College Soccer

There are a wide variety of soccer programs available after high school to suit various levels of skill and academic needs.  If you are aiming to play soccer in college, please let your coach and the club know! As a rough guide, your soccer resume should include one or more of the items listed below for each level:

Division I Colleges
US Youth National Team Players
US Olympic Development Program (ODP) Regional Players
Development Academy Players
All-State High School Players

Division II Colleges
US Olympic Development Program (ODP) Regional Players
US Olympic Development Program (ODP) State Players
Development Academy Players
Top Club Players
All-State High School Players

Division III Colleges
4 years High School JV/Varsity
High School MVP
Top Club Players

College Recruitment Timeline:

Freshman Year / Lakes Region United U15-U16
Focus on GPA and building your resume (academic, athletic and community)
Register with NCAA Eligibility Center
Discuss with your coach(es) about areas of your soccer game that you need to work on
Work hard at practices and in games
Consider trying out for New Hampshire Olympic Development Program (ODP)

Sophomore Year / Lakes Region United U16-U17
Continue to improve GPA and start thinking about SATs
Continue to work hard at practices and in games
Consider trying out for New Hampshire Olympic Development Program (ODP)
Consider attending college run soccer camps
Discuss with your coach(es) your potential college ambitions
Start researching potential colleges

Start reaching out to college coaches to express interest in their programs and letting them know of upcoming tournaments you will be playing in

Note: Division I coaches cannot email you back directly until September 1st of your Junior Year and cannot call you until July 1st going into your senior year

Junior Year / Lakes Region United U17-U18 (Begin the formal recruiting process)
Develop your target college list with a mix of reach, expected and safety schools
Ensure you meet the academic requirements for these colleges
Create an athletic resume
Be pro-active with reaching out to coaches and colleges to express interest in their programs and letting them know of upcoming tournaments you will be playing in
Request unofficial visits
Continue to work hard at practices and in games
Consider trying out for New Hampshire Olympic Development Program (ODP)
Consider attending college run soccer camps
Obtain 'Letters of Recommendation' and build a 'Reference' list - for both academics and athletics
Register with the NCAA National Eligibility Center at the end of second semester.

Senior Year / Lakes Region United U17-U18 (Colleges and Players make decisions)
DI coaches can call you after July 1 between Junior and Senior year
Narrow your target college list and continue to communicate with them and their coaches
Arrange official visits and interviews
Apply to at least 3 schools and inform your school counselor
Review acceptance and soccer offers
Notify the college you have chosen and others you applied to of your decision
Sign "National Letter of Intent" in February
Take time to thank coaches, mentors, references and others who have helped you along the process!

Additional Tips:

Keep a scrapbook of any mentions you receive in local press
Keep track of your own statistics/awards
Try to capture some of your best play on video

Local schools which have active soccer programs and often hold identification (ID) camps:

Division I

University of New Hampshire
Dartmouth

Division II 

Southern New Hampshire University
Saint Anselm College
Franklin Pierce University

Division III

Plymouth State University
Colby-Sawyer College
New England College
Keene State College
Rivier University

Community College

NHTI

There are also many other great colleges across the country that you may want to consider!