Word of advice (if anyone cares to hear it) for all young players with real pro aspirations:

Commit to college. Even if you want to go pro, it is good leverage. 

Clubs are not going to look at it as an impediment to signing you or giving you playing time, unless you make it too clear you're going to college. 

I would even suggest players abroad should do the same. You don't have to actually be serious about attending college, but you want to sell that you are. 

Over the years I've heard of some very well-negotiated pro deals (getting a lot of the player-side asks from a pro club) that came from having leverage due to the threat of going to college. 

Part of the segment of people I speak to around the game are the parents of players. Some will mention to me the commitment of their kid to a certain school as a reference point, even if I'm well aware that it's bogus and it's the last resort. They're trying to lobby me that "player X or Y is seriously considering college" (whatever little sway it has in the news cycle to try to convince me of it). This is smart and I appreciate the tactics. Use a college commitment as a leverage point. 

So yes, try to at least go through the motions with the college process. It does help your pro leverage. The college coaches of course want to get all these kids to campus, but they know the way the process works and know that when they recruit certain kids the chance is always there they never show up. Certain kids they won't even bother recruiting because they know they're just wasting their time. 

I believe the recruiting process for late 08's and early 09's starts in June. Coaches are allowed to start contacting kids then. Currently, late 07's and early 08's have probably already started the college recruiting process. 

In my opinion, the only players that shouldn't be committing are the players that sign pro before they can even be recruited. Everyone else, please commit to college! Yes, I'm on the side of the players and want as many of you to get pro deals as possible. Committing to college helps your leverage with that.