First visit to DIII - some help please!

[3DD'sDAD]

My DD is in her Junior year and is getting grades all over 80% She was contacted last fall as a result of a showcase tournament by a coach of a DIII school about 5.5 hours away. We live in Southern Ontario, Canada and don't have the same scholarship/recruiting issues and so I have some questions. I have read the sticky thread here a few times to get a better handle on what to expect. Canada's costs are significantly less ($20,000 per year all in for a good school) but the softball experience is not as "involved" as that in the states. That being said, DD wants to play meaningful softball while attending college. Not so much to get an education all paid for, but to play softball while getting a good education, and for about the same cost we would pay for in Canada.

Anyway, she is attending a hitting clinic at this small private school on Sunday, then making a visit with adminssions and coaches on Monday to make the trip more worthwhile. This is our first foray into the US college recruiting roller coaster so have a few questions. Before I ask though, I need to set the situation.

DD attends a softball academy for elite athletes once per week about an hour away. She pitches indoors (snow here) once per week with her PC and practices with her team once per week. The academy trains and prepares the athletes for college. They do leadership/skills/SAT prep etc. and are mentors for the girls attending. Her video will be done this spring and sent out to schools she has researched and feels would be a good fit. We have no delusions that she will get any full rides at any DI schools so we are fairly grounded in our expectations. Now to the questions.

How much should we talk about her attendance at this school at this point? This is the first visit.

Do we ask about financial issues at this visit? Coming from Canada, I do not know if the FAfsa calculation has any merit as our tax structure is significantly different than that of the US so annual salary may not necessarily be comparable.

Statistics have not been kept specific to WHIPs, era, BA etc but can be this year. Will this be a "downfall"?

Does the fact that DD is an international student have any bearing i.e do schools treat them differently from school to school?

This is a private small university with an good reputation for the liberal arts. Do private schools have access to funds that other insitututions might not have?

Bottom line is that this is a school that DD would like to attend, but like most folks, it has to be financially feasible. It's tough when a school decision by DD can be affected by a financial decision of her parents.

As far as the roller coaster is concerned, I think we just got in line but will be getting on the ride very shortly. Thank you all for your posts on here relative to college recruiting. It is an immense help for those of us in Canada that are not exposed to this on a regular basis but have girls that want to play in college all the while getting their education of choice.

 

[ctfastpitch]

The answer to the big question is yes...private schools have access to scholarship & grant money that public universities may not. Since there is no formal athletic money in DIII, the awards generally are based on a combination of academic record/leadership and need. In some institutions, coaches may be able to influence admissions and awards, but that would pretty much be behind the scenes. On your visit, you should ask the admissions office about their financial aid availability and criteria, and also how they handle it for international students. Most private DIII schools have ways to make it more affordable for the top academic students.

On the softball side, you should do some research on the team just to get a sense for it. What conference do they play in? Record over the past several years, and conference or national award winners on the team. Anything & everything just to get a feel for if they are a high level competitive DIII team, or a weaker team. May influence your decision one way or another.

See if she can meet some players and watch a practice...good way to see how the coaches interact with the team. Also may want to ask about the depth on the team for the positions your daughter is interested in playing. That would give you an idea about her playing opportunities down the road (e.g. if they are stacked with current FR or SO pitchers, there may not be much room).

As far as recruiting, not sure how much stats or lack of them means to college coaches since the stats are influenced by the level of competition. A video with a profile may pique a coach's interest, but the best bet is to be in some travel tourneys & showcases where you know the coaches will be, and to let them know your daughters game schedule. For DIII, being "recruited" probably does not mean quite as much. Basically, I think "recruited" players have a leg up, or possibly a guaranteed roster spot, as opposed to walk-on's..but not a whole lot more than that.

 

[sluggers]

How much should we talk about her attendance at this school at this point? This is the first visit.

You need to get feedback from her. What did she like about the school? What did she not like about the school? Then, you should point out the plusses and minuses that you see about the school and listen to how she reacts.

One thing to point out is the location of the campus. Alma College in Michigan is located in the middle of nowhere. The University of Chicago is located in downtown Chicago. Saturday night is quite a bit different between the two schools.

Also, need to look at the academic reputation of the school for your DD's particular major.

Do we ask about financial issues at this visit?

Absolutely. There is no need to play the part of a blushing bride on her wedding night. Every D3 school knows that it is expensive, and knows that it is an issue. You have to talk it over with them.

Coming from Canada, I do not know if the FAfsa calculation has any merit as our tax structure is significantly different than that of the US so annual salary may not necessarily be comparable.

I really don't know about how being from Canada impacts the FAFSA. Talk to the school's finance people about it.

Statistics have not been kept specific to WHIPs, era, BA etc but can be this year. Will this be a "downfall"?

No, not really. Every college coach knows that the scorekeepers daughter bats .750 and doesn't make errors. They are more interested in here experience.

Does the fact that DD is an international student have any bearing i.e do schools treat them differently from school to school?

Don't know. You should ask the school about it.

This is a private small university with an good reputation for the liberal arts. Do private schools have access to funds that other insitututions might not have?

Absolutely. Generally, the private schools have more private donors than public schools. E.g., Harvard (a private school) has the largest endowment in the United States. Again, you have to ask about what scholarships might be available for your DD (darling daughter).

 

[ctfastpitch]

One other thought...assuming she likes the school in general. After getting a sense for the team (coaches style, competitive level, teammates, etc.), she has to decide whether she "likes" the team, and will enjoy playing on it. Since there is no athletic money involve, I think this is the most important criteria. You want to be sure it will be an enjoyable and a growth experience. She will be spending tons of time, and working very hard with that group of kids. Once the Spring semester starts, I think the intensity level for DIII programs is not too different from DI & DII programs. They are practicing, lifting, conditioning, etc. several times a day, and playing a 40 game season. IMO the biggest difference in intensity level is in the fall semester, when practice times are limited, with very little competitive play.

 

[amanda_cake]

First off, let me start this by saying that I'm attending a small liberal arts college and playing DIII softball, so this post may or may not be beneficial to you.

If you visit a college that your child is interested in attending and you don't talk $$$$ at some point, then that's a wasted visit. You need to find out what they are going to offer her, how much it is going to cost, blah blah blah. I know nothing about Canada & the FAFSA, but the people in the fin. aid office get paid to know that type of stuff and to answer your questions. Utilize your resources!

Since I've been in college, I've met a LOT of athletes recruits and other general applicants. Sometimes, I feel as if I'm part of the tour. The tour guide will stop (usually a student I know), say who I am, that I'm a freshman, that I play softball, that I do this, this, this, and I live in this dorm... I'd definitely inquire about meeting other student athletes, especially softball girls! One of the girls on my team hosts a lot of girls who are interested in playing softball and loves doing it because she gets to meet potential team members and help them determine if it would be a good fit for them.

 

[chinamigarden]

As a side note. Wayne State University in Detroit is a Division II school and recruits from Ontario quite a bit. They have winter camps going on right now (if I recall properly).

 

[ctfastpitch]

If you visit a college that your child is interested in attending and you don't talk $$$$ at some point, then that's a wasted visit. You need to find out what they are going to offer her, how much it is going to cost, blah blah blah. I know nothing about Canada & the FAFSA, but the people in the fin. aid office get paid to know that type of stuff and to answer your questions. Utilize your resources!

At a first visit, the financial aid office won't be able to be too specific about your DD. Until they review her application and FASFA results, they can't say specifically what they can give her. However, they should be able to give you some historic or general info such as: what %age of students receive financial aid, and in what form; what is the average cost to the student after all scholarships & grants; what academic results have historically received how much aid; etc. You can at least come away with a ballpark figure of what you are looking at (e.g. nominal tuition/room/board cost is $35K but the average net out-of-pocket cost for students is $22K). I'm making that up...but that's the kind of information you should look to come away with.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I am wondering if a Canadian has to fill out a FAFSA. They wouldn't have a social security number. Or is there a portion they fill out, just for the schools purposes?

 

[amanda_cake]

At a first visit, the financial aid office won't be able to be too specific about your DD. Until they review her application and FASFA results, they can't say specifically what they can give her. However, they should be able to give you some historic or general info such as: what %age of students receive financial aid, and in what form; what is the average cost to the student after all scholarships & grants; what academic results have historically received how much aid; etc. You can at least come away with a ballpark figure of what you are looking at (e.g. nominal tuition/room/board cost is $35K but the average net out-of-pocket cost for students is $22K). I'm making that up...but that's the kind of information you should look to come away with.

I don't know about that. I was once called and offered academic money from a school that I hadn't applied to. I guess my HS had sent them something (we had to sign a release that said they could send information like emails, phone numbers, GPAs, class ranks, etc. to schools). I received a hefty academic scholarship to the school that I am attending. I received the acceptance letter in the fall, that showed how much $$$ I'd be getting long before I'd touched a FASFA.

 

[ctfastpitch]

I don't know about that. I was once called and offered academic money from a school that I hadn't applied to. I guess my HS had sent them something (we had to sign a release that said they could send information like emails, phone numbers, GPAs, class ranks, etc. to schools). I received a hefty academic scholarship to the school that I am attending. I received the acceptance letter in the fall, that showed how much $$$ I'd be getting long before I'd touched a FASFA.

I can understand them making strictly academic awards that early, since there is no need for FAFSA information, but I would expect any need-based awards to have to wait until the FASFA is complete.

For the OP: the Financial Aid office can probably tell you how they handle international students when you visit.