Coach John Paul, Univ of Michigan

Choosing the college you are going to attend is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life. There are hundreds of colleges and universities to choose from, and each one offers a vastly different academic, social and athletic experience. Wanting to play a sport in college can really complicate the process. In this article, I’m going to give my thoughts on how to go about selecting a college.

I’m not going to get into the recruiting process. That will be addressed in another article.

There are hundreds of colleges with lacrosse teams. As you narrow down your choices, be sure you are using all of the resources at your disposal to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each college you consider. Have a realistic picture of the kind of school that will accept you and what you and your family can afford. If financial aid is necessary, research those opportunities with the admissions office and the coaches. Visit as many of your chosen schools as possible to get a feel for the campus, the students and the town. Speak to professors, admissions counselors, coaches and players. Understand where you would fit into the lacrosse program at each school and how that involvement would affect the rest of your college experience. Arrange your visit with the coaching staff so you can meet with them, tour the facilities and spend some time with players on the team. I encourage you to involve your family in the process, but ultimately, the choice should be up to you.
Whenever I speak to kids about choosing a college to attend, I always talk about the "five A's" that they should consider as they make their choices.

The first A is admissions. It’s actually the most important consideration since none of the other factors matter at all if you can’t get into the school in the first place or you if you can’t afford to go there. Questions to consider include: Can you get into the school? Will you need help from the team to get in? Can the team help? Are they willing to help (which is a pretty good indicator of how much a varsity team wants you there)? Do they have scholarship money (which is rare for lacrosse and only available at some Division 1 and Division 2 programs)? If they don’t have scholarship money for you, what kind of other financial aid is available? Will playing on the team cost anything? What is the total estimated cost of a year at the school (tuition, room & board, lacrosse costs, living and social expenses)?

The second A is academics. Once you figure out you have a shot at getting in and you can afford the school, it should be the most important consideration for you. Does the school have courses of study that interest you? Is the school challenging enough for you? Is it too challenging? Do the players on the team and the general student body have the same level of academic motivation as you do? Do you want research opportunities in your field of study? Do you want to be around professors who are famous in their field? Do you want the opportunity to study abroad? Do you want smaller classes with more personal attention, or do you mind big classes where you have to be more self-motivated? What kind of academic counseling is available to student-athletes? Will the time commitment to the team allow you to perform at the level you desire in your chosen field of study?

After academics comes atmosphere. This is where you determine if the school feels right for you. Remember, you’ll be spending four or five years there. If you choose wisely, they will be some of the best years of your life. Ask yourself: Does the school size matter? Do you want a big school where you can blend in and meet many types of people? Do you want a school where you’ll know everyone comfortably like high school? Do you want big-time athletics like football and basketball, which are so much a part of the culture of many bigger schools? Do you want to be in a certain region of the country? Do you need to be in the mountains, or on the beach, or in a big city, or in a traditional college town, or in warm weather or somewhere the seasons change? Does the student body have passion for the school? What are the students like? Is it a party school? Is religion an important part of the school atmosphere or curriculum? How big is the fraternity/sorority scene? (If that’s important, can you be in a fraternity if you’re playing lacrosse?) Can you live off-campus, or does everyone live in dorms? What are the dorms like? Does it look like a place you’re going to enjoy?

The next “A” is alumni. This is the part of the process that is often ignored. In my mind, the college you choose is a lifetime decision. Some people will tell you that where you get your degree won’t end up mattering in your career down the road. In some cases, I agree with that. But to me, college can be so much more than just a degree that gets you started on a career. You should always ask the obvious questions like: How good is the job placement into your probable field from the school? Can you get a job in the region of the country where you want to work? If you plan to go to graduate school, what is the placement probability from this school into the graduate schools that interest you? You should also ask less obvious questions: Are the alumni proud to have attended the school? Will you be proud? Can the alumni network of the school help you get a job? Do they donate money to the school (and the team)?

The last “A” is athletics. These are the questions you ask about the team you intend to play for. Many athletes make the mistake of making it the first and most important factor in their decision. If you’ve considered all of the other questions I’ve posed here, you should realize that college is much, much more than the sport you play. Athletics is the only one of the five A’s that can disappear unexpectedly. Your athletic career could be cut short by injury. You could be cut from the team. You could lose passion for playing the sport. If any of these things happen, I hope you have chosen a school that satisfies your desires for the other four A’s on this list. That said, if you are going to play a college sport like lacrosse, then athletics obviously should be a major factor in your decision. Here are many of the questions you should consider: What kind of team is it (D1 varsity, D2, D3 or JUCO, USL MDIA, NCLL, non-affiliated college club)? Can you make the team? If the team recruits, do the coaches really want you there? What kind of playing time can you expect? Will you probably get playing time right away, or will you have to struggle for it down the road? Do you like the players? Do you like and respect the coaches? How well is the team supported by the school, the community and fans? Does the team win most of its games? Does the team compete at a championship level? Does the team get media coverage? Are games well attended and/or televised? How are the facilities? What kind of gear does the team use (if that’s important to you)? Does the team travel much? Where? Who does the team play? What are practices like? How much does the team practice? How much of a commitment outside of practice does the team expect (off-season work, strength training, conditioning, meetings, study table, community service, etc.)? What is involved in off-season practice? Do the players share the same commitment level as you? Do the coaches? Will the coaches expect you to play your current position or switch positions? Will you be proud to play for this team?

There you have it. I’ve probably listed over a hundred questions here, but by breaking them down into five categories (the five As), I hope I’ve provided a little easier approach. My advice is to begin the college search process by your junior year in high school. Ask you guidance counselor, your coach, your parents, respected teachers or mentors and your friends for their input (in that order of importance). Use other resources like college selection books and websites. Make a list of every school that interests you. It should begin as a pretty big list. Now start going through the five A’s (and the questions within each category) for each school – listing the answers and the pros and cons for each one. You’ll start to get a good feel for what is really important to you, and you’ll start to realize which schools are providing the most positive answers to your questions. By this method, you will be able to narrow down your list to a more manageable number. By the end of your junior year you should have a pretty good list of 8 – 15 schools that would be right for you. That’s when you start making contacts with the coaches and the admission departments, planning visits and beginning the application process.

I hope this has helped you make a confusing decision a bit easier. If you follow this advice, you will probably end up at a school that is right for you. Good luck!