Why Getting Recruited for College Soccer Is NOT the Same as Applying to College (and Why It’s Limiting Your Options)

For many American athletes, and even some international students, the biggest misunderstanding in the entire college soccer journey is this:

You cannot approach college soccer recruitment the same way you approach a normal college application.

They are completely different processes.

Different rules.

Different priorities.

Different decision-makers.

Different timelines.

Different expectations.

The athletes who don’t understand this are the ones who get stuck, receive no offers, or end up committing somewhere that wasn’t right for them simply because they treated recruitment like “just another college application.”

This blog breaks down exactly why the two systems are so different, where players go wrong, and how being more open-minded can completely transform your opportunities.

How Regular College Applications Work

For the typical university applicant, the process is straightforward:

• You pick schools you like.

• You apply.

• They review your grades, test scores, essays, and extracurriculars.

• They either accept or deny you.

  
  

It’s simple. It’s predictable. It’s based on academic merit and institutional fit.

If you meet the university’s entry requirements, you have a good chance of getting in.

If you exceed them, you’re likely a strong candidate.

You have full control over where you apply and when you apply.

How College Soccer Recruitment Works (Totally Different Process)

Now let’s talk about soccer and why it flips every rule upside down.

You don't simply “apply.”

You don’t get in automatically because your grades are good.

A coach has to WANT you.

A coach has to NEED you.

And a coach has to have SCHOLARSHIP money left for your position.

Whether a program is a fit for you depends on factors you don’t control, like:

Does the team need someone in your position this year?

You could be the best left back in your state… but if the college’s returning left back has two years left, ..

Do you match the coach’s style of play?

Some coaches want technical possession players.

Some want athletic, high-press runners.

Some build around size and physicality.

Some want tactical discipline.

Your “dream school” may simply not recruit your profile.

Is the school within your budget?

A program may love you, but the scholarship package might not match what your family can or wants to pay.

Does the academic degree you want even exist there?

Some schools won’t offer:

• engineering,

• business analytics,

• nursing,

• sports science,

• pre-med,

• or the major you want.

That alone removes it as an option.

✔ Does the roster have space?

If they’re already carrying 32 players…It doesn’t matter how good you are. The opportunity isn’t there.

The Location Problem: Why Staying “Close to Home” Hurts U.S. Recruits

This is one of the biggest issues with American athletes:

Too many limit themselves to colleges in their home state or within a single region.

Let’s use an example.

Example: Player From Georgia or South Carolina

You live in the Southeast, you say:

“I want to stay within 2–3 hours of home.”

Okay... but here’s what happens.

Once you filter for:

• Your academic degree

• Your position

• Your style of play

• Your athletic level

• Your budget

• Roster needs

• Scholarship availability

• AND MORE

  
  

…you don’t have 200+ options anymore.

You don’t have 50 options.

You might not even have five.

And quite often, you have ZERO.

Because you cannot force a college to need your position.

You cannot force a college to recruit your profile.

You cannot force a college to have your degree.

And you cannot force prices to magically fit your budget.

This is where so many U.S. families go wrong.

The Power of Being Open-Minded: A Realistic Pathway

Let’s go back to our Georgia/South Carolina example.

If you stay open to the entire country rather than just your region, everything changes.

Maybe you start your journey at a top school in Michigan, Tennessee, Colorado, or Kansas, somewhere that:

• Needs your position

• Fits your playing profile

• Offers your academic degree

• Has scholarship budget available

  
  

You go there for two seasons.

You develop.

You gain experience.

You build value.

Now fast forward: Your dream school back in Georgia or South Carolina suddenly needs your position...

Now they want you.

Now you’re experienced.

Now you’re proven.

Now you college soccer fit.

Now you can transfer home.

Where you start does not have to be where you finish. Find your pathway, don’t force it.

This is the key to successful recruitment.

It’s Okay to Have Preferences But Be Realistic

We’re not saying:

“Forget your preferences.”

“Go anywhere.”

“Throw your goals away.”

Not at all.

It’s perfectly okay to want:

• a certain academic program

• a certain environment

• a certain region

• a certain campus size

  
  

But you have to understand:

Once you treat soccer recruitment like regular college applications, you limit your chances massively.

Regular students can choose the school.

Soccer recruits must find the right school that chooses them back.

Your job is to find the best fit where the main boxes are ticked.

The more open you are, the more options you will have.

Where Primus Makes This Whole Process Easier

Primus was built because traditional U.S. recruitment doesn’t work anymore.

We step in by:

Completing a deep onboarding evaluation

Where you play, how you play, your academics, your goals, your personality, your budget — everything.

Building a tailored college outreach list

Not a generic list.Not a copy-paste blast.A list based on your actual profile and where you’re recruitable.

Helping you understand WHY each offer arrives

We explain:

• Why this school fits

• Why this coach is interested

• Why this academic program works

• Why this region could benefit you

• Why this pathway makes sense long-term

  
  

No confusion.

No randomness.

No false hopes.

Giving you a national (and international) recruitment footprint

We open doors across the entire U.S. and beyond, not just in your zip code.

Final Takeaway

If you treat college soccer recruitment like regular college admissions…

You’re setting yourself up for frustration, missed opportunities, and confusion.

But if you treat it like what it actually is: a complex, competitive, constantly shifting system, then you will find the right pathway.

The goal is simple:

Find the school that fits you… not just the school that’s closest to home.

And Primus is here to guide you every step of the way.