We at SportsForce would like to congratulate Jessica Mangrobang on her commitment to Gonzaga University. Here is Jessica’s recruiting story and interview after her commitment. Good luck as a Bulldog!
1.) Share your recruiting story, status, and how SportsForce helping with the process.
The recruiting process actually took longer than I thought it would, but that is only because I wanted to make 100% sure that the college I would pick would be one of my favorites/best fit. Before September 1st of my junior year, the recruiting process was a little bit hard only because the coaches are not allowed to approach you quite yet. That is where having Sportsforce was a nice asset. They were able to introduce me to all of the Division 1 colleges/universities that I wanted to go to well before that time. When September 1st finally came in, I received a lot of text messages and emails from coaches. This is only because the coaches were able to get my information through Sportsforce. After seeing the replies that I got, that is when I started to narrow down my choices. I have a passion/curiosity for Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering and so I was looking for a college that had my major. Aside from this, I also have a dream of someday becoming a professional tour golfer, and so I wanted a college/ university that would allow me to do both. The recruiting process for me was a lot of narrowing down and comparisons. After having a couple calls with different coaches, I started comparing how comfortable I would feel with them. After comparing the colleges with one another, I tried comparing how my grades and my athletics would compare with their academics/athletics. Again, lots of comparing and narrowing down. Once I narrowed it down to my top 3-4 universities, I compared the benefits of the colleges. I was able to get a few offers and I chose the best-fit university for me. After a lot of careful examinations, I committed to Gonzaga University in April of my Junior Year.
2.) What school are you going to, and why did you choose them?
I am going to Gonzaga University. I chose them because they had my major, which is Mechanical Engineering. They also have a really strong golf team which I liked. When I visited their university for an unofficial visit, I really enjoyed the cold weather (but that’s my opinion). The team was also really nice and welcoming and I felt really excited in thinking that I might join their team (and I did). The coaches were also really nice and I felt comfortable knowing that for my college career that I will have them to guide me. In all, the university was really nice. It gives me a chance to strive for my engineering goals along with my golf dreams. A bonus of going to Gonzaga for me is that it is also a Catholic Jesuit school. I always attended catholic school ever since Pre-K, so furthering my faith is also a nice bonus.
3.) What advice would you give to other players and parents with the recruiting process?
It is really nice to start early. Of course, you will see other people committing to colleges super early (like freshman/sophomore years), but do not worry too much about that. To be honest, I worried about it because some of my top colleges already had their players set in, but that led me to see a great university like Gonzaga. To players I would have to say, “Be very patient. All of this stress is worth it in the end. Trust me. I know the stress. It’s a lot, but once you start to dial in your choices, you eventually become very happy with your college/university. I know that your parents might push you harder to do stuff, but it’s for the best. Just be patient, it will come. You just have to do your part, too, though. The coaches want to talk to you, not your parents. Though it is nice to have your parents do everything for you, you can’t let them do EVERYTHING. You also need to go with what fits your standards the best. It took me a long time to figure out exactly what I wanted, but I eventually found it”.
4.) How excited are you for your future in college?
I am honestly very excited about college. It is a new experience and I am excited for traveling with the team and also growing up as my own person. I expect that college will demand a lot from me and I am somewhat ready to face it. I am looking forward to furthering my education and also furthering my golf career.
5.) How much money do you anticipate your family saving in college expenses?
According to information online, I am saving my family about $53,316+ (per year) or, over $213,000 total in college expenses since I was offered a full ride through my recruiting process.
6.) Would you recommend SportsForce to any other student-athletes? Why?
I would really recommend Sportsforce to other student-athletes because, without their help, my critical information probably wouldn’t have reached my college target list, including Gonzaga (which is most likely how they were able to find me). It also made it a lot easier because they are able to personally introduce me to the colleges that were a fit both athletically and academically. They also give a lot of other help when it comes to checking up on your progress. They give a lot of tips and help on how to react and respond to coaches and how to deal with certain situations.
Over the last five years, SportsForce has helped over 1,000 student-athletes and families successfully navigate the college recruiting and athletic scholarship process while saving families on average $50,000 in college expenses.
