What This Track Athlete’s College Search Can Teach Every Family About Affordability

By Kimberly Poe

What This Track Athlete’s College Search Can Teach Every Family About Affordability

By Kimberly Poe

Published on March 21, 2026

This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow.

I’m sharing this in case it helps another parent starting the college process—because this year taught us a LOT.

Student Profile

GPA: 3.87 (4.57 weighted)
Class Rank: Top 25% at a large 6A Texas high school
Test Scores: Middle range ACT/SAT
Activities: NHS, Boy Scouts, AP + Dual Credit classes
Athletics: Track (400m & 800m — relay and individual), previously in band
Planned Major: Accounting
SAI: Mid-$30,000 range (not “meets need” eligible)

Because we weren’t eligible for need-based aid, all awards were merit and/or athletic scholarships.

Based on his track times, we realistically knew we were looking in the D2/D3 range, so we built a list that would work both with and without track.

Early Criteria

At the beginning, his priorities were simple:

A real fall season
A beautiful campus
A Chipotle nearby (This mattered more than you’d think!)
Not a huge school
Target cost: ~$20,000 per year

As the youngest, he had already toured many campuses with older siblings—SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, UNT, Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama, and more.

How His Preferences Evolved

As we got deeper into the process, his priorities became much clearer:

Urban over remote
Track located on campus
Strong internship pipeline and job placement
Larger than his high school (750 students), but under 20,000 total

Why We Focused on Smaller Schools

We leaned toward smaller colleges intentionally.

Small schools tend to:

Work more closely with students
Challenge them beyond academics
Build critical thinking and social/emotional awareness

That’s a real differentiator.

Big schools—by nature—just can’t always provide that same level of individualized development.

Building a Smart, Flexible College List

We intentionally built a wide list.

Not just schools for track—but schools he would still love if he decided not to run or was injured or cut from the team. (We called it the “Broken Leg Test.”)

The list included:

Large public universities
Smaller private colleges
Liberal arts colleges
D2, D3, and even NAIA programs

(Two schools he seriously considered—Indiana Tech and Culver-Stockton—are NAIA.)

Why He Applied to 25 Schools

He applied to 25 schools.

Not because he needed that many—but because of recruiting.

When you’re an athlete:

You often need more time to evaluate programs
Coaches are still evaluating you
Opportunities evolve

Applying broadly helped ensure we didn’t miss opportunities due to preconceived assumptions.

We only paid for 3 application fees, but without applying, we never would have known the true costs or offers.

The Process Was… A Lot

I won’t sugarcoat it—this took serious organization.

Weekly check-ins
Emails and calls with coaches
Campus visits when possible
Comparing financial offers constantly

We also:

Used this tool from Bain to evaluate college financial stability:
Relied heavily on Peter Pitts’ posts in the Paying for College 101 Facebook group to identify strong small college options

Understanding Athletic vs Academic Scholarships

This became really important.

D2 schools often offered athletic scholarships, sometimes combined with academic awards
Athletic scholarships are tied to participation and performance and can be lost if a student leaves the team
Academic scholarships are tied to GPA and are typically more stable

Understanding renewal terms was critical when comparing offers.

The Results

He applied to ~25 schools:

Accepted to every school
Received merit scholarships from every school
Received D2 athletic offers

Total Merit & Athletic Aid Offered:

~$632,000

Final Net Costs (Including Room & Board):

Lowest: $14,000/year
Highest: $34,000/year
Average: ~$25,000/year

Several offers included D2 athletic scholarships combined with academic merit, which significantly lowered costs.

He was also invited to compete for several full-tuition scholarships and made it to the final rounds in a few—an incredible experience even without winning.

Scholarship & Cost Breakdown by School

(COA → Final Cost)

Culver-Stockton College → $43,550 → $14,765
Missouri Valley College → $38,500 → $19,000
Wichita State University → $23,180 → $20,180
Augsburg University → $55,931 → $21,931
St. Norbert College → $60,030 → $22,030
Lyon College → $44,010 → $23,010
William Woods University → $42,500 → $23,500
University of Kansas → $40,035 → $24,035
Oglethorpe University → $68,100 → $24,628
University of Arkansas → $43,592 → $24,692
Indiana Tech (NAIA) → $43,915 → $24,915
Hendrix College → $55,772 → $25,772
Heidelberg University → $46,898 → $26,898
Saint Vincent College (PA) → $61,252 → $28,378
Mount St. Mary’s University (MD) → $63,450 → $28,450
Geneva College → $46,110 → $28,610
Nebraska Wesleyan University → $59,596 → $28,096
Clarke University → $54,500 → $29,500
LeTourneau University → $48,990 → $29,690
University of La Verne → $61,680 → $30,680
Earlham College → $70,638 → $30,638
Loyola New Orleans → $67,584 → $32,584
Concordia University Irvine → $55,750 → $32,750
Susquehanna University → $82,300 → $34,300

The Final Decision

He chose Oglethorpe University.

Why?

Strong academic fit (Accounting)
Urban location
Comfortable campus
Track program fit

And importantly…

It passed the “broken leg test.”

If track disappeared tomorrow, he’d still want to be there.

Final Cost: ~$24,000/year

Part of the affordability came from Oglethorpe’s Flagship 50 Grant, which matches in-state flagship tuition for students with a 3.8 unweighted GPA.

The Emotional Side No One Talks About

One of the hardest parts wasn’t choosing a school.

It was saying no.

He had built real relationships with several coaches—and dreaded having to “break up” with them.

That part of the process is very real for recruited athletes.

The Hardest Part Was Choosing

We made it hard—in a good way.

He had so many great options.

The hardest part wasn’t finding a good college…
It was choosing between

Different vibes
Different team cultures
Urban vs. rural
North vs. South
Public vs. private

We focused on fit over name recognition.

What We’d Do Differently

Start earlier.

I’d recommend that when the student is a sophomore, both parent and student should:

Read Who Gets In and Why by Jeff Selingo
Start understanding how college decisions really work
Reinforce this mindset:
“This is a process. We can pivot anytime. And we won’t let opinions from people who aren’t paying the bill drive this decision.”

For Student Athletes: The Total Package Matters

For track (and any sport), it’s not just performance:

Nutrition
Training routines
Recovery
Consistency

Coaches evaluate the whole athlete.

Final Thought

You don’t need:

A perfect SAT
Top 10% rank
A “hook”

To get strong offers.

What matters is:

✔️ Building a wide, smart list
✔️ Understanding how aid works
✔️ Comparing offers carefully
✔️ Staying flexible

There are more good options than most families realize.

The goal isn’t just getting in somewhere—it’s having multiple affordable, great-fit choices.

_______

Use R2C Insights to help find merit aid and schools that fit the criteria most important to your student. You’ll not only save precious time, but your student will avoid the heartache of applying to schools they aren’t likely to get into or can’t afford to attend.

Looking for expert help on the road to college? See our 1-1 Coaching Services.