What is a good scholarship?

[GOINGDEEP]

Good answers so far.

When it comes to offers or rides you could ask 10 people with a list of "possibles" and probably get 10 ( or so ) answers. If it was JUST the prestige of saying "I'm going to so n so" the answer would always be simple. But the prestige is not always the best choice for the individual and her goals if you eliminated softball out of the equation. <---- ( dang that was hard to say ) Sure softball gets you there, and you want to be part of a special program. But like Sluggers says all the time, when your college softball is over........SOFTBALL is over. Then adult life begins and you hope your choice came with a degree that you can find good employment and fast.

Like others have said, this is about what works for you. Not about impressing the neighbors. Impress them after college graduation with a great job, no or little students loans, purchasing your first home, and coming back to visit mom and dad showing you're successful and independent.

 

[marriard]

If anyone out there in the community here has experience with the good/bad of waiting into the start of your senior year I would LOVE to hear from you.

Not me personally but the two best pitchers in the local county are both seniors and hadn't committed as juniors.

One signed a couple of days ago to a D2 school with a great softball/education mix and the other has 4 or 5 D1 schools waiting to see what she wants to do and whether she gets her grades for the Ivy League school she has as her #1 choice (smart kid so she probably only is looking for about 25% athletic at a D1 school as she will qualify for a bunch of academic money wherever she goes).

My DD's pitching coach had four D1 and three D3 coaches looking for a senior pitcher over the past 4 months come and down to South Florida specifically to watch the older girls he works with (including the two above) and a one got her first offer and two changed their commitment on a better offer. The value of a contacts and coaches with a strong record of pipelining good pitchers to college helps in this case and is massively important.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

A good scholarship is the one that gives your dd the education she is looking for in the degree she wants

Exactly.

I would only add "...and one that makes sense financially"

 

[slingnit]

With my 2014 DD here I am on pins n needles thinking about option #5 - "waiting it out".

We are inclined to jump ay the first one that gets under my pocketbook threshold BUT should we hold out for the summer exposure season and potentially more & better offers???

If anyone out there in the community here has experience with the good/bad of waiting into the start of your senior year I would LOVE to hear from you.

signed,
desperate

One of our 2013 pitchers did not intentionally wait it out. But it was summer/early fall of senior year that she came to our team and started getting her name out for possible scholarships. 2 things that really helped her is that she pitched and had very good academics. We got here video done and mailed out to D1, 2, and 3 colleges in Sept. It wasn't until the Ronald McDonald that she played in front of any coaches. She took several visits and attended camps. After all was said and done she had a full ride to D1 school in Virginia and she is very excited tobe going there next fall.
I would say that depending on grades, position, and what schools she is interested in, waiting would not be a problem. Most of the big D1 schools have their 2014 recruiting wrapped. But they keep money aside for that "special player" or some may have a player that has decommitted. The smaller D1 schools and most D2, 3 schools are always looking for girls that can play. If her goal is Alabama or Oklahoma, it might be really difficult. But if she is looking to get an education, play college ball, and have a great experience then she should have plenty of time. Keep an open mind and she should be just fine. GOOD LUCK!

 

[SoftSocDad]

2) D-2 New York prestige school athletic money for tuition and books no room or board

Prestige matters, but it's ok if she doesn't care about that.

If they've got a strong academic reputation in her desired field of study (and a second choice, too!) and it makes financial sense for your family, I'd gently encourage her in that direction.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

One of our 2013 pitchers did not intentionally wait it out. But it was summer/early fall of senior year that she came to our team and started getting her name out for possible scholarships. 2 things that really helped her is that she pitched and had very good academics. We got here video done and mailed out to D1, 2, and 3 colleges in Sept. It wasn't until the Ronald McDonald that she played in front of any coaches. She took several visits and attended camps. After all was said and done she had a full ride to D1 school in Virginia and she is very excited tobe going there next fall.
I would say that depending on grades, position, and what schools she is interested in, waiting would not be a problem. Most of the big D1 schools have their 2014 recruiting wrapped. But they keep money aside for that "special player" or some may have a player that has decommitted. The smaller D1 schools and most D2, 3 schools are always looking for girls that can play. If her goal is Alabama or Oklahoma, it might be really difficult. But if she is looking to get an education, play college ball, and have a great experience then she should have plenty of time. Keep an open mind and she should be just fine. GOOD LUCK!

This is great - hearing more success stories of other DD's getting opportunities later in their HS career.

We are looking for the best schooling she can get in her desired major area with a hopeful full-ride combo between her acedemics & athletics that each are "tops" from my perspective.

Hearing these kinds of stories, along with my growing confidence DD is going to make an even bigger impression this junior HS season and the following TB season I think I am going to hold out for this.

We have already counted out any BIG D1 as we would expect them to not allow DD to go into a "meaty" major.....

 

[JAD]

With my 2014 DD here I am on pins n needles thinking about option #5 - "waiting it out".

We are inclined to jump ay the first one that gets under my pocketbook threshold BUT should we hold out for the summer exposure season and potentially more & better offers???

If anyone out there in the community here has experience with the good/bad of waiting into the start of your senior year I would LOVE to hear from you.

signed,
desperate

I would recommend that you and your DD make a list of schools that she would be interested in attending. Reach out to the head coach of each of the schools and find out what they are looking for in their 2014 recruiting class. Is it a fit with your DD's abilities/position? You need to actively promote your DD and her abilities to her schools of interest and make sure the head coach knows your DD is interested! Until the LOI is signed and faxed (do they fax the LOI in softball like they do for football?) things can change, so make sure the head coach knows about your DD!

It is hard to answer the question about jumping at the first offer that comes in under your threshold, and waiting for a better offer is a little like playing poker......it could pay off, or it may not.

 

[cuzmail]

Shannz,

What a wonderful problem to have !!!! You have excellent responses from the board so far. I think it should be school first, softball second as hard as that may sound.

I hope I am as lucky as you when my daughter's time comes in 2019.

 

[marriard]

We have already counted out any BIG D1 as we would expect them to not allow DD to go into a "meaty" major.....

Don't be too sure of this. Depending on what the major is - a lot of school are open to tough degrees especially if the school is well known for the area of study. Friend of our daughter is doing an extremely tough business/entrepreneur major and is on a ranked softball team in the ACC. She is actually there on academic scholarship (by choice).

Now she has no life apart from softball and school (by choice) but she is going to be set after college no matter what she decides to do.

 

[glf0845]

A great deal.....
100% tuition
100%rooma and board
four year guarantee
$20000 a year cash
my DDdid not get the 2000 or the four year but she did get roomboard and tutition