Maureen A. HartyAssociate Athletic DirectorNorthwestern University

Preparing Yourself to be a College Bound

Student-Athlete

OpportunitiesNational Collegiate Athletic Association

(NCAA)- Division I ,II, IIINational Association of Intercollegiate

Athletics (NAIA)National Junior College Athletic

Association (NJCAA)National Christian College Athletic

Association (NCCAA)

OpportunitiesNational Collegiate Athletic Association

– www.ncaa.org– Division I-athletic scholarships are available– Division II-athletic scholarships are

available, not as many as Division I, not as many sports

– Division III-no athletic scholarships, financial aid cannot be based solely upon athletic ability

NCAA Eligibility Center

Academics– Should register in the fall of your Junior Year– Fee is now $70.– State Administered ACT is accepted– Test scores must be sent directly from the

testing agency– Transcripts must be sent directly from the

High School

NCAA Eligibility Center

Division I Academics– Classes of 2013-2015

16 core courses– 4 English, 3 Math, 2 Science, 1 additional

English, Math or Science, 2 Social Studies, 4 additional courses

May use one course completed after graduation to meet the core course or gpa requirements

NCAA Eligibility Center

Academics– Class of 2016• Full Qualifier: May receive athletics aid (scholarship), practice and compete in the first year of enrollment at the Division I college or university. • Academic Redshirt: May receive athletics aid (scholarship) in the first year of enrollment and may practice in the first regular academic term (semester or quarter) but may not compete in the first year of enrollment. After the first term is complete, the student-athlete must be academically successful at his/her college or university to continue to practice for the rest of the year. • Nonqualifier: Cannot receive athletics aid (scholarship), cannot practice and cannot compete in the first year of enrollment.

NCAA Eligibility Center Full Qualifier must:

• Graduate from high school.• Complete 16 core courses; • 10 core courses must be completed before the 7th semester

and 7 of the 10 core courses must be English, Math or Science.

• Have a minimum core-course grade-point average of 2.300; • Meet the competition sliding scale requirement of gpa and

ACT/SAT score

NCAA Eligibility Center Academic Redshirt must:

• Complete 16 core courses (same distribution as in the past); • Have a minimum core-course grade-point average of 2.000; • Meet the academic redshirt sliding scale requirement of grade point average and ACT/SAT score; and • Graduate from high school.

Nonqualifier: Fails to meet the standards for a qualifier or for an academic redshirt.

NCAA Eligibility Center

Division II Academics Qualifier: Any core courses used towards initial eligibility must be

completed prior to full-time collegiate enrollment. As of August 1, 2013, in order to participate in athletics or receive an athletics scholarship in the first year, a student must:

• Graduate from high school; • Complete 16 core courses: 3 English, 2 Math, 2 Science,

3 additional English, Math, or Science; 2 social science; and 4 additional core courses;

• Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses; and

• Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.

NCAA Eligibility Center

Division II Academics Partial Qualifiers-A student will be considered a partial qualifier if

he/she does not meet all of the academic requirements of a qualifier, but you have graduated from high school and meet one of the following:

• The combined SAT score of 820 or ACT sum score of 68; or • Completion of the 16 core courses with a 2.000 core-course

grade-point average. Nonqualifier-A student will be considered a nonqualifier if he/she

did not graduate from high school, or, if graduated, are missing both the core-course grade-point average or minimum number of core courses and the required ACT or SAT scores.

NCAA Eligibility CenterAmateurism

– Certified by Sport– Must complete questions and then go

back and verify in May of the senior year– Individual sports may require more

information especially if any expense monies were received

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics

Separate Organization with its own Eligibility Center– Graduate from High School– Achieve two out of three:

An 18 on the ACT or 860 on the SATOverall HS gpa of a 2.0Graduate in the top half of the class

http://naia.org/

Considerations

Demographic characteristicsSize of the institution Location-region, rural vs. urbanDiversity-Racial, ethnic, religious Cultural opportunitiesSocioeconomic Factors

Questions to Ask

How important is the academic reputation of the institution?

What kind of atmosphere do I need to succeed academically?

What are my top three major choices?What is my career goal? Is being able to come home for holidays

important?

Questions to Ask

Is being in a location where my family can see me play is important?

Does my family have the resources to be able to travel to my games?

Is being a starter important even if the team is not successful?

Is being on a successful team most important regardless if I play?

Other Advice

Limit your search to those schools that you’re really interested in

Communicate with a coach if you are no longer interested

Getting Noticed

Personalize your recruiting lettersResumes are great Send a video of your strengths and

weaknesses Attend Camps Take unofficial visits

Student-athletes…The Most Important Question to Ask

Yourself…

“If you no longer compete in the sport, would you still want to

attend the institution?”

Parents… Most Important Question to Ask an

Administrator…

“Would you want your son or daughter to play for that

coach?”

Financial Aid

Division I Division III

Cost $30,000 $30,000Estimated Family Contribution

$10,000 $10,000

Athletic Scholarship

$5,000 Not permissible

Need Based Financial Aid

Can’t accept due to NCAA limits

$20,000

Financial Aid

W/AthleticScholarship

W/O AthleticScholarship

Cost $30,000 $30,000Estimated Family Contribution

$10,000 $10,000

Athletic Scholarship

$5,000

Need Based Financial Aid

Can’t accept due to NCAA limits

$20,000

National Letter of Intent

www.national-letter.org

Only high school prospects receiving an athletic scholarship to a NCAA Division I or II

school will sign an NLI.

Binding contract between the student and the institution.

Recruiting

Coaches Recruit 3 things:

1. Academic Success

2. Athletic Talent

Recruiting

3. Character