Ok, so you've been committed to doing everything you can to prepare for your goal to play soccer in college. Keep at it, but remember to follow the directions on the links provide here.  Recruit your desired colleges as much as you want them to recruit you.  Spend regular time during the week learning about your prospective colleges, academics and athletics program.

This information can impact your collegiate opportunities as much as breaking your leg would! SO READ EVERYTHING HERE!

There is a paperback magazine called the 2002-03 NCAA Guide For The College Bound Student-Athlete. Theses magazines are available at the High Schools, just ask an advisor or athletic director. The magazine also contains the NCAA Clearinghouse registration form which is a requirement to be filled out in order to participate in College Athletics.

To contact the NCAA Clearinghouse:
     NCAA Clearinghouse
     PO Box 4044
     Iowa City, Iowa 52243-4044
     319-337-1492 office
     319-337-1556 fax

NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse - http://www.ncaa.org/mailbox/clearinghouse.html

NCAA Eligibility Changes - http://www1.ncaa.org/eprise/main/parent-prospect/index.html

Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/what001.htm

If you've completed your high school junior year it's time to register for the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse (https://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net/ncaa/NCAA/student/index_student.html). However, in order to use the Clearinghouse service, you must get a release from your school counselor. Don't put this off, it's extremely important!

For the Players Seeking College Testing Exams- the SAT
The CollegeBoard.Com is a service offering some of the most popular college testing indicators used by most Universities, the SAT is a three-hour test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills they need to be successful academically. Many colleges and universities use the SAT as one indicator among others-class rank, high school GPA, extracurricular activities, personal essay, and teacher recommendations-of a student's readiness to do college-level work. SAT scores are compared with the scores of other applicants, and the accepted scores at an institution, and can be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid.

The SAT is scored on a scale of 200-800 (for math and verbal) and is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. The test is administered several times a year.

When going through the registration process (http://www.collegeboard.com/testing/) make sure you choose the "Reasoning skills" option (this is the SAT) when asked between that or the "Subject" oriented exam (the SAT II). Most Colleges and Universities want your SAT results rather than the SAT-II.

For the Players Seeking College Testing Exams- the ACT
The ACT (http://www.actstudent.org/regist/index.html) is America's most widely accepted college entrance exam. It assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.

The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.

The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.

For Players Seeking Financial Aid
FAFSA opens the door to the federal student aid process. Every step you take will get you closer to achieving your educational goals. Find out what you can expect from beginning to end.
Find out more at FAFSA (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/what001.htm).

Don't wait, most of the players in college only receive a portion of their college tuition paid from athletic scholarships, the rest is up to you. The longer you wait, the fewer funds are available, so start the process in the fall. If you wait until January to declare the college you're attending, you are going to feel additional pressure to get your financial aid package together.

If you're a senior you should be making your trips to the colleges you would consider attending, once you've completed this step, commit, and start the process as mentioned above.