College Recruitment Resources

The recruiting process for college soccer scholarships is one of the most competitive of all collegiate sports. College coaches begin to evaluate and recruit athletes in the 8th and 9th grades, and the top recruits make their verbal commitments to college programs during their 9th and 10th grade years. Preparing for the scholarship recruitment process is up to the recruit and their family. Use this guide and resources to get started!

A Player's Guide to College Recruitment

  1. Prepare yourself academically. Meet with your high school counselor about your desire to play college athletics.
  2. Identify realistic college options – select 10 to 15 schools of interest. Speak with your coach and get feedback about the type of schools they recommend you look into. Be open to the random recruiting process. This is when a coach randomly finds out that you could add a school you did not consider to your list.
  3. Create a profile sheet and a short highlight video.
  4. Make contact with the schools you’ve identified. Do this yourself and personalize your outreach. Don't have your parents send communications for you.
  5. Follow up on a regular basis with those schools that are at the top of your list.
  6. Go on as many unofficial college visits as you can. Unofficial visits are those that are paid for by the prospect (you) and not the school. These visits can take the form of a campus tour or a drop-in visit to a coach. You can go on as many unofficial visits as you want to. It’s ok to call or leave a message with a coach to inform them you will be on campus.
  7. Attend ID Camps.
  8. Take the ACT or SAT test. South Texas Youth Soccer offers members free access to SAT and ACT PowerPrep programs through eKnowledge to help you prepare and do your best on these exams. 
  9. Utilize our FREE program through Choose It Right to help identify college programs with your similar interests academically and athletic programs
  10. Register for the NCAA ID Center.
  11. When provided with an offer, don't feel rushed to make a decision. Do so when you feel it’s right and when you have all the information you need.

Additional Resources

FC Dallas Coach Schellas Hyndman's Do's and Don'ts of College Recruiting

List of Colleges with Men's and Women's Soccer Programs

US Youth Soccer College Planning

NY Times Article: "Committing to Play in College"

NCAA Recruiting Calendars

NCAA Eligibility Center