a strong academic student looking to major in a STEM discipline but wants to be able to enjoy sports, Greek life, etc. at a strong academic college.
The biggest hang up for our family to consider is the school rankings between this specific D3 school and the other possible D1 schools. This D3 school is a T30 school, and the other D1 schools are T10-T15 schools.
This issue seems to be a bit inconsequential but for some reason it has been a point of discussion within our family. The ranking is not a big concern for my D but has pose some small concern for us, as parents.
However, when we step back and take a deep breath, we know that my D is very fortunate to have some awesome possible options.
@dadof3and1dog wow, that sounds amazing. I think a T30 would still provide her with an amazing education and set her up well for the future. Im assuming you are still waiting to hear on acceptance to the D1 schools correct? Not a slam dunk with those as they can be a reach for even the best of students? Does she have the admission support for the D3?
A few thoughts based on my D and a friend’s experiences.
First, is there really no other D3 that is a possibility? Not all D3s force ED and not all are small. I’m thinking NYU, Chicago, Wash U, Emory to name a few.
Second, when D chose ED, we were opposed. So we forced her to justify her choice. She had to come up with really good reasons.
Third, I have seen so many girls get injured and be unable to play. So it’s important that she love the college. I have also seen many girls burn out/hate the coach/hate the girls/ want more time to party or do other things/ want more time to study/ etc and quit their sport, some after less than a full season. Is she really sure she wants to play?
Fourth, you can come up with a list of differences between the big college and the D3 and ask D about each. I did this with a friend’s D. For example, do you prefer to learn in big lecture environment or in a small discussion (discussions intimidate some students)? Do you want to attend football games in a big, packed stadium or would you rather skip football? Do you want to live on campus or off campus (many big colleges only have freshman on campus)? etc.
@Hippo21 thank you so much for the advice, it is hard. After several weeks debating it, she decided to decommit from the D3. It’s hard to say goodbye to her sport but her heart really is with attending a big school and all the experiences that come with it. She is also a smart gal and already received great aid, almost full tuition from UofA (Arizona). Her brains will take her farther than volleyball ever could. Covid cut her season short and forced a new outlook on things. Not fair what these seniors are going through. This mom will really miss seeing her play. The end of an era.