Why D1 ?

[LEsoftballdad]

Those colleges have very high acceptance rates. It sounds like your granddaughter is pretty bright, so she fits the criteria for a high academic award. My issue would be is she being challenged academically? To get a large academic award, you usually have to apply to schools below your level. If you're a student with a 98 average with his SAT/ACT scores, and you apply to a school that only requires an 84 average, you'll get a large award. If you apply to a school which requires a 98 or above to get in, you're getting nothing.

 

[PASoftball]

My kids are already in college. But makes sense now looking at those schools because the tuition is a lot less expensive than I would have imagined.

Yes, a parent needs to research beforehand. For Instance there are a few schools who were interested, but at 65-70k a year with maximum merit awards of 30k-35k it leaves a lot. My granddaughter will not qualify for need based aid. Princeton, although an Ivy League school gives full tuition to anyone who's parents make under 100k. This is adjusted for bigger families. Wish we had known this 6 months ago.

Grove City College offers 8-10 full tuition academic scholarships. Chatham gives 2 different full paid scholarships my granddaughter just told me about. Wesley College in Delaware has quite a few full paid scholarships.

 

[TwoPitcherFam]

Many are working 2 jobs to pay for their student loans. A 24 year old woman I know is 64k in debt. She could have played D3 with a full tuition scholarship, but chose D1. She now says it was a huge mistake, because no one cares what level she played at. She is a behavioral specialist. She was up at 5am every day, running 2-3 miles, weight room and 2 practices per day, along with her studies permitted her to get only 5-6 hours sleep per night.

As far as academic scholarships or even financial aid, the same goes for D1. That’s not a D3 feature. There are plenty of D1 players who have a package of academic, athletic and financial aid. It could be argued that it is easier to get academic money at D1 as the wise head coaches use those levers to save athletic funds to spread around.

Each situation is different. We know P5 D1 players receiving MORE than 100% full rides (with NIL money). So they are paid to play and at high quality universities. We know families that are happy to pay the 90k pear year HA D3’s or Ivies for that degree- and no, there is not academic aid at the elite schools as every one there is academically elite.

Of the D1’s we have seen get athletic money, it has been between 40% and 100+%. IMO, if a players is being offered much less than that, it may mean they are not projected to be an impact player and then D3 could be a better fit for playing time and balance. It is hard to make this generalization that it is cheaper to go D3 but certainly can be the best fit. It sounds like yours did great- congratulations. I am sure that's a great feeling.

 

[Vertigo]

Yes, a parent needs to research beforehand. For Instance there are a few schools who were interested, but at 65-70k a year with maximum merit awards of 30k-35k it leaves a lot. My granddaughter will not qualify for need based aid. Princeton, although an Ivy League school gives full tuition to anyone who's parents make under 100k. This is adjusted for bigger families. Wish we had known this 6 months ago.

Grove City College offers 8-10 full tuition academic scholarships. Chatham gives 2 different full paid scholarships my granddaughter just told me about. Wesley College in Delaware has quite a few full paid scholarships.

I did my research on the schools my kids were interested in. I am extremely happy with where my kids wound up. For them it was academics before their sports.

 

[PASoftball]

Those colleges have very high acceptance rates. It sounds like your granddaughter is pretty bright, so she fits the criteria for a high academic award. My issue would be is she being challenged academically? To get a large academic award, you usually have to apply to schools below your level. If you're a student with a 98 average with his SAT/ACT scores, and you apply to a school that only requires an 84 average, you'll get a large award. If you apply to a school which requires a 98 or above to get in, you're getting nothing.

She is entering the honors program/honors colleges at these schools, which require a 3.8-3.9 and above unweighted GPA. This doesn't guarantee you are admitted. That's the criteria. At one school they only take up to 3% of the entering class. She is more concerned with the masters programs, since her last 2 years will focus on that.

I did my research on the schools my kids were interested in. I am extremely happy with where my kids wound up. For them it was academics before their sports.

That's great! Many do not.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Princeton, although an Ivy League school gives full tuition to anyone who's parents make under 100k. This is adjusted for bigger families. Wish we had known this 6 months ago.

You can't compare Widener with Princeton. Princeton has an acceptance rate of around 8%. If you get in and want a reasonable degree, you find a way to go there. Their financial aid doesn't stop at $100K, regardless of how many you have in school. I've had families go to Ivy League schools with income over $220K and still only pay 10% of their AGI.

 

[PASoftball]

As far as academic scholarships or even financial aid, the same goes for D1. That’s not a D3 feature. There are plenty of D1 players who have a package of academic, athletic and financial aid. It could be argued that it is easier to get academic money at D1 as the wise head coaches use those levers to save athletic funds to spread around.

Each situation is different. We know P5 D1 players receiving MORE than 100% full rides (with NIL money). So they are paid to play and at high quality universities. We know families that are happy to pay the 90k pear year HA D3’s or Ivies for that degree- and no, there is not academic aid at the elite schools as every one there is academically elite.

Of the D1’s we have seen get athletic money, it has been between 40% and 100+%. IMO, if you are being offered less than that, it may mean you are not projected to be an impact player and then D3 could be a better fit for playing time and balance. It is hard to make this generalization that it is cheaper to go D3 but certainly can be the best fit. It sounds like yours did great- congratulations. I am sure that's a great feeling.

We wish we had known that at Princeton offers full paid for anyone who's family makes under 100k. This is adjusted for larger families. If you make 125k you will still get a huge amount of money. After it's all said and done, the player needs to decide if they want to dedicate their entire college experience

Those colleges have very high acceptance rates. It sounds like your granddaughter is pretty bright, so she fits the criteria for a high academic award. My issue would be is she being challenged academically? To get a large academic award, you usually have to apply to schools below your level. If you're a student with a 98 average with his SAT/ACT scores, and you apply to a school that only requires an 84 average, you'll get a large award. If you apply to a school which requires a 98 or above to get in, you're getting nothing.

She would be in the honors college. The one school requires a 3.85 unweighted or 3.9 just to apply. Then they take rhe top 3% I believe. She is more concerned with the masters program at these schools and the honors colleges. She has a 4.0 unweighted both at the Community college and the high school with a high SAT score. The Templeton Honors College for instance isn't giving anything to someone with an 84% average.

 

[TwoPitcherFam]

We wish we had known that at Princeton offers full paid for anyone who's family makes under 100k. This is adjusted for larger families. If you make 125k you will still get a huge amount of money. After it's all said and done, the player needs to decide if they want to dedicate their entire college experience

She would be in the honors college. The one school requires a 3.85 unweighted or 3.9 just to apply. Then they take rhe top 3% I believe. She is more concerned with the masters program at these schools and the honors colleges. She has a 4.0 unweighted both at the Community college and the high school with a high SAT score. The Templeton Honors College for instance isn't giving anything to someone with an 84% average.

I am not so sure it is too late for Princeton if she would be a top level/highly desired recruit. Did they watch her play already? How much contact? We know a couple of players who have visits scheduled in a couple weeks to similar schools and are 2025’s.

 

[PASoftball]

As far as academic scholarships or even financial aid, the same goes for D1. That’s not a D3 feature. There are plenty of D1 players who have a package of academic, athletic and financial aid. It could be argued that it is easier to get academic money at D1 as the wise head coaches use those levers to save athletic funds to spread around.

Each situation is different. We know P5 D1 players receiving MORE than 100% full rides (with NIL money). So they are paid to play and at high quality universities. We know families that are happy to pay the 90k pear year HA D3’s or Ivies for that degree- and no, there is not academic aid at the elite schools as every one there is academically elite.

Of the D1’s we have seen get athletic money, it has been between 40% and 100+%. IMO, if a players is being offered much less than that, it may mean they are not projected to be an impact player and then D3 could be a better fit for playing time and balance. It is hard to make this generalization that it is cheaper to go D3 but certainly can be the best fit. It sounds like yours did great- congratulations. I am sure that's a great feeling.

I absolutely agree. At 1 D1 school the tuition is 67k. That isn't including room and board. It is most certainly an elite school. She was offered approximately 60% or 40k in athletic money. The academic money isn't plentiful at all there. About 10k a year. Ends up 24k or more short. But yes full paid isn't just at D3. There is a D2 that with academic money her entire tuition would be paid. Room and board would be covered with athletic money; however,she cannot do study abroad and there isn't an honors college, just an honors program. This surely has been eye opening.

 

[Vertigo]

Just to throw this out there, college choice should never be taken lightly. There are many factors that come into play, finances just being one of them. There are definitely grad schools in my DD’s chosen career path that specifically list rigor of their undergrad school as a consideration for admission to their program. So while it is absolutely helpful for many to attend schools that will hand out huge merit awards, one really has to consider their chosen career path as their undergrad school can significantly help with grad school admittance if they do well at that school.