Testimonials:

Our son, Alex, has just retuned home after his first year away at University of Redlands.

What a remarkable year he has had, full of so many positive experiences and growth. 

The University of Redlands exceeded his expectations not only academically but athletically as he was a starter for the Men's Golf team.   Academically, he told me about a month into school last Fall, "Mom, the teacher - student relationship is so cool here in our small classes. This is the best place I could be". 

HIs Professors were so accomodating with his golf schedule 2nd semester.   Athletically, the golf team went to the NCAA Div III National Championship where the University of Redlands finished in 2nd place, Alex placed 23rd and made the All American 3rd Team.   

We will always be grateful for Gary's guidance (& patience) with Alex in his search and preparation for College. He pushed him, asked the hard questions and made him follow through.  This was a much more successful approach as opposed to us as parents in that role.  I can't recommend this company enough!

Thank you again.  

Craig and Margaret Hedlund Arlington, WA.

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VSI provided a friendly, structured, highly professional and businesslike approach to:

• Evaluating our daughter Molly’s needs and wants, including balancing athletic and academic criteria
• Screening colleges and universities according to these criteria
• Providing a framework for outreach to selected colleges
• Guidance on self-marketing
• Arranging college visits

 Most importantly, Gary and Scott provided motivation. Could Molly have done all of this on her own (with her parents’ assistance, of course)? Absolutely. Would she have done it? Absolutely not! Gary and Scott helped Molly see the possibilities, understand her own desires, and explore the most relevant options. They helped make the process enjoyable, and not a chore. The bottom line: halfway through her junior year in high school, Molly had made a verbal commitment to the University of Tampa, the current NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer champions. What a load off all of our minds! Not only will Molly be joining the kind of soccer program she wants, but will also have the opportunity to pursue her top choice of an academic program (sports medicine/exercise science)—all without having to play soccer in the dampness and gloom of the Pacific Northwest. 

Bill Gottlieb and Ruth Friedman, parents of Molly

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We first heard about VSI from our daughter Stefani’s teammate at Washington Premier. 

Her parents were very enthusiastic about the results for their daughter.  She is a Region IV ODP player and we figured that she of all people didn’t need the help of someone like VSI. We took their advice and gave Gary a call to set-up their offer for a free one-hour consultation. After our first meeting with Gary we came away with a sense of optimism for Stefani, knowing that she could get into a great school AND play soccer.  What Gary stressed with us was that the sport aspect of college is and should be icing on the cake. 

The most important thing was to help our daughter find a school that fit her academically, socially and athletically, in a geographic area that was acceptable.  It was this sense of priority that really hit home with us.  Stefani went through the process that Gary outlined for her.  She entered a class to help her improve her math scores, took her SAT’s, wrote to coaches and investigated schools all over the country.  When she finally made a trip down to Ashland, Oregon for a visit with Southern Oregon University it took her less than half a day to decide that SOU was the place for her.  While the coach is terrific, what excited her about the school was the academics, the small class size and the kids that attended there.  We know that Stef made the best decision for her future. 

Without Gary’s help I don’t believe that she would have been able to accomplish that.  She has found a fantastic school which will help her achieve her goal of getting a Psychology degree with an opportunity to play college soccer at the same time.

Jeff and Tina Vert

Parents of Stefani Vert

Southern Oregon University class of 2012

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We were introduced to VSI at the FIELDturf Cup College Showcase in 2007.

Our daughter Olivia was a senior with the hope of finding a 4 year college almost out of sight. I suspected then, just what had been missing at so many of the other showcase tournaments we had attended over the last 2 years. We noticed a difference in the seminars that were offered for parents and players.  This was truly a showcase where both coaches and players were given opportunity and knowledge for successful recruitment. We were both surprised and thrilled with Gary’s knowledge and honesty when dealing with our daughter.  She responded immediately to Gary’s exceptional upbeat and assuring manner.  After just one consultation she was hooked and the rest is history.  Gary helped match our daughter with the right school; she will attend PLU, in Tacoma and play for the soccer team in fall 2008.  

We have and will continue to encourage all our teams to consult with VSI. They are very well educated on the strategies to guide athletes to the right college, and the place where they will be successful in both academics and sports. 

Melanie Lee

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“Gary and Scott are Honest People who really care about the young men and women that they represent. I see them at so many games watching and supporting their clients.

These guys give the players they represent everything they have!”

“A must in today’s recruiting arena. They have my respect and admiration.

These guys work hard and take care of people. “

Chuck Sekyra
Head Women's Soccer Coach
Seattle Pacific University

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From Cliff McCrath, SPU Men’s Soccer Coach

“For today’s high school athletes - seeking a better highway on their journey to the “right” university – there are few, if any, ‘road maps’ as helpful as those provided by Scott Brayton and Gary Whitehouse.  Their company – Varsity Student Institute (“VSI”) – is a living model of genuine concern and caring management so desperately needed today.  If it had not been coined by a well-known Insurance company – VSI’s motto could well be:  “You’re in good hands with VSI.”  Come to think of it…with Scott and Gary there are no better people helping prospective student-athletes with such critical decisions!”

C. Cliff McCrath
Seattle Pacific University

Amanda Biggs a senior at Cedarcrest High School and Team Captain for Crossfire Jenkins GU-18 Team on February 8th signed a National Letter of Intent to play Women’s Soccer at Central Washington University.  Gary Whitehouse of VSI played a very important part in her ultimate success.

 Amanda signed up with VSI as a Sophomore.  She new she wanted to play college soccer, but where and what she needed to do to get there was what VSI gave her.  The first year, I (her mother) did most the work with Gary’s help.  He helped us create her soccer resume, he coached us on emails to send before tournaments and afterwards and I spent many of evenings sending these out.  Not only did he get her to focus on contacting the coaches, but grades were discussed in length and how important they were.  Amanda was a 3.0 student at the time.  She knew she could do better, Gary told her she could do better and that colleges wanted to see better. I am proud to say with this encouragement the last 3 semesters she has gotten over a 3.8 with one semester being a 4.0. Come her Junior year Gary said Amanda it’s time for mom to back off and you need to make the phone calls send the emails etc.  So off she went by herself to VSI offices in Bellevue to make the phone calls to the schools she was interested in with a script provided by VSI.  It took Amanda 45 minutes to make that first phone call; I think Gary thought they might just be spending the night at the office before that phone call got made!!! Funny how that first phone call was to Michael Farrand at  Central Washington University!  I am happy to say that after that first night, she began to pick up that phone and make contact with coaches, sent the emails made unofficial visit appointments all on her own.  When we visited the various colleges we were given a script of questions to ask, she asked them all and then some.  We had several comments on how well prepared she was from the coaches.  She eventually had narrowed it down to 3 colleges in September and made her decision to verbally commit to Central in early October. 

I want to say thank you to Gary Whitehouse and VSI for the wonderful experience my daughter, and her dad and I had with VSI.  Of course the ultimate goal was achieved; she is going to the school of her choice on an athletic scholarship.  But I want to say thank you for so much more.  She has matured over the last two year into a bright, outgoing individual and I believe VSI gave her the tools to go out in the world hold her head up high and achieve anything she wants!!! 

Cathi Biggs

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Francis, our son, is an excited and motivated freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), enrolled in the five year architecture program and a contributing member of their nationally ranked soccer team. The academic and athletic fits are excellent. Immeasureable thanks are due Scott Brayton and VSI.

Scott introduced Francis to SCAD, a school unknown to us, and persisted in getting Francis to investigate further. The coach did not respond to Francis's regular phone calls and e-mails. Scott's active involvement resulted in an invitation to spend a weekend as a guest of the soccer team, a meeting with the coaches, and playing in a scrimmage. By the end of the weekend, the coach was encouraging Francis to attend SCAD and join the team.

SCAD became Francis's top choice due to the visit.

It was a tough road to get to this point. Scott's and VSI's involvement were tremendous and invaluable. At the end of his sophmore year, Francis had mediocre grades, wanted to study architecture, and was a top player on a championship club team with solid college prospects. A couple of weeks prior to his junior year, Francis was seriously injured in an auto accident, missed the soccer season, struggled to keep up in school, and endured months of physical therapy, rehabilitation,and medical procedures. The year was harsh and frustrating, the college application process seemed daunting, and Francis put in massive energy to simply regain his physical strength and capabilities. Scott broke down the application and coach contact process into manageable steps, walked Francis through parts of this when necessary, and providied critical structure and supervision by inviting Francis to complete some of this work in his office. Equally if not more important, Scott's encouragement and support helped Francis stay motivated and maintain confidence while he worked towards his goals. Francis, to his amazement and satisfaction, reached his immediate athletic and academic goals, and is on a solid long term path in the same successful direction. Scott's professional expertise and personal involvement played an incredibly significant role in Francis's accomplishments and matriculation at SCAD. Scott still keeps tabs on Francis as he naviigates the freshman year and Francis appreciates this continued and solid guidance.

We are so happy with our experience with Scott and "VSI" we are now having Scott work with our daughter...

So, with thanks and tremendous respect,

Wendy "Francis' mom"

We found VSI an invaluable partner in helping our daughter Katherine successfully navigate the college soccer recruitment process. In addition to shaping her written and online video profile, VSI helped Katherine develop her short list of schools and coached her on how to engage in effective telephone conversations with prospective coaches. Scott was also able to watch her play and contacted several coaches directly to provide a reference. Because academics were her top priority, Katherine wanted to attend a highly selective Division III liberal arts college that was extremely difficult to get into. We knew she needed every advantage to gain admission and VSI helped convince the coach that she would be a great addition to the soccer team. In the end, it required great grades and high SAT scores to gain acceptance, but being able to contribute to the women’s soccer team undoubtedly helped her case in the admissions office. In short, we believe that VSI was instrumental in helping Katherine reach her goal of attending Pomona College, which has turned out to be a wonderful place for her to pursue her education. The experience with VSI was so good we are enlisting their help with our second daughter’s college soccer quest as well.

Charlie DeJong
Eastside Catholic Parent
Northwest Nationals and Crossfire Premier Soccer Parent

VSI is an absolutely wonderful program to work with if one is interested in playing collegiate athletics.  Not only do they help you find the right team to play for, more importantly, they make sure the school fits as well.  Too often people get overly excited about one or two schools, and don’t take the time to sit down and sctually see if it could work for them.  VSI guides their clients through the entire process of getting one’s name out there, contacting the coaches, setting up meetings, and of course, seeing if the school is a match as well.  It’s easy to get lost in this entire process, but Scott and Gary do an excellent job of walking their clients through it all, making sure everything is done appropriately and on time.  I am certain I wouldn’t have had the confidece or know how to talk to the school I ended up attending if it weren’t for VSI.  I would highly recommend VSI for anyone wishing to play sports in college.  Whether you’re an all-star or just someone looking to play in college, VSI can help you find the perfect school.

-Corey Sinser- Seattle Pacific University Men’s Soccer Team- Class of 2010

Dear Scott and Gary,

I want to thank you again for everything you’ve done to help Corey achieve his dream of playing collegiate soccer.  The time spent with both of you the past three years has been the critical piece that made his future plans possible.  I tell everyone I know that you gave him the knowledge, support and direction he needed in order to make college soccer a reality.  I think as he went through the process – Contacting coaches, networking, writing his resume, looking at soccer programs around the country, etc. – it helped him to be more organized and mature in his planning.  You helped him think seriously about how HE could make this all happen and to believe it was absolutely possible.

So here we are in his freshman year at SPU.  He’ll play for one of the finest coaches, in one of the best programs in the country and get a fabulous education while he’s there.  Your input and advice and friendship have been invaluable to Corey.  We are equally thrilled and eternally grateful to you.  You’ve become an important part of our family and I look forward to our continued relationship as Quinn begins his quest to play collegiate.  We couldn’t do it without you!

Fondly,

Beth Sinser

We were skeptical at first about paying someone to help our son, Roland, find a good fit to play soccer at the college level.  First you get accepted, then you try out for the team and, if the kid has good skills, he, or she, will make the team.  Right?

Wrong! And downright naive. Things have changed a slot since Dad walked on and tried out for a college team.  For starters there are numerous NCAA regulations, and different regulations for the different levels; deadlines and timelines, and recruiting do's and don'ts.  We were fortunate, particularly in retrospect, to have met Gary Whitehouse at VSI to help us sort it all out.  Knowing when and how to present oneself to coaches is a complicated process and VSI's knowledge, experience, and contacts were very useful in navigating it.

One of the things that impressed us the most was the personal interest Gary took in Roland.  He befriended and encouraged him, but also insisted on Roland taking charge of his responsibilities in completing his applications, putting together his resume, contacting coaches, preparing for interviews, and the like. This in itself became an important maturing process.

Gary and VSI helped us find several schools which were interested in Roland.  He was offered a tryout and ultimately, some scholarship money at one university.  This led to a roster spot at one of his top two choices, even though the coach showed little initial interest.  VSI even arranged summer workouts with a college coach to put the kids in top shape and prepare them for the intensity of college soccer.

Roland just played his first half as a freshman.  It just wouldn't have happened without VSI.

Gwen and Patrice Demombynes, Seattle
Parents of Roland Demombynes, Humboldt State Class of 2010

Varsity Student Institute (VSI) is an amazing organization dedicated to matching you with a college that is a great fit on an academic and athletic basis. Today, many students attend schools solely because of their athletics. VSI underlines the importance in attending a school that you would be happy with regardless of the sport you will be playing there. The college search process can be overwhelming with the many different steps that you need to take along the way. VSI helps ease the stress on the athlete, as well parents as they keep you on a schedule, and hold you accountable for contacting coaches. I had a great experience with the employees of the Varsity Student Institute. They are a caring group who is truly interested in your success. They are hard working and dedicated to what they do. I would recommend this organization to anyone who is serious about pursuing an athletic career at the collegiate level. They will help guide you to where you want to be!

Kim Grant
Chapman University Class of 2010

Gary –
Rossana and I would like to thank you for all your help in finding the right college “fit” for Matt. With Matt being our oldest, and his wanting to play soccer at the college level, we really didn’t know where to start. We were fortunate I knew someone in Seattle who had a son that played soccer who is a year younger than Matt, & he knew of you and your company.

I know you were hesitant to take on a student/athlete outside of the Seattle area, but we’re very glad you did! Your knowledge of the D2, 3 & NAIA colleges, not only their athletic programs but also the intangibles of the “look & feel” of the smaller colleges was a great help. It helped our initial research considerably, by helping us eliminate certain colleges early on, and allowed us to concentrate on those schools that would be a better fit for Matt.

Your ideas, including the DVD of Matt’s soccer highlights went over very well with the coaches we sent them to, and resulted in some very positive comments about Matt’s play, which gave him confidence, and helped him decide on which school to go to. Thank you for setting up the tours of the schools Matt was initially interested in, taking the time to drive down and visit Linfield with Matt, and meet the soccer coach with us. I’m sure that gave Matt a “leg up” on some of the other first year kids also trying out for the team.

The time you took working and talking with Matt, with the many lengthy late night telephone discussions and by e-mail, showed us you were interested in his choosing a college that would best fit his personality, as well as his athletic pursuits.

So, thank you again from Rossana and myself. Your personal attention and caring attitude are greatly appreciated. We look forward to sharing Matt’s college experience and growth with you.

Warmest Regards,
Tim & Rossana Jonathan