About us
Same Dream is an international placement agency based in Switzerland. We will accompany you from A to Z in your search for a university in the United States.
America is the only country that offers this unique and particularly rewarding opportunity to study in an international environment while pursuing your sport at a high level.
Our approach is to be by your side throughout the process of your project, giving you access to a large network of coaches, but also continuous support during and after your academic career.
Our mission is not only to find a university for each athlete, but also to identify the university that best suits your profile and wishes.
Our ultimate goal is to be able to actively contribute to making the dream of every young athlete who comes to us come true, and to be the first big step in his or her personal and professional development. To be able to help ambitious young athletes achieve the same American dream as our team of agents is one of the main missions of our agency.
"A unique experience. Academic specializations not found elsewhere. A very high level of sports. Rare opportunities. Support from A to Z."
This is the promise of SAME DREAM USA.
- Nicolas Planchard, College recruiting agent
Why choose SAME DREAM USA?
1. We will find you the universities that best match the athlete's profile and wishes
There are 4 main factors to take into account when choosing the university that best suits you: your athletic project, your academic project, your geographical area and your financial needs. You will need to ask yourself some important questions:
• Do you want to play for a competitive team where you will have to work hard to get your spot?
• Have you already decided on the academic direction you would like to take? Do you want to live in a cold or warm climate?
• What kind of financial aid are you hoping for?
We take everything into account! In fact, our experts will adapt their research to your specific wishes and do everything possible to minimize your budget. A year of study in the United States can cost up to $80,000 per year. The sooner you contact us, the better your chances of getting into the university of your dreams.
2. Ongoing monitoring and expert advice based on their own personal and professional experience in the United States
Thanks to our experts’ experience as players, coaches and admissions counselors for various American universities, they will be able to guide you more efficiently than if you had to do all the athletic, academic and administrative procedures alone. Our sports agents will be of great help to you because:
• they will be able to answer any question you may have about a particular subject related to your studies or sports
• they will be able to help you play and study at the university that best suits you
• they will help you prepare for interviews, application letters, resumes and emails
• give you pre-departure advice, arrival advice and help with accommodation
• give you details about the academic year and sports season
• explain the differences between NCAA Division I, II, III and the NAIA
• give you all the requirements for amateur status and admission to the university
• They will be able to determine which American studies are the most recognized in Europe, but also which are the most popular with European students, and the length of the intended major
• they will explain the specifics of the American system and the resulting possibilities of specialization according to individual interests
3. Advantageous athletic and academic scholarships through our extensive network in every division in the United States
Thanks to the network that our experts have developed over the years, and the connections they have made with coaches throughout the United States, they can provide you with valuable assistance. Indeed:
• they are well positioned to define what an athlete needs to be admitted at the athletic and academic levels
• they know the eligibility and admission rules and processes by heart
• they know what type of player coaches are looking for
• they are aware of the changes in academic and athletic rules, which change every year
• they can get you very attractive scholarships, which can be particularly difficult if you have to do it yourself in an unfamiliar environment
• they are in a good position to compare the prices of universities, as well as the quality of the academic level, the environment, but also the exact level of each sports team
4. All sports and administrative procedures will be managed by us, which will save you time
The combination of studies and sports in high school is already a challenge. Adding the search for an American university that meets your specific criteria, through a maze of complex regulations, can be a real obstacle course.
Our sports agents, who have realized their dream of studying sports in the USA, know perfectly well the process to follow and consequently the most efficient way to proceed. We will take care of everything, all you have to do is provide us with the information in a timely manner. We offer you a complete follow-up and a total assistance, because we are aware that the recruitment process is long and complex. Our sports agents will be of great help for the administrative procedures, because:
• they know the pitfalls to avoid during the process because they are experienced in the functioning of the American administration
• they will build you an online resume and a professional video montage
• they will assist you with college applications and entrance exams
• they will conduct negotiations that are particularly advantageous for athletes thanks to their network
• they will organize a trip to the different universities chosen by the player
• they will support you in the process of obtaining the American VISA and the insurance papers
• they will help you in the registration process to the NCAA or NAIA
• they will take the time to explain the different steps to take during the 12 months of recruitment
• they have a thorough knowledge of the range of financial aid options
5. Ongoing support for your admissions exams and guidance during your academic career
Beyond the athletic aspects, it is of course also important to us to accompany our athletes in their academic career in the most efficient way possible. We do everything possible to ensure that our athletes are ready for the SAT, Toefl, Duolingo, and ACT exams, not only by giving them advice on how to best prepare for the exams, but also by putting them in exam situations so that nothing is left to chance.
Our experts will be able to help you with your exams because
• they had to take the same exams as you and therefore they know the system
• they are fluent in English and are very proficient in English writing
• they will make themselves available for any questions related to the exams
• they will give you access to books and practice tests for your exams
• they will help you plan your exam dates and study times
Throughout the process and the first three years of college, our athletes are confronted with new situations, and of course the many questions that come with them. Our sports experts, who have studied in the United States, as you may soon, will be available to answer any questions you may have, including the one listed above:
• If the athlete gets injured during the year, is the scholarship lost?
• What happens if the athlete does not feel comfortable at the university and wants to change environments?
• If the athlete wants to change direction after their first year without losing time, is this possible?
• What if the athlete does not have a good relationship with his or her coach and wants to change teams?
Reactivity and quality of support are part of our basic principles, which is why we are committed to never leaving our athletes in the dark about their questions, whatever they may be.
6. An "à la carte" and personalized offer, unique in its kind
Our offer of personalized accompaniment, from the elaboration of your project to its realization, can be enriched with a series of options, which only our agency is able to propose, and which will allow you to definitively distinguish yourself from the other candidates. All this at an interesting price, thanks to the partnerships that we have sealed, as well as to the sponsors who are faithful to us in the long run.
Here are our options that will be available to you during the recruitment process and
that will help you to be ready and reach your goals before your big departure:
• Summer camps in the mountains in your preferred discipline
• Personalized sports planning and programming, carried out by a professional
• Sports stress tests in a professional laboratory
• Orthopedic insoles to improve your sports performance and reduce the risk of injury
• Tactical and technical analysis of your shots and swing
• Individual follow-ups in European and American competitions
• Participation in showcases with American players and coaches
As you will have understood, thanks to all our available options, our objective is not only to find you a university but also to place you in the optimal conditions to be able to stand out from the other players of the team from the first practice, and to convince your university coach to make you play in his base team, where you will be many players for only a few places.
The success of our business project can only be conceived by the success of your project. Yes, your success in the USA will be our priority and we will want to follow you in the evolution of your future career.
7. Special attention for each athlete with customized and individual recruitment solutions
Born in Switzerland, our agency carries the values of rigor, integrity, but also sportsmanship and competitive spirit widely recognized to its nationals. It is therefore important for us to work with people who share these values. Moreover, we consider that nothing can be improvised, which is why we are keen to be at the side of those who place their trust in us at the very beginning of the process. This also means working on sports preparation so as to put you in optimal conditions for physical preparation when you arrive in the USA.
We prefer quality to quantity, and we want to focus our efforts on a small number of athletes, but we are convinced that they are willing to do everything possible to succeed. We will be quite strict in the evaluation process when it comes to determining the chances of receiving a scholarship in the United States, which implies a real transparency in the feedback we will give you. You will be required to meet our admission criteria.
If we start working with talented athletes, we are 100% committed to providing the best possible offer and supporting them until they are convinced that they have everything they need before and during their studies in the United States.
What is the right timing to start our collaboration?
The number and diversity of universities in the USA is such that it is essential to set up a real selection process, and to do it in time.
We estimate that it will take 12 months to:
• determine the personal criteria of our student athletes to be taken into consideration
• find out which universities meet these criteria
• check whether they, in turn, meet the admission requirements of the selected universities
• contact the universities
• draw up a short list
• organize possible on-site visits
• make the final selection
In addition, it is important to know that in some universities, the coaches recruit 1 year in advance. In these conditions, we strongly recommend that those interested in our coaching offer contact us before the beginning of their last school year.
As you will have understood, thanks to all our available options, our objective is not only to find you a university but also to place you in the optimal conditions to be able to stand out from the other players of the team from the first practice, and to convince your university coach to make you play in his base team, where you will be many players for only a few places.
The success of our business project can only be conceived by the success of your project. Yes, your success in the USA will be our priority and we will want to follow you in the evolution of your future career.
Combining a passion for sports with higher education
This unique opportunity to live the American dream will allow you to
• acquire a perfect command of the most spoken language in the world
• combine the practice of sports in a competitive setting throughout the United States, while obtaining an American university degree, recognized worldwide
• to experience American culture, and thus be able to make informed judgments, and to reap real benefits on a human level
• have the opportunity to experience diversity by mixing with young people from all walks of life and from all corners of the world
• to train 15 to 25 hours per week, in addition to team competitions
• to follow a real academic program with approximately 15 hours of classes per week
• to benefit from the support and guidance of teachers and coaches who will ensure a structured schedule, so that you can effectively combine sports and studies
• to give you a chance to launch a professional sports career after successfully completing a university degree
• to benefit from an environment perfectly adapted to the realization of your objectives, both athletic and academic (with infrastructures comparable to professional sports teams)
For anyone who has the ambition and the will to succeed in a particular sport and in their professional life, choosing the United States is to give yourself every chance to succeed, and to live your first beautiful and rich life experience!
What are the different steps needed in the 12 months before D-Day?
1. Pre-evaluation and estimation of your scholarship
2. Setting your goals and putting together your academic and administrative file
3. Profile of the player on line as well as the realization and editing of the sports video
4. Research of universities according to your specific wishes
5. Passing the exams required by the American universities
6. Targeting the most suitable universities - Negotiating scholarships
7. Apply to universities and the NCAA
8. Retake the entrance exams
9. U.S. visa application process
10. The big departure
Contact
Contact us for more information