A junior with MLS NEXT experience and a 3.5 GPA asks if they can play Division I soccer. The speaker says 3.5 works, but top academic schools usually want 3.8 or higher. More important than school tier: find the right coach. Start showcases and recruiting outreach sophomore year so you have real offers by end of junior year.
"I'm a junior. I play MLS NEXT and I have a 3.5 GPA. Can I play Division I college soccer?" So on paper, if that was your subject line, there's a very good chance you could play college soccer. However, you must understand that if you don't have above a 3.8, there are certain top academic schools you are not going to get in, even if you're really good. The next thing you have to understand is every time you hear a school go, it's a top tier or mid-tier, this year alone, High Point, which isn't considered a top 25 school, has been killing it. Sorry, there's another school. GW has been killing it. They're doing amazing. Grand Canyon has a striker who's probably going to be drafted number 1 overall. So I don't want you guys to think about, I want a top-tier or mid-tier. None of that matters. Every year is different because every year the coaches do a better job recruiting. What you need to figure out is which is the right coach for you so you can be on a team that is going to do really well. If you want to have the best chance of doing that, you need to go to showcases And before the showcases occur, you need to make sure that the coaches know who you are. This is why I often tell people to start the process as a sophomore because you have sophomore and junior year to get their interest in you. So by the end of your junior year, you have significant interest that you're debating offers, not starting the recruiting process. If you want more help playing college soccer, give me a call. Links in the bio. Talk to you soon. Goodbye.
