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5 Keys To Obtaining an Athletic Scholarship
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1. Core GPA- (Grade Point Average) Your Core GPA consists of only selected courses and excludes all elective classes such as PE, Athletics, Agriculture, Home Economics, etc. Core GPA consists of English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. When a University recruits an athlete it is these courses that make the student eligible for scholarship. AP, Honors, and GT classes do not carry more weight than non-advanced classes. An A in a course is worth 4 grade points, B’s are worth 3, C’s are worth 2, and D’s are worth one point. Classes taken for high school credit in middle school do not count towards your core GPA. Your GPA begins your freshman year in High School. 2. SAT and ACT Test Scores A prospective student-athlete should begin to take SAT of ACT college entrance exams no later than the spring of their junior year in high school. Different Universities may require higher scores than others and this should be taken into account by the student and their parents when looking at potential schools. Students may take these exams as many times as possible and scores may carry over and combine. Most universities required a score of 820 for the SAT and between 68 and 86 on the ACT, but the score will be lower based on GPA. Institutions use a sliding scale based on GPA; the Higher the GPA, the lower the test score can be. The lower the GPA, the higher the test score must be. Knowing this, you can see the importance of taking the exams as often as possible to gain the highest test score possible. Higher GPAs combined with higher test scores will open more doors for the prospective student-athlete. 3. Preparation for the Athlete What are you doing to prepare yourself athletically to be successful? Not only must a student meet the eligibility criteria of the NCAA, he must also be gifted enough athletically for college recruiters to be interested in him. It is the athletic ability of the player that will gain attention first. Students wishing to get an athletic scholarship must be committed to pay the price that it takes to earn it. This may entail many sacrifices for the student during his/her high school career. The athlete should commit to year round training in weights and sports specific activities. They must be willing to out work the competition and will have to spend the summer months in their school’s summer strength and conditioning program. Attending camps and clinics that will expose them to colleges are also a must. Not only does this require total commitment from the student, it also asks the same of the parents. Summer jobs and vacations sometimes must be forgone in order to achieve the goals desired. Very few athletes are gifted enough to only work during their sport season and still receive a scholarship. Most high school aged athletes need to put in hundreds of hours of extra work in order to make themselves the best players that they can be. It is also very important that parents and athletes remain realisitic in their goals. Division I colleges don’t have a high need for 5’10” & 170 lb. linebackers. That same player may need to set their sights on Division II , Division III (non-scholarship) or NAIA schools. Always remember that a college education, no matter where it is attained, is the highest achievement in ones academic career. 4. Making Yourself Marketable to Colleges The first question a college recruiter will ask a high school coach about a potential prospect is, “What are his tests scores?”, along with, “What is his core GPA?” If those scores do not meet the standards of the university, the recruiter will look elsewhere to find his player. This scenario usually occurs during the spring of the athlete’s junior year. If the recruiter receives a positive response to those questions, he will then make a request for video of the player in order to assess his abilities. Often times the high school coach has nothing to show the recruiter because the player had little or no playing time, or was a backup to a better player as a junior. This means the player who wants to be a college athlete must work hard to avoid this happening to him and must strive to get on the field as a varsity player as early as possible. He must also have a great senior year on the field. Players should also attend one day summer camps at colleges they are interested in. These camps can be costly but this affords a great opportunity for the coaching staff at the university to get to know you. Players should also be very involved with their high school coach in mailing game film and filling out college player questionnaires on schools that may be showing interest in them. The key here is that high school coaches will work hard for their athletes but they can’t do it alone, the player and the parents must also do their part. 5. NCAA Clearinghouse The NCAA is the governing body of most college sports. Your first step towards an athletic scholarship is registering with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Athletes who want to compete at the collegiate level must file a form with the Clearinghouse. This form is available from your counseling office or on-line at www.ncaaclearinghouse.com. The NCAA Clearinghouse sets the minimum core GPA and the minimum ACT/SAT score necessary to be eligible as a freshman. For Division I, there is a sliding scale with a 2.5 core and an 820 SAT or 68 ACT as its base. The higher the core GPA, the lower the SAT/ACT must be and vice versa. In Division II, there is no sliding scale, and the minimum core GPA is 2.0 and an 820 SAT or 68 ACT score. In order to be eligible to play as a freshman, you must register and you must qualify academically. Registration with the Clearinghouse is a one time fee of $30. Athletes basically have five years to complete four years of athletic eligibility. Students who fail to meet minimum academic requirements or fail to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse will almost certainly lose one year of eligibility. It is important to note that meeting the minimum requirements of the NCAA Clearinghouse does not guarantee admission into a university. Many universities have more stringent admission requirements than those of the NCAA. |
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