Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

by aggiemt 12/04/12, 09:31 am

This is related to soccer in a roundabout way but was just wondering if WHERE you get your undergrad degree really matters that much anymore? Or is the only thing that really matters what you do while you're there?

For example, DD will likely study something math/science related and possibly even head to medical school afterwards. We've told her if she wants to play soccer in college that's fine, but not if it means sacrificing her academic opportunities. I've started to wonder though if going to a lesser known school (and there are a lot of lesser known D1 schools) makes a difference at all, especially when her chances at $$ (soccer and academic) are likely greater there than at the more well-known institutions...even the one in my avatar Sad

And if you're wondering, she does VERY well in school but plays LH D3...so getting into the school she wants shouldn't be a problem...playing soccer there may be another matter.

by my2cents 12/04/12, 10:17 am

The thing to consider also is does she want her college experience to be mostly about soccer. If she goes to a big D1 school she will eat, study,live and train with the team. At a smaller school she will have a more diverse college experience. I have niece that turned down a full ride D1 scholarship for these reasons.

by Gunner9 12/04/12, 10:20 am

One thing to keep in mind is D1 soccer in a conference like the ACC, SEC or Big 12 is akin to a full-time job. Nothing wrong with that, but it takes a special kid to thrive in that environment. It's not for everybody.

Some of our academically strong kids chose programs like NYU, Austin College, Rhodes, etc. where they could still complete athletically but the focus on athletics was not quite as strong. Also, look at NAIA schools that are not bound by NCAA regs. They can create some pretty dynamic packages for strong scholar/athletes.

by aggiemt 12/04/12, 11:03 am

IF she plays college soccer, I can pretty much guarantee with 99.9999% certainly that it will NOT be at one of the larger conferences like SEC, Big 12, ACC, etc., simply because she isn't at that level and given her personality, I really don't think she would enjoy that experience anyway. Good info on NAIA though and something I'll look into...this is all new to me as this is my first one going to college and I didn't play college sports so I'm virtually clueless on all of this.

With respect to where your degree comes from, does anyone have any feedback on that? Anyone know if med/graduate schools care where you got your undergrad so long as the grades are there? Even if she doesn't go past undergrad I wouldn't want her to be handicapped by having a degree from an unknown college but I really don't know if that would be an issue or not.

by TNT 12/04/12, 11:08 am

aggiemt wrote:IF she plays college soccer, I can pretty much guarantee with 99.9999% certainly that it will NOT be at one of the larger conferences like SEC, Big 12, ACC, etc., simply because she isn't at that level and given her personality, I really don't think she would enjoy that experience anyway. Good info on NAIA though and something I'll look into...this is all new to me as this is my first one going to college and I didn't play college sports so I'm virtually clueless on all of this.

With respect to where your degree comes from, does anyone have any feedback on that? Anyone know if med/graduate schools care where you got your undergrad so long as the grades are there? Even if she doesn't go past undergrad I wouldn't want her to be handicapped by having a degree from an unknown college but I really don't know if that would be an issue or not.

I would call a medical school and find out.

by newtothis 12/04/12, 11:09 am

aggiemt wrote:IF she plays college soccer, I can pretty much guarantee with 99.9999% certainly that it will NOT be at one of the larger conferences like SEC, Big 12, ACC, etc., simply because she isn't at that level and given her personality, I really don't think she would enjoy that experience anyway. Good info on NAIA though and something I'll look into...this is all new to me as this is my first one going to college and I didn't play college sports so I'm virtually clueless on all of this.

With respect to where your degree comes from, does anyone have any feedback on that? Anyone know if med/graduate schools care where you got your undergrad so long as the grades are there? Even if she doesn't go past undergrad I wouldn't want her to be handicapped by having a degree from an unknown college but I really don't know if that would be an issue or not.

Just because the college isn't a big name school doesn't mean it isn't well respected. Many smaller schools are not well known, but are well respected. Don't confuse large with good and well known due to athletic programs as well respected academically.
And don't take this to mean I think big schools with well known athletic programs aren't good schools academically - some are and some are not. However the same goes for small schools without well know athletic programs, some are excellent schools and some are not.
Basically - do your homework and you should be able to find a school where she can play soocer and get a solid education in her field of choice.

by imasoccerfreak 12/04/12, 12:28 pm

My husband would tell you it doesn't matter where you go to undergraduate school in the business world, he makes the same salary as the MIT and Harvard grads, and they're still trying to pay off their loans. But that may not be the case in medicine. I would talk to a medical school admissions officer to get that question answered. Of course, I've read that 70% of undergrads do a 180 degree shift on their major/after college plans, so be sure to look at the big picture and not just pre-med or science.

I do not look forward to making these huge decisions with my DD...glad it's a long way off for us. Good luck!

by bigtex75081 12/04/12, 12:49 pm

I agree that, at least for a Business degree, it doesn't matter so much where you go it. What matters more is that you go it. I think there are some schools that will definitely turn more heads than others (Ivy League, Stanford, Notre Dame, etc.) based on reputation but the list is probably limited to about 15-20 US colleges.

On my first job out of school I was hired along with a few Baylor graduates. The guys from Baylor were good guys but they would rag on me constantly over my lowly Texas Tech education. Once, when they were at my desk teasing me, I shot back "How much are you getting paid?" I expected them to say the same salary as me and then I could tell them to stick it because I assumed we were all making the same salary. As it turns out, I was the only one that knew to negogiate my starting salary. I was making $3K more per year than each of them. Apparently no one at Baylor discussed what to do after the initial offer. I was never teased by them again. (As a bonus, those guys had HUGE student loans to repay.)

by Lawnboy 12/04/12, 02:53 pm

bigtex75081 wrote:I agree that, at least for a Business degree, it doesn't matter so much where you go it. What matters more is that you go it. I think there are some schools that will definitely turn more heads than others (Ivy League, Stanford, Notre Dame, etc.) based on reputation but the list is probably limited to about 15-20 US colleges.

On my first job out of school I was hired along with a few Baylor graduates. The guys from Baylor were good guys but they would rag on me constantly over my lowly Texas Tech education. Once, when they were at my desk teasing me, I shot back "How much are you getting paid?" I expected them to say the same salary as me and then I could tell them to stick it because I assumed we were all making the same salary. As it turns out, I was the only one that knew to negogiate my starting salary. I was making $3K more per year than each of them. Apparently no one at Baylor discussed what to do after the initial offer. I was never teased by them again. (As a bonus, those guys had HUGE student loans to repay.)

Not true that where you get your degree for business is irrelevant. Going to a top-20 school will definitely open more doors at much higher starting salaries. That being said, I don't think anyone with any credibility would consider a Baylor degree superior to a TT degree -- I believe grads from those two schools would be held in similar positive regards.

If she is that sure of pre-med, then the smart thing to do would be to identify 2 or 3 medical schools where she is interested in matriculating and talk to the admissions dept. about the issue. I suspect you can find numerous quality schools that would set her up well for med school and allow her some opportunity at athletics. In fact, I suspect the more academically challenging the school, the easier it will be to make a team. Many of the stud athletes will not have the grades to enroll in these schools, reducing the competition for slots.

by socrocks 12/04/12, 03:21 pm

Just heard the story of a girl that attended UTEP on a soccer scholarship (pre-med), made very good grades, recently graduated and secured a full scholarship to UT Southwestern.

Nice balance of athletics/academics...sounds like a pretty good gig to me.

by Guest 12/04/12, 03:44 pm

With respect to where your degree comes from, does anyone have any feedback on that? Anyone know if med/graduate schools care where you got your undergrad so long as the grades are there? Even if she doesn't go past undergrad I wouldn't want her to be handicapped by having a degree from an unknown college but I really don't know if that would be an issue or not.

I am not so sure about med schools, but when I was in the northeast (NJ) there was a bit of a geographical bias when it came to hiring people. Employers knew all about the colleges (big and small) in that region, but not as much about the schools from around the country. Obviously, if an applicant said Virginia, Stanford or Notre Dame employers knew about those, but mention a lesser-known school from another part of the country and it might not make any waves. Now that I have lived in Texas for 15 years you can mention TWU and North Texas (and others) and I know that they have some strong academic programs, but outside of this region I am not sure how much name recognition they would have.

by DDdad 12/04/12, 04:33 pm

You might also consider geography. My brother graduated in Texas but elected to go to Dental School in Florida and had to pay out of State tuition. After that, he wanted to come back to Texas for Orthodonic school. He could only get into Orhodonics at UT SA because his parents were still here. He was considered a Florida resident. Licensing was a big issue for him as a Florida grad trying to get to Texas.

I would also add that IMO whether you like it or not, references, referrals and associations do matter. UT/ A&M grads in Texas have more opportunities than a St. Louis Biliken or Waverly grad. Nothing wrong with those schools but the network is limited here. LSU / Tulane carry more weight in Louisiana than they would in California. Just human nature

That being said, I would think those things would account for a SMALL portion of the decision as a qualifed grad who also played sports in school will do well whereever they end up.

by DrSoccer 12/04/12, 04:46 pm

You can get rankings on the % of grads from each college that got into (matriculated) a med school. I've seen a large percentage of pre-med students change their majors and career plans once they understand the difficulty and committment. There are a ton of websites you can check out. I think part of the benefit of a nat.recog. university is that their grads score higher on the gmat and have a well defined path to med schools. (shadowing, internships, research, etc) But on the whole if she has a high gpa, all the prereq, and scores high on gmat then she will be a serious canidate.

http://www.startmedicine.com/app/medstatistics.asp
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=524998

and then of course there are the carribean med schools!

by twotouch 12/04/12, 04:59 pm

As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exam, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

by JustaSport 12/04/12, 08:53 pm

aggiemt wrote:IF she plays college soccer, I can pretty much guarantee with 99.9999% certainly that it will NOT be at one of the larger conferences like SEC, Big 12, ACC, etc., simply because she isn't at that level and given her personality, I really don't think she would enjoy that experience anyway. Good info on NAIA though and something I'll look into...this is all new to me as this is my first one going to college and I didn't play college sports so I'm virtually clueless on all of this.

With respect to where your degree comes from, does anyone have any feedback on that? Anyone know if med/graduate schools care where you got your undergrad so long as the grades are there? Even if she doesn't go past undergrad I wouldn't want her to be handicapped by having a degree from an unknown college but I really don't know if that would be an issue or not.

Here's something to consider. My own senior daughter was/is about like yours: Does great in school and finished out her soccer "career" at the D2/D3 level. She still loves the sport and was even considering playing soccer in college on partial scholarship. She also knows - after working an intern program - that she wants to major in nursing and get her masters.

Here's the kicker. Every counselor of every school she was considering told her that college sports and medical degrees don't mix. Most of them told her in no uncertain terms that she could possibly play 1.5 - 2 years max but would then have to give up soccer. There is simply no way to miss the specific courses of a nursing degree while on the road for games and then try to make them up.

This all made her decision easy... and she was able to get more scholarship money for good grades, a high SAT, and the honors program than the average sports scholarship. And she doesn't have to sell her soul to the sport such that she can actually enjoy the college experience.

by Bicycle Guru-NOT 12/04/12, 09:44 pm

twotouch wrote:As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exams, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before of their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

There is a small, private, NAIA school in Arkansas (Lyon College) that has an excellent reputation for undergrad medical students. Here is the kicker, they have an agreement with one of the top medical grad schools (sorry can't which one) that if student graduates from Lyon with any type of pre med degree (biology, chemistry, etc...) they get into the med school without having to take the MCAT. To best of my knowlegde this is the only such program in the country. Tough school, students are definitely challenged and they do have both men's and women's soccer. Might be worth checking into. study

by Gunners 12/04/12, 10:15 pm

Bicycle Guru-NOT wrote:
twotouch wrote:As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exams, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before of their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

There is a small, private, NAIA school in Arkansas (Lyon College) that has an excellent reputation for undergrad medical students. Here is the kicker, they have an agreement with one of the top medical grad schools (sorry can't which one) that if student graduates from Lyon with any type of pre med degree (biology, chemistry, etc...) they get into the med school without having to take the MCAT. To best of my knowlegde this is the only such program in the country. Tough school, students are definitely challenged and they do have both men's and women's soccer. Might be worth checking into.

Mind substantiating the "not having to take the MCAT" part?

by Bicycle Guru-NOT 12/04/12, 10:33 pm

Gunners wrote:
Bicycle Guru-NOT wrote:
twotouch wrote:As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exams, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before of their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

There is a small, private, NAIA school in Arkansas (Lyon College) that has an excellent reputation for undergrad medical students. Here is the kicker, they have an agreement with one of the top medical grad schools (sorry can't which one) that if student graduates from Lyon with any type of pre med degree (biology, chemistry, etc...) they get into the med school without having to take the MCAT. To best of my knowlegde this is the only such program in the country. Tough school, students are definitely challenged and they do have both men's and women's soccer. Might be worth checking into.

Mind substantiating the "not having to take the MCAT" part?

Lyon recruited my son 3 years ago. At that time we were given all the details but sorry don't remember everything. As I recall the student had to start and finish their undergrad studies at Lyon, and maintain a certain GPA. Upon graduation and verification that all criteria has been meet the student was automatically accepted into the medical program. Wish I could remember all the details but it's been to long and I seem to have killed those specific brain cells. You could contact Lyon College in Batesville, AR and get better info on the program.

by Bicycle Guru-NOT 12/04/12, 10:37 pm

Gunners wrote:
Bicycle Guru-NOT wrote:
twotouch wrote:As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exams, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before of their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

There is a small, private, NAIA school in Arkansas (Lyon College) that has an excellent reputation for undergrad medical students. Here is the kicker, they have an agreement with one of the top medical grad schools (sorry can't which one) that if student graduates from Lyon with any type of pre med degree (biology, chemistry, etc...) they get into the med school without having to take the MCAT. To best of my knowlegde this is the only such program in the country. Tough school, students are definitely challenged and they do have both men's and women's soccer. Might be worth checking into.

Mind substantiating the "not having to take the MCAT" part?

Here's the link for Lyon www.lyon.edu

by Sent to the Stands 12/04/12, 11:14 pm

Consider a Div III school like Trinity University in San Antonio. Great academics, a national reputation and a Women's soccer program that was #3 in the Nation and finished the season with a 22-1 record after a double OT loss in the third round of the NCAA tourney.

http://trinitytigers.com/sports/wsoc/index

by coachr 12/04/12, 11:16 pm

Sent to the Stands wrote:Consider a Div III school like Trinity University in San Antonio. Great academics, a national reputation and a Women's soccer program that was #3 in the Nation and finished the season with a 22-1 record after a double OT loss in the third round of the NCAA tourney.

http://trinitytigers.com/sports/wsoc/index

Trinity... If you couldn't get into any other law school.

by Sent to the Stands 12/04/12, 11:37 pm

coachr wrote:
Sent to the Stands wrote:Consider a Div III school like Trinity University in San Antonio. Great academics, a national reputation and a Women's soccer program that was #3 in the Nation and finished the season with a 22-1 record after a double OT loss in the third round of the NCAA tourney.

http://trinitytigers.com/sports/wsoc/index
Trinity... If you couldn't get into any other law school.

They don't have a law school ... You may be thinking of St. Mary's in San Antonio.

by Gunners 13/04/12, 08:11 am

Bicycle Guru-NOT wrote:
Gunners wrote:
Bicycle Guru-NOT wrote:
twotouch wrote:As someone who went to multiple schools and kept going long enough to be a university professor, I can say with some certainty that where you go to school does matter.

If your daughter hopes to attend med school or law school or get a graduate business degree, her undergraduate institution would be considered during the admission process. If her grades were good but she didn't go to a school with a strong academic reputation, her grades wouldn't be weighted as heavily. On the other hand, if her grades were only so so but she went to a very strong academic school (e.g., Ivy league, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, Northwestern, Duke, Vanderbilt among D1 schools), her grades would be looked at more positively during the admission process. In other words, the "quality" of her grades would depend on where they were earned. Also, it would mean something in the graduate school admissions process if your daughter was able to get into Harvard (or another top school) as an undergrad. Standardized tests are the great equalizer, though. If your daughter were to score high enough on her MCAT exams, she would get into a top med school regardless of her undergraduate institution.

What if your daughter doesn't want to go to a professional school after college? It's certainly possible for a graduate of any other university to be more successful than a Harvard grad. But people expect Harvard grads to be more successful. Harvard grads are more likely to get sought-after jobs in consulting or investment banking out of college, more likely to be "fast tracked" and more likely to be considered for interesting and challenging jobs before of their peers. Now some of those Harvard grads won't perform very well but they generally have better opportunities to succeed, at least early in their careers (maybe not Jeremy Lin).

Finally, I've thought a great deal about whether and where my daughter will play college soccer. I can only hope that playing would enhance her college experience. I would hate for her to be sitting on the bench for two or three years in a very strong soccer program before getting to play when she could have plenty of playing time and enjoy soccer more in a less competitive soccer program. I'm more concerned that she be challenged and "fit in" academically. Will she be able to focus on both school and soccer? Yeah, but it won't be easy...and school comes first.

My $.02.

There is a small, private, NAIA school in Arkansas (Lyon College) that has an excellent reputation for undergrad medical students. Here is the kicker, they have an agreement with one of the top medical grad schools (sorry can't which one) that if student graduates from Lyon with any type of pre med degree (biology, chemistry, etc...) they get into the med school without having to take the MCAT. To best of my knowlegde this is the only such program in the country. Tough school, students are definitely challenged and they do have both men's and women's soccer. Might be worth checking into.

Mind substantiating the "not having to take the MCAT" part?
Here's the link for Lyon www.lyon.edu

I checked their site (although not thoroughly) and also google, but the only places that I found that offer anything like what you allude to are in Canada (ie could find no US Med schools that allow admittance without taking the MCAT).

by Uncle Numanga 13/04/12, 08:39 am

Somebody's Lyon

by coachr 13/04/12, 08:51 am

Sent to the Stands wrote:
coachr wrote:
Sent to the Stands wrote:Consider a Div III school like Trinity University in San Antonio. Great academics, a national reputation and a Women's soccer program that was #3 in the Nation and finished the season with a 22-1 record after a double OT loss in the third round of the NCAA tourney.

http://trinitytigers.com/sports/wsoc/index
Trinity... If you couldn't get into any other law school.

They don't have a law school ... You may be thinking of St. Mary's in San Antonio.

Good point.
Trinity, if Austin College and Southwestern laughed at you.

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Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	15/07/24, 06:35 pm	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	15/07/24, 05:18 pm	socroc
Solar 09 NPL NTX (Rockwall)	26/06/24, 10:29 am	socroc
2008G Dallas Texans Tryouts (Final 1-2 spots)	26/06/24, 10:20 am	Dallas Texans East
2008G Dallas Texans Tryouts	26/06/24, 09:52 am	Dallas Texans East
Solar 07 Spear DII Classic League	25/06/24, 01:42 pm	socroc
Solar 06B RL and DI Classic	25/06/24, 01:34 pm	socroc
RSC 11' GCL w/Coach Adam	23/06/24, 01:15 pm	acst
Oh Yeah! movin' on UP 09's	23/06/24, 09:58 am	acst
Open Practice	20/06/24, 10:00 am	Coach Jim
BvB '06 Gold D-1 Coach Chris Obara formerly with Ayses	17/06/24, 11:18 am	BiroBiro
Renegades 2016G and 2017G North Blanton	16/06/24, 06:30 pm	tareyncarol
FCP Dynamos 2010B - Looking For Players	16/06/24, 05:02 pm	fcpcoach
Solar 2014B Williams - White - Needing 2 more players	09/06/24, 02:39 pm	Marvelousmar
RSC ELITE CAC	09/06/24, 12:10 pm	acst
RSC 08Clark	02/06/24, 05:43 pm	acst
Sting 2011 Boys ECNL RL NTX	02/06/24, 06:17 am	Jumpman
NTX Celtic 2011B ECNL-RL-NTX Opportunity	01/06/24, 11:04 pm	FSFFL
NTX Celtic 06/07G ECNL-RL-NTX Opportunity	01/06/24, 10:49 pm	FSFFL

Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers

Re: Soccer, college, and beyond...questions for the old timers