| Preparing for College Athletics First, get a copy of the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Athlete. This is an abbreviated version of NCAA recruiting, eligibility and financial aid rules. Online access to the guide can be found at www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. Sophomore Year " Know what core courses you need to take in high school for the NCAA clearinghouse. " Consult college guides to identify the varieties of colleges with swimming programs. " Familiarize yourself with the various levels of college swimming. Junior Year " Begin work on your "introductory" packet for college coaches: Resume: Personal Information: name, address, phone, email, height, weight, picture (optional), parents names, number of brothers/sisters and ages. Academic Information: high school, date of graduation, GPA, test scores, academic rank, academic interests, HS counselor name and phone number, awards/honors. Athletic Information: best strokes, times, team information, awards/honors, other sports participated in (include position, stats, team standing, summer team). References: name/address/phone numbers of coaches. Proofread your resume before sending it to schools. Video: Your video should only be about 10 minutes long. Use it to show your strokes, turns, starts, and other skills. It is not necessary to pay a company to make a video with graphics and music - coaches are looking at your skills. Watch your video before sending it to schools. " Send out your packet as soon as possible - no later than spring. " At the end of the school year, register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. Senior Year " Investigate all types of financial aid and apply for any you qualify for. " Confirm you will have taken and passed all core courses. " Update your college coaches with your new grades and SAT/ACT test scores. " Send additional resumes and videos if needed. " Send your transcript to your top 10 coaches. " Complete the FAFSA application early. " Apply early to your final college choices so the coaches have time to help you with admission. " Send a final high school transcript and proof of graduation to the NCAA Clearinghouse. Things that affect college admission: " Academics " Community Service " Experiences traveling abroad " Character Remember that Division III school admission and financial aid is based only on academic successes - there are no sports scholarships. Factors to consider in choosing a school: Academic " Academic reputation " Does the school offer a major in the student's academic interests? " Are there diverse course offerings if the student changes her major? " Are graduates of the school able to get jobs? " Is academic help easily available to all students? " Are the athletic and academic interests integrated? " How are workouts integrated into the academic schedule? Athletic " What is the coach's philosophy of athletics? " What is the coach's background? " Is the coach committed to the program? " Are the athletes in the program happy? " Is the athlete covered under the school's insurance program? " What is the training environment? " Are the training facilities adequate? " How much time per week will the athlete spend in practices? " What is the competitive schedule - is there a league? " Is there funding for travel, scholarships, etc.? " How does the team travel? " Am I expected to pay for anything - uniforms, travel, etc.? " What are the off-season commitments? Financial " What are the normal costs for attending this school? " Does the scholarship cover the entire academic year? " Can the scholarship increase/decrease during the school year? " What are the conditions to renew the scholarship each year? Personal " How close is the school to home and how often will the student want to visit? " What is the housing like? |