College Search

I am currently on the college hunt and I was thinking about the things one must consider when choosing “the perfect college”. For some, there is literally no limit to which college to choose, because you get to pick which you would like to be a student at, typically in the general area of the country that you prefer. For me it is a little different, I am going to be a student athlete in college so my choice has a bit more to take into consideration.

                First things first, if I want to play volleyball at a college, the team must recruit me first, and be very interested in me. This can be difficult because it limits my choices as far as location. If I want to play at a top level division 1 school, I wouldn’t have a choice but to move far away, and by far I mean FAR. On the other hand if I choose to settle with a division 2 school, I can stay a little closer to home, more in the Midwest area- which I would prefer. The final option if I think I will be getting extremely homesick, is to attend a division 3 school, which isn’t exactly the level of volleyball I would like to play at, but is in the state, and very close to home.

                Next, I have to of course look at the volleyball program at each school. That could drop off a few division 3 schools, and maybe even a few division 2 schools depending on how good they are. With the schools I narrow down to, I must take a look at the coaching staff, of course, to see if I could see myself playing 4 years under that type of coaching style. I next have to look at the team. If I will be spending about 20 hours a week in a gym, plus numerous hours of road trips with these girls, there has to be some kind of connection.

                Finally, the part which should be the most important, academics. The school I choose must be just the right level that I could feel challenged, yet content, but pressured enough to reach my full potential in the long run. For me, I would like a somewhat easy-going school, with above average academics, that can teach me the things I need to know, as well as look good on a job application coming out of college.

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