Draft a tentative list of colleges that you are interested in and that you would like to learn more about.  Your list may consist of schools you are familiar with and schools you know absolutely nothing about.  Don’t discount any schools that you are the least bit curious about and don’t worry if your list seems unreasonably long!  This is the best way to begin the college process and to be certain that you are not writing off any possibilities too early in the game.  Do you know someone in a collegiate soccer program that he/she really likes?  Does a school have a particularly good academic department in which are you are interested?

Both of these potential schools are good to put on your list, and you will need to find out more about the schools’ soccer programs and academic environments.  For the elite few, soccer can pay the bills at the professional level, however, if the professional track is not for you, your academic experience in college will provide an important foundation for your chosen profession after college.  In addition, it is not uncommon for serious injuries to prematurely end collegiate soccer careers for student-athletes.  You must be happy with the school you eventually choose regardless of its collegiate soccer program.