Neighborhood Conversation Series: Applying to College as an Athlete

“A Good College Should Fit Like Your Favorite Pair of Pajamas

– So Should Your College Coaching Team!”

The College Coaches and will help you “get comfortable” with the college process and applying as an athlete.

Webinar: Applying to College as an Athlete

Topics to be Covered Include:
- Recruitment – How does it work, how to get on the radar
- Impact of soccer abilities on admissions
- When and how to contact coaches
- Planning as an athlete from 9th through 12th grade
- Differences between D1 and D3
- Timeline for the (Overall) College Admissions Process
- Do I Need a Private Counselor?

Our speakers represent division 1 and 3 colleges and their athletic programs.

Presentation will be about 45 minutes followed by Q&A. Registration is required, please fill out the Calendly form to the right for the October 2, 7:00 p.m. webinar.

Biographies of Speakers

Lauren Sciocchetti, M.A.
Director of Undergraduate Admission, Neumann University

Lauren is a dedicated professional who has a love of higher education and athletics. With a strong commitment to fostering academic excellence and a passion for soccer, she has seamlessly blended these two roles throughout her career. Lauren is currently the Director of Undergraduate Admission at Neumann University but started her career at Neumann as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach. While coaching at Neumann, Lauren wore multiple hats as recruiter and the athletic liaison for admission. Lauren was at the helm of Neumann’s women’s team for 8 years and prior to that served as an assistant coach at three other D3 institutions. As a player, Lauren was a 3-year starter for the University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team and she also serving as a SAAC representative and a captain in her senior year.

Jim Van Blunk, Senior Associate of Undergraduate Admissions at Temple University – jjvb@temple.edu

Education: Saint Joseph’s University, B.S. Management & Marketing, M.S. Education.

Jim is currently in his 16th year as a Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Temple.

In his role he supervises the first-year admissions team. He is responsible for the strategic planning of recruitment travel as well as the application review process. As a member of the senior leadership team for undergraduate admissions, he helps to develop the overall strategic plan for the office to meet the enrollment goals of the university. Jim also serves as the liaison between the Athletic Department and Undergraduate Admissions.

Jim began his career as an Admissions Counselor at his alma mater and in his 13 years there worked his way up the ladder, eventually serving as Director of Admission. Jim also served as the Director of University Admission at Villanova University for just about 3 years. He then returned to his alma mater to serve as the Alumni Director in the Advancement Office for 6 years before returning to admissions work at Temple.

He has been active in PACAC throughout the years and has been conference presenter on a wide range of topics, from the NCAA process to Early Admission programs. Jim has presented a few times at the NACAC Conference as well, most recently in San Diego. He has also served on a number of Advisory Boards and has been a faculty member for PACAC’s Summer Institute.

Mark Stauffer

Head Coach; Women’s Soccer, Misericordia University

Head coach at Misericordia University for 24 seasons. 16 NCAA national tournament appearances, NCAA national final four, multiple NCAA elite 8’s and sweet 16’s. Ranked the #1 team in the country in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. NCAA National Coach of the Year and NCAA mid-atlantic regional coach of the Year.

Becky Bowlby has thirty years of college admission and fifteen years of college counseling experience.

Becky loves to work with students and families creating a college list, financial aid strategies, and supporting athletes through the process. Because of her extensive background in both admissions and counseling, Becky has formed a national and international network of colleagues from both sides of the desk.

Becky served in a variety of leadership roles in the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC) including President, Conference Planning Chair (6 times), Treasurer, Chair of Admission Practices Committee, and Chair of College Fairs Committee. At the 2022 conference, Becky was awarded Emeritus Membership status for her service to the organization. In addition, Becky has been very active in the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) serving in several leadership roles there as well.

Kathleen Glynn-Sparrow is the Founder and Head Coach for The College Coaches. Previously, she was the Director of College Counseling at the McLean School in Potomac, MD. Kathleen also worked at Stone Ridge in Bethesda, MD, in college counseling and as the head of the English Department. She also served as Director of College Counseling at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, MD. She taught at The Ben Franklin Academy in Atlanta, GA, where she counseled students challenged with learning style differences, substance abuse recovery, and motivational issues. Kathleen earned her B.A. from Duke University and her M.Ed. from Emory University.