NCAA Student Athlete Information - every high school senior athlete who expects to compete as a freshman at a Division I or II college must be certified with the NCAA Clearinghouse. NCAA Clearinghouse forms are available online. The basic fee is $65.00 (subject to increase).
Fee waivers are available to those who qualify. See College Counselor Athletes should check with the Athletic Director or the Scholarship Counselor for updated information. For additional information about N.C.A.A. call 1-800-638-3731 or go to: www.ncaaclearinghouse.net (Eligibility Center).
NCAA GUIDELINES QUALIFIER: Athlete can practice, compete and receive athletic scholarship as a freshman. DIVISION I REQUIREMENTS ∙ ∙
Satisfy high school graduation requirements Complete 16 core courses For students enrolling on or after August 1, 2016, NCAA Division I will require 10 core courses
∙
to be completed prior to the seventh semester Earn a minimum 2.3 gpa in these 16 courses with the corresponding SAT/ACT score (see the gpa/test score index on the NCAA website www.ncaaclearinghouse.net )
High School Core Courses 4 years English 3 years math: (Algebra I or higher level mathematics course) 2 years natural or physical science (including 1 lab course, if offered by an high school you attended. 1 year of additional English, math or natural/physical science 2 years social science 4 years of additional courses (from any area above or foreign language)
DIVISION II REQUIREMENTS ∙ ∙ ∙
Satisfy high school graduation requirements Have a grade-point average of 2.0 in 16 core academic courses; after August 1, 2018, is 2.200 Must achieve a 68 (sum of scores on the four individual tests) on the ACT, or 820 on the SAT (scores from different test dates may be used to achieve the minimum score)
High School Core Courses 3 years English 2 years Math (Algebra I or above) 2 years natural or physical science (including 1 lab course, if offered by any high school attended by student) 3 years additional courses in English, math or natural/physical science 2 years social science 4 additional academic courses in any of the above areas, or foreign language, philosophy or non-doctrinal religion
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Many athletes compete at NAIA colleges. Although NAIA colleges do not award athletic scholarships, many athletes receive financial aid and non-athletic scholarships from these institutions. For more information go to www.naia.org
Applying for College Admission 1. Work closely with your counselor to make sure you fulfill all the requirements for college admission. 2. You will find information about admission requirements, educational programs, tuition, housing,
financial aid on college websites. 3. Determine which tests are required for admission, SAT, SAT Subject test, or ACT. Complete these tests by deadline dates. Send official test results to each college. 4. Complete the application procedure, making sure to do the following: A. Most college applications are available online. Provide ALL information requested. B. See that the appropriate teachers or counselors receive the forms for submitting letters of recommendation. Students are strongly encouraged to submit brief biographies, outlining all activities and honors received, to those persons requested to write recommendations. Allow them at least two weeks to write the recommendation. C. Request high school transcripts to be sent to the college(s) or scholars programs during the designated time limits. These requests are made online through Parchment. D. You are responsible for seeing that all transcripts, application forms, and letters of recommendation are submitted by deadline dates.
SO YOU HAVE TO WRITE AN ESSAY? HERE’S WHERE TO START - When you apply for admission to
college, many colleges will ask you to write an essay. Admissions offices use the essay to get to know you in a more individual way than your high school record and recommendation can provide. The essay should reveal what and how you think about such things as your academic activities, personal interests, experiences, or background. It should; in short, breathe some life into the admissions file folder lying on the college admissions officer’s desk.
Write About the Things You Find Most Intriguing - What exactly is an essay? Basically, an essay is a piece of writing
that tries to convince the reader that an opinion, idea, or main point is correct. The college application essay does the same thing: it presents a vivid, precise view of the applicant--you--and persuades the college that this view is valid. An essay has two basic ingredients: the topic and the approach. There are an infinite number of topics, depending on what guidelines the colleges give you. Look at yourself. Think about what you do, what you think about, who you spend time with, what interests you, and what bores you. Write about the things you find most intriguing, and try to express your thoughts and reactions - both positive and negative. Remember, in order to really know you, a person must know not only what you do but what you think. The approach you choose should reflect your feelings about the topic. Remember that the admissions office wants to learn about you, not the activity. So steer your essay toward observations, reactions, opinions, and perceptions, not just a rehash of facts or extracurricular activities. The right essay will take time and thought, so don’t try to rush it. Give yourself some time to play with ideas, to look for topics, to think about what you want to say.
Use Language You Are Comfortable With - When you sit down to write your essay, remember to put things in your own words and language you are comfortable with. Don’t use big, fancy words you normally would not use to communicate. A simple style is best. Good writing sounds like speech rather than a vocabulary review lesson. Essays are also read as an example of your writing skills. So, be sure to check your essay for grammar and spelling errors. Sometimes the most interesting essays have technical writing mistakes that ruin the overall effect. You might also want to ask someone whose writing ability you respect to read your essay. If you want more information on writing essays,research online or go to your local library or bookstore for a book on writing college essays.