Anonymous wrote:Pick 8-10 schools based on NOT being an athlete, aka the “break your leg” test.

Then, as part of the decision criteria, decide if you can get a spot on the team or run club.

My kid loved track and it was their whole personality in high school. They would have run on a D3 team but wanted a big state school college experience. They are at an SEC/ACC D1 school now but running club track. It is the best of both worlds.

SEC is an entirely different universe from the ACC.

Example: VA tech club XC track team.

https://vtclubxctf.org/

Pick 8-10 schools based on NOT being an athlete, aka the “break your leg” test.

Then, as part of the decision criteria, decide if you can get a spot on the team or run club.

My kid loved track and it was their whole personality in high school. They would have run on a D3 team but wanted a big state school college experience. They are at an SEC/ACC D1 school now but running club track. It is the best of both worlds.

These are the results for the women's NCAA D1 XC championships in fall 2025. NCAA women's is 6K.; men's is 10K. You'll need to scroll to get the individual results

https://www.tfrrs.org/results/xc/27301/NCAA_Division_I_Cross_Country_Championships

Here is d3: https://www.tfrrs.org/results/xc/27292/NCAA_Division_III_Cross_Country_Championships



The website (https://www.tfrrs.org/) might be helpful for you to look at schools, times, etc.

May want to look at D2 schools. I have long heard that the best financial packages are often at the D2 level. It looks like you daughter's times are nice fit at these schools.

My son has friends playing other sports at Seton Hill and West Chester.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we don’t need money and aren’t expecting it, but I also don’t want to pay 100k a year (we would like to keep it to 60 or so if possible).
Can you all recommend good D3 schools? She is my oldest (a junior) and I went to a big school so this is all very new and overwhelming to me.

Some that will give you merit to get to 60k or less:

Conn College, Trinity, Macalester, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Oberlin, Kenyon, St. Lawrence, Union, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Muhlenberg, Ursinus, St. Olaf, several of the SUNYs.

My kid goes to Conn College and loves it. Their women’s XC team has made nationals the past couple of years (though they are losing some of their best runners to graduation). I’m sure they would love to have your daughter with her times.

+1

This is a good list of strong LACs that give generous merit aid. I would also add Denison and Whitman to it.

Anonymous wrote:OP again- are the days of walking on to track teams over? I remember back in the day some of the kids would walk onto the track team. No scholarship, not necessarily a chance to run, but a place on the team.

No more walking on at Power 5 schools. Your kid could possibly walk on at one of the weaker (in XC) Ivies or Patriot League schools, but they’re not going to be below $90K.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - we don’t need money and aren’t expecting it, but I also don’t want to pay 100k a year (we would like to keep it to 60 or so if possible).
Can you all recommend good D3 schools? She is my oldest (a junior) and I went to a big school so this is all very new and overwhelming to me.

Some that will give you merit to get to 60k or less:

Conn College, Trinity, Macalester, Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Oberlin, Kenyon, St. Lawrence, Union, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Muhlenberg, Ursinus, St. Olaf, several of the SUNYs.

My kid goes to Conn College and loves it. Their women’s XC team has made nationals the past couple of years (though they are losing some of their best runners to graduation). I’m sure they would love to have your daughter with her times.

Don't laugh -- but University of Detroit (Mercy) is a D1 school. Had friends recruited there for xc and track back in the day. It's a Jesuit University. The point is you might want to look at places like this or smaller non-flagship state schools if you truly want D1 for track.

Anonymous wrote:OP again- are the days of walking on to track teams over? I remember back in the day some of the kids would walk onto the track team. No scholarship, not necessarily a chance to run, but a place on the team.

If you do your research on the new roster limits, you’ll realize the walk on type kids have been cut and are running club now. Club at a big college is actually a good option.

The best D3 programs in the DMV are W&L, Lynchburg, and CNU

OP again- are the days of walking on to track teams over? I remember back in the day some of the kids would walk onto the track team. No scholarship, not necessarily a chance to run, but a place on the team.

OP here - we don’t need money and aren’t expecting it, but I also don’t want to pay 100k a year (we would like to keep it to 60 or so if possible).
Can you all recommend good D3 schools? She is my oldest (a junior) and I went to a big school so this is all very new and overwhelming to me.

VCU? Stony Brook? UNC Charlotte? ODU? Towson?

I think those are the schools where you might get some interest.

D-3 might be a better experience

One way or another, her times are unlikely to attract D1 interest as they stand. While D3 doesn’t offer athletic scholarships, many do offer merit and if she is overall a strong candidate she is likely to get some at some of the schools ranked above 20 or 25, many of which are decent. At top ranked D3 schools her times may help the application but probably not enough to be a coach-supported recruit (inless something changes spring of junior year or early fall of senior).

If she loves to run and wants to go to a D1 school many of them have running clubs which will allow her to continue running and competing and make some friends.

If D3 is a consideration, she should fill out the recruiting forms at schools of interest and make contact with coaches.

This is all so new, we don’t know how bad the damage will be but D1 track could all but go by the wayside.

https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a64999097/ncaa-roster-limits-house-settlement/