How to choose where to go

So we got through the maze, and now we get to decide which school to attend. If you went through the whole process and started early enough, hopefully, you have several offers to choose from.

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Navigating the options

While choosing a school can feel tricky, you must weigh each offer appropriately, including the school and your future after golf. Usually, at this stage, many players have narrowed their list to one or a few schools, which we call “the standouts”.

These schools are an easy yes, but when stacked against each other, they can feel less sure about which decision to make. From our experience, it is helpful to have other conversations with the coaches again. Let them hear you and see how they respond to your position.

If you haven’t gone on a school visit yet, we highly suggest it. See the facilities, school, and meet coaches and trainers in person to get an overall feel of what the environment is like.

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Is it the school or the next chapter itself?

Having worked with many families and players, sometimes the indecision isn’t about what school to choose, but actually starting a new chapter in their lives. We’ve found that it is helpful to understand how a player generally feels about college. After all the work to get here, the next chapter is about to present itself, and it becomes more real than ever.

Unless you have to fit a tight timeline in choosing a school (this is generally rare if you’ve started early enough), give yourself some time and space to make a decision, and ask yourself, “How am I feeling about college overall?” It’s okay to feel many different, often conflicting, emotions at once.

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Talk it out

Another great tip we’ve used is connecting with current players on the team. Generally, at this stage, with an offer in hand, good coaches will encourage their players to connect with you. This is great, and generally a good sign that the program is well run because the coach has nothing to hide.

What better way to understand a school than to talk to someone already in it, let alone someone you might be playing with a lot next year. Note, reaching out to current players too early in the process can backfire. We recommend waiting until choosing schools that fit to do this.

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