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Sports Pages
I am interested in playing soccer in a Division I or II program. Where can I obtain information regarding specific soccer programs, including information regarding scholarships granted, coaches, and contact information?
Two books you might want to investigate are Peterson’s Sports Scholarships and College Athletic Programs found in your local bookstore; and the National Directory of College Athletics available by calling (216) 835-1172. The men’s copy is $27.95 and women’s copy is $19.95 plus $2.50 shipping.
Perhaps a better approach would be to find colleges which offer the academic program of interest to you first and then investigate their sports programs. I think this makes a lot of sense for any student who won’t be making a living after college from their college sport (and that’s actually most college athletes). The admissions office at any school should be able to help you navigate the athletics prospects at that school. I’ll watch for you on the sports pages.
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My son is potentially a scholarship athlete. Where can I get information on the NCAA regulations concerning high school athletes?
Contact the NCAA at (913) 339-1906.
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I am a freshman at a small school in Texas and am an involved student, as well as being at the top of 90 in my class. I was recognized nationally for my 710 in math in the Duke TIP. However, I sincerely love playing basketball, and start for my J.V. I don't feel that I would be prepared to play Division I basketball by my senior year. I have heard of players starting out at a junior college and transferring to a university. How do you feel about this...and my situation?
Well, you’ve certainly got some time to think this over, and to see how your basketball skills develop. MANY basketball programs at Division I schools do not accept junior college transfers, so this route may not land you into the school of your choice.
Junior college is often the right choice for students whose skills are good enough to play college ball, but who are not yet ready academically. My advice would be to explore four-year colleges that field Division II and III basketball teams. This includes some of the top schools in the U.S.and would allow you to play ball and get a great education.
Head to your local bookstore. There are a number of college choice publications that will help you identify the right school...and be sure to send me tickets to your first college game!
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If I have not joined any sports during freshman or sophomore year, is it too late to start something like cross-country or track junior year for it to look good on my college application?
It's not at all too late. I actually joined the cross-country team myself in my junior year and ended up really enjoying it. If one of these sports at your high school accepts students who have not previously been involved, then go for it! But make sure that joining a sport is not just for looking good on your college application and nothing else. You probably want to actually like it, too, and be able to devote meaningful time to it.
Since joining a sport is usually a pretty big time commitment, make sure that it doesn't interfere too much with the other extracurricular activities you may already have been more strongly involved with. A basic principle to remember: Colleges are interested in seeing meaningful involvement in a few activities you care about, rather than sporadic involvement in a bunch of different activities. If you think joining a sport will be meaningful to you and help challenge you in new ways, then by all means, zip up your track jacket and take on that challenge.
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I know that extracurricular activities are important, but I was wondering if, for instance, sports are only important to the college application if you play in school. Is it still good if you play sports for the city?
Your involvement in city sports will definitely be an asset to your college application. Just make sure you mention your involvement in community sports rather than just your school-related activities. You may even want to explain why you valued participating in city sports (e.g. the chance to interact with students from other schools, greater interaction with the community in which you live, etc.).
As far as financial aid goes, even though you probably won't get scouted out by university representatives at your high school, you may still be eligible for lots of athletics-based scholarships. You'll want to search some scholarship engines for community scholarships; many scholarships are offered to students involved in city sports. And why not continue your athletic participation in college? Join intramural sports or even a club or league team. I bet you'll love it. Good luck and congratulations on your community involvement!
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Hello, I am a junior attending a mid-sized high school in Southern California. I have a 4.2 GPA, and this year I am taking 5 AP classes and Spanish III honors. I am looking to get into UCI, UCSC or, as a last resort, UCR. I am really confused about what to do for extracurricular activities. I have done wrestling since sixth grade, but I am finding that I am enjoying it less and less, as wrestling at the high school level demands A LOT of time and energy, and it is without a doubt the most competitive sport I have done. (I have done every school sport except swimming and basketball. However, I only have one or two years in each.) I have heard that colleges prefer "depth" in extracurricular activities. But in order to attain "depth" in wrestling, I must dedicate nothing less than my full time and energy to the sport. I am afraid this might end up hurting my academics, as the workload of 5 AP classes is nothing to sneeze at. Also, I have an interest in many clubs and activities that conflict with wrestling, such as Academic Decathlon and Mock Trial. This goes along with the "depth" issue, as I am afraid that if I quit wrestling to attend these activities, colleges may look down on that. What would you recommend?
I recommend that you first maintain your academic record as well as you can and, second, that you pursue what you are passionate about and what you enjoy. High school is not only a time to prepare for college, but it is also a time to explore your interests and try different things that may tell you more about what you want to do later on. If wrestling is beginning to take away from that experience of exploring (not to mention your academic standing), then by all means try some other things instead. Don't let the ambiguous decisions of college admissions committees take away your own decision-making process right now...and your enjoyment of this season of your life!
(One caveat: If you value a possible athletic scholarship as a way of funding college and know you may be eligible for one through wrestling, then that may affect the advice I gave you above. But I can't tell you whether you should pursue that or not, as I don't know your specific situation. Given only the information contained in your question, my above opinion stands.)
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So I currently attend a Twin Cities high school, and it's a pretty average school. I am a freshman, and all freshman were put into honors classes. I have a 4.0 and got ranked number one in my class of 300. I play soccer, cross country skiing, and track and field. However, I feel like I am not using my creativity to the best of my ability, so next year I am transferring to SPCPA, which is a school for performing arts. I want a career in biology, preferably at an Ivy League college. But SPCPA does not have any sports programs. I want to know if, by going to a performing arts school, colleges will still look at me a for an academic future. Can I also say that I played a variety of sports my freshman year of high school?
You can certainly mention your initial involvement in sports when it comes time to apply for schools. And if you are going to be narrowing your pursuits to artistic fields through attending SPCPA, it will not necessarily hurt your chances at acceptance to the Ivy League. Colleges appreciate receiving applications from not only extremely well-rounded students, but also students who have devoted significant time to bettering themselves in one or two specific extracurricular pursuits, or niches. Of course, it's always important to keep your GPA up once you transfer schools, but it sounds like you already know that getting into college
takes more than just good grades.
You might also think about involving yourself in community sports rather than sports associated with your high school. The Twin Cities have some terrific community sports leagues. Just do a little searching around the internet. There are plenty of opportunities to keep your sports skills up. Good luck.
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