Helping HS athletes find good programs

[HSCTiger74]

Chapman in California is a great school. They have a great math/civil engineering school. They are an independant so the schedule is wide open. Football program continues to imporve, an they will enjoy the atmosphere of Chapman (Orange County).

Not to mention the "famous" undie run every Spring.

[snzuluz]

In regard to UW-Platville...most of the NCAA Divison III schools in WI are NOT in the middle of nowhere...they are in larger towns in WI and not surrounded by corn fields...

UW-P has a nice engineering program, but if you choose not to pursue this major they are NOT respected academically as most of the other UW schools or even other NCAA Division III schools in WI...

Choosing a college for athletics is tough at times...again, whatever school you choose, ask yourself..."if i had a career ending injury, do i see myself finishing my academic career here?" if you can answer, "yes" then you are choosing the school for ALL the right reasons!

You need to look at internship opportunities at each college or university you will take a campus visit for in engineering...your internshiips will mean more in the long run than what you are doing sitting in a desk in a classroom...internships open the doors to a career and contacts...ask the department chair where their engineering graduates have found employment IN THEIR MAJOR over the last 5 years, and do you need to find your own internship...many colleges have very few contacts when it comes to internships and they encourage you to find your own...and mnay colleges boast high employment rates, but not in the major field of their students...their hiring numbers are usually for any of the graduates who get any type of job and not true numbers for their graduates in their chosen major...

[K-Mack]

Your athlete when he gets done looking at schools, need to answer this question -

If I were to have a season ending injury do I see myself completing my degree at this school? If he can answer yes, then he is choosing the school for all the right reasons - ACADEMICS FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a good point. I think I might borrow that.

Sorta similar to when looking for a house and wondering if it's a safe neighborhood, I once heard this advice. Go to the neighborhood you're looking in around sundown, and see how you feel. If you're scared and you don't even live there yet, it probably doesn't meet your definition of 'safe.'