At first, her heart sank.

That was her initial reaction when senior Lauren Won opened up the Notre Dame admissions portal to see what the result was regarding her early action application.

“I opened Notre Dame first …, but I got deferred,” Won said. 

Then 30 minutes later on the same date, Dec. 17, she moved on to her next dream college — the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT].

Upon reflection, the senior said she was glad she made the conscientious decision to remain alone in her bedroom.

“You know how some parents look at the [computer] screen with you when you open [decisions]?” Won said. “I didn’t let them do that because I had already convinced myself that I didn’t get in.”

But she was wrong.

When the student-athlete clicked on the button to open the admissions portal message from MIT, she saw some images superimposed with words.

Thin green and blue streamers dropped from the top to the bottom of the screen along with small drawings of beavers — the MIT mascot. She read the opening sentence after “Dear Lauren”:

“On behalf of the Admission Committee, it is my pleasure to offer admission to the MIT Class of 2029!”

“When I read the words, I honestly couldn’t believe it and felt so much happiness and relief,” said the senior, who got accepted as an undeclared major. “Going from a deferral from Notre Dame to an acceptance at MIT was such a big mood jump that it felt 10 times more intense.”

Meanwhile, Won’s family was in their living room, anticipating the response, when she ran downstairs to tell everyone the good news with tears in her eyes. 

“We were overjoyed and relieved at the same time,” said her mom, Amy Won. “Since Lauren was little, she dreamed of playing [soccer] in college. Lauren has been working on recruitment with the MIT coach since the summer after her sophomore year. We felt good about her chances of getting accepted to MIT.”

Despite getting recruited to play for MIT’s women’s soccer team, a National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Division III school that finished this season 21-2-1, the university does not offer athletic scholarships. 

By Wednesday, Feb. 5, on one of the National Signing Days on campus, Lauren Won made it official in committing to MIT. That culminated her four years of playing for the girls soccer team, leading the Lady Lancers as a co-captain this season.

FOLLOWING OLDER SISTER’S FOOTSTEPS — LITERALLY

Lauren Won said she first got involved with soccer because she wanted to participate in the same activity as her older sister.

“I started playing because of that, and I really liked it, so I continued playing my whole life,” she said.

As a forward, Lauren Won also had the opportunity to play on the same Lady Lancers squad with her sister when the latter was a senior. 

“From a young age, I knew she had the talent, drive and the right support to go far,” said older sister, Haley, who now attends Marist University in Poughkeepsie. “I always wanted her to be even better than me, and watching her grow into such a strong player has been amazing.”

So amazing that the MIT commit’s head coach took notice in his first year guiding the team.

“One of my favorite moments of Lauren this year was several of her crucial assists, whether it was against Fullerton in the tournament final, against Brea in a league title deciding match or our first round CIF game,” coach William Allgeier said. 

Allgeier also complimented Lauren Won’s efforts when she’s not competing on the field. 

“Her work ethic during practice and games is relentless as she is never giving up until the final whistle,” he said.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

Athletic director Paul Jones said this is the first time in his five years managing the sports program that a student-athlete has been recruited to MIT for sports and academics. 

“It is not often that you come across a student-athlete who is that gifted on the field and in the classroom,” Jones said. “Lauren has set a great example for our student-athletes, showing that it is possible to be an excellent student and athlete, excelling in both areas.”

Lauren Won said she’s willing to take on the challenge this fall when she moves to the East Coast in Massachusetts.

“I know it’s going to be a huge change, but with the nervousness, I’m super excited because I know that I’m going to grow a lot being so far away from home and having to deal with everything myself and adapt to a new location,” she said.

Though many consider MIT’s reputation as more of an academic institution, Allgeier said athletes should not discount its athletics.

“Lauren’s opportunity to pursue academics and athletics at MIT is remarkable,” coach William Allgeier said. “Not only is it a prestigious academic university, but its women’s team is consistently nationally ranked.” 

William Allgeier, the athlete’s soccer coach during her senior year, also found her MIT recruitment special when he first found out about her commitment through another college coach who had attempted to recruit her. 

“Lauren’s opportunity to pursue academics and athletics at MIT is remarkable,” Allgeier said. “Not only is it a prestigious academic university, but its women’s team is consistently nationally ranked.” 

Despite being Lauren Won’s coach for only one season, Allgeier noticed her consistent drive in everything she did. 

“Her work ethic during practice and games is relentless, as she never [gives] up until the final whistle,” he said. “Her loyalty and ability to keep going, even when times get difficult, [stands out to me as her coach].”

Her notable characteristics as a soccer player led her high school team to victory in her first-ever CIF game, which became one of Allgeier’s favorite moments with the senior this year.  

LOST IN THE GAME

Senior Lillian Foster, a close friend of Lauren Won since elementary school, said she is well-versed in the dedication the future MIT student has put into soccer.

“Soccer has always been a constant in her life,” Foster said. “It has played a huge role in her life ever since I met her in second grade, and I’ve always known her to be ‘Lauren the soccer player.’”

This relentlessness showed in Lauren Won even after the games were over, as she navigated through challenges in school. 

“Soccer was kind of the only thing going on in my life, which isn’t bad, but it caused me to burn out,” she said. 

The close, friend-like bond Haley Won has with her younger sister allowed her to provide honest advice based on her own experiences in soccer. 

“I told her to ask herself whether she’d be okay with the ‘what if’ of walking away,” she said. “If she was, that was fine, but I also reminded her how far she’d come and that with more balance and taking time for herself, she could still enjoy her life and soccer.” 

The senior’s biggest source of motivation, her mother, said she also watched her daughter’s freshman and sophomore year burnouts. 

“She was constantly tired,” she said. “I don’t think it was fun for her to play soccer on the field then.” 

Despite any complaints her daughter may have had about playing the sport, Amy Won said Lauren Won has learned to manage mundane tasks well, even though she might not feel like doing it. 

“It’s not easy watching your child struggle, but it’s a process she had to go through herself and figure out ways to overcome it,” she said. “Lauren had to say ‘no’ to many things to focus on soccer and her studies.” 

FINDING BALANCE

In her junior year, however, Lauren Won rediscovered her passion for competing in the sport not by stepping toward it, but by taking a step back and venturing into a new field in video production and photography. 

“It lets me be more creative compared to a lot of other things in my life where I have to be academic and straightforward,” the senior said. “I don’t think I would ever major in it, but I’ve been looking into clubs, activities and even classes I can join or take at MIT that involve video and photography.” 

While the athlete listed brain and cognitive sciences on her application, she will enter MIT undeclared to explore her options more thoroughly. 

“I found myself doing random, spontaneous things that I wouldn’t have done before,” she said. “I think finding things outside of soccer that I enjoy and spending more time in those things has caused me to enjoy it more and put less pressure on myself.”

Finding new hobbies and activities she loves gave her the mobility to refuel and relieve some of the pressure that caused her to burn out. 

“I realized I don’t need to put all my self-worth in soccer,” she said. “Even if I don’t perform well in soccer, it doesn’t make me any less of a person, and I can have a life outside of soccer and still balance everything.”

GETTING ON THE RADAR

Lauren Won said this realization helped her continue pursuing her dream of playing college soccer and supported her during the Harvard ID camp the summer before her junior year. Designed to help colleges identify and evaluate potential recruits, MIT, the University of Chicago, Amherst, and Brandeis were also in the program to scout players. 

“I had been interested in Harvard for a while, so when I was asked to attend a camp, of course, I said yes,” Lauren Won said. 

According to Allgeier, one in every 10 high school student-athletes is recruited for higher-level athletics. 

“With ID camps, I didn’t want to go in there without any of the coaches knowing me, so I emailed the coaches I was interested in first,” the athlete said. 

Following the camp, Lauren Won said MIT admissions officers soon emailed her about boosting her chances of attending the school. Unlike other Division I or Division II schools like the USC or Stanford University, MIT does not offer athletic scholarships. 

The senior said she also considered Pomona College, but MIT remained at the top of her list. After researching the school thoroughly, she said its travel abroad opportunities, location, top-tier academics and competitive soccer program helped her commit.

“I wanted to leave California for college,” she said. “I wanted to go far from home just because now is a great opportunity to do that since it’s not permanent.”

Now, she is preparing for life on the East Coast and at one of the most academically demanding universities in the world.

“I know it’s going to be a huge change, but with the nervousness, I’m super excited because I know that I’m going to grow a lot being so far away from home and having to deal with everything myself and adapt to a new location,” Lauren Won said.

Despite the distance, her parents are confident in her ability to thrive at MIT.

“Lauren is very independent and has excellent study habits and a strong work ethic,” the athlete’s mother said. “I can’t wait to hear about all the fantastic people she will meet and the incredible opportunities she will have.”

At MIT, the senior said she plans on maintaining the school’s winning streak at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference and possibly making a run in the NCAA tournament. Although she is unsure of what career path to follow, the senior is determined to find it there. 

“Along with neuroscience, I’m interested in biological and chemical engineering, or their medical devices major,” she said. “I’m really just trying to find out what I want to do there.”

Although Lauren Won does not intend to pursue soccer as a career, she is excited to take it with her through college. 

“If I told freshman-year me I [would be] playing soccer in college, I don’t think she would believe it,” she said. “But I’ve fallen in love with the sport again, so knowing that I have four more years of this is just happy for me.”