Just like in professional life, applying for a tennis scholarship in the USA also means: once your application documents are ready, it's time to put them out on the market. You can learn about the application process at different universities and what you need to consider as a candidate in the third part of our blog series, "The Road to a Tennis Scholarship in the USA." After completing all her interviews with the coaches, Mia faced the decision: which university is right for me? Where are the tennis facilities the best? With the support of uniexperts, part of Keystone Sports, this step was also quickly resolved, so you'll find out Mia's decision at the end of this blog post. Mia's journey to a US college is now a done deal. Go West – that's the motto at the beginning of August!
Once Mia's application documents were complete, Sandy from uniexperts, part of Keystone Sports, got to work and contacted the tennis coaches at the universities Mia was considering. The ball was rolling – Mia was now waiting for the first responses.
In the Keystone Dashboard, Mia simultaneously found a longlist of all the universities she was considering, each with a very detailed profile. This is incredibly informative and helpful, as it reveals the size of the university, the cost per semester, its reputation, admission requirements (TOEFL score, SAT yes/no, etc.), the degree programs offered, and the sports teams available. The specific information about the university's women's tennis team is also interesting: which league and conference they play in, their ranking, and who the coaches are. In addition, there's a map showing the university's location, a promotional video, and various links.
In summary, this information was really very helpful, as Mia used it to add one or two universities to her personal wishlist or remove them from the longlist even before the interviews.
It only took a day for Mia to receive the first messages from the coaches via email or WhatsApp. The messages varied greatly. Some coaches sent very detailed messages with university presentations, etc. Others were very brief and simply wanted to schedule an interview right away. Some requests were out of the question from the start, so Mia ended up scheduling a total of 15 interviews during our carnival week in mid-February.
The interviews also varied in length: from a brief 10 minutes to well over half an hour. Sometimes it was just the coach on the other end, sometimes the entire coaching team. From interview to interview, Mia became more comfortable and relaxed in the conversation, and with only one or two exceptions, all the coach interviews were very informal and friendly.
Here are some questions you should definitely ask the coaches, if they aren't already addressed automatically:
Some coaches sent Mia very detailed emails with a specific cost breakdown after the interview. With others, it was initially somewhat unclear, but this was clarified through follow-up questions.
It was extremely helpful for Mia that she had made a pros and cons list for each university, which also included the points that were most important to her (size, tennis team, location, etc.). This allowed Mia to gradually compile a really good overview. Mia asked the coaches many questions via WhatsApp and usually received quick feedback, so the information mosaic quickly formed a complete picture.
Equally helpful during the very intensive application period was the close contact with Sandy. Mia gave him feedback after every interview and immediately received advice and tips on what else to ask or how he assessed certain things based on his experience or personal contacts.
Mia's interview process lasted just 10 days. Afterwards, she had seven universities on her shortlist, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Our daughter went through this list with us, her parents, and of course with Sandy as well.
And then the decision was made very quickly: Mia chose Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina .
Mia got along incredibly well with Coach Jay from the very first conversation – one of the most important criteria from our perspective. The chemistry simply has to be right from the start. The tennis team also made a good impression. It was also nice to have contact with one of the players, who was always happy to answer questions. The size and location in sunny South Carolina were further plus points. And finally, of course, the financial aspect played a significant role, since Mia is receiving a partial scholarship, not a full one.
Mia's decision was reinforced by Sandy, who knows Francis Marion University and the coach personally and is certain that Mia will fit in well with the team and that the relatively small university will suit her. With his years of experience, Sandy undoubtedly has a very good sense of which player will be best suited to which environment. As a parent, I also appreciated that he didn't hide his own pros and cons, but openly shared his thoughts and concerns with both Mia and us parents.
official enrollment process, the so-called admission, then began immediately . We'll tell you all about that in part four of our blog series. But what we want to reveal and show you today is the contract signing , which sealed Mia's decision. A great feeling!
If you think that signing the contract is the end of it, you're mistaken! Because after signing the contract, the enrollment process begins. And that involves gathering, writing, and translating tons of documents, emails, and much more. Steffen from uniexperts is Mia's most important and extremely valuable contact person throughout this process. So stay tuned for what he has to say!
If you have any questions about college scholarships in the meantime, or if you'd like to know specifically how we approached things, feel free to contact me anytime
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