The number isn't the whole offer
It's easy to line up offers by the scholarship amount and pick the biggest. But a large athletic award at an expensive school can cost more than a smaller one somewhere else, and the money only matters if you're happy there.
Compare the real cost
• Total cost of attendance, not just tuition.
• Athletic aid plus academic and need-based aid.
• What's guaranteed, and for how long.
• What the family actually pays each year.
Compare your role
• How many players at your position, and their grad years?
• Where does the coach see you in year one and year two?
• How long has the coach been there, and are they likely to stay?
Compare the life
• Do they have the major you want?
• Size, location, distance from home.
• How current players describe the team and the coach.
Would you still choose this school if you never played a game? That answer breaks most ties.
Instead of
"School A is giving me more money, so that's the one."
Say this
"School A covers more, but School B has my major and a clearer path to play. Let's look at what each one costs us each year."
The move
Make a simple side-by-side for your top two: real yearly cost, your likely role, your major, and how it felt on campus. Talk it through as a family before you decide.
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