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Older Son went far into the service academy process. Here were our concerns/considerations:
1. Perhaps with best education out there. HUGE financial benefit and comittment from the school. Guaranteed career move. Job waiting. Ask about graduate school in a disipline that your son is interested in pursuing. Life changing comittment up front, life changing comitment afterwards.
2. Ask yourself. Is this a good fit for my son. Simply put, only a small % of young men have the incredible discpline and dedication to take on this amazing challenge. Our older definately did and would have flourished there. Our younger...oh my god!...NO WAY. For the right player and right young man this is the opportunity of a lifetime. And the comittment is so large that I believe that the son needs to go in with eyes WIDE open and just loving the whole chance, not just the baseball opportunity.
3. Find out what happens if you son simply doesn't cut it, as a baseball player, as a student, emotionally. What are the comittments? Within two years they can withdraw? what is the situation? What about junior year? If I remember correctly There are some penalities and withddrawl dates
3. From all we could tell, and everyone we talked to the path into professional ball was VERY murky. We were told and had other tell us that the answer was usually, "it depends" If pro ball is a realistic option I would want some sort of comittment in writing prior to comitting. Not sure you can get it. And to be frank...IMO you don't go to the academies with the thought using them to play pro ball rather, you use baseball to get to the academies.
4. Can't believe that some leeway is not made for a top athlete. Yes you will have to go through the process, but frankly you have an huge advocate in the baseball caoch.
5. Absolutley go visit.
6. We were told that the invitation could reconsidered after a players freshman year elsewhere, if he so chose.
7. The process is long and detailed. Small price to pay if it is truely the right decision.
8. ALWAYS have plan B. Would apply elsewhere as if the academy were not even happening and make the decison later if and when we were offered. If you have not already signed an early NLI you are still "on the market" would pursue both simultaneously until decision had to be made.
9. And one more thing...ask about summer ball. I believe that the academy kids have some amazing assignments in the summer but those may not include baseball...check on this....