The college-bound athlete

It’s the dream of many high school athletes: Getting recruited by a top college to play on a winning sports team—and being offered a full scholarship and lots of other perks to boot!
Certainly it happens: College coaches are always scouting for strong athletes and closely watching nationally-ranked high school players who they’d like for their starting line-up. But stories like this are relatively rare. Far more common are student athletes who have to aggressively seek out opportunities to play their sport.

In either case, applying to college as an athlete is—pardon the pun—a whole different ball game. In some ways, it can make the process easier: Having athletic talent gives a student a “hook,” a competitive edge that sets him apart from other applicants. But it can also make things more complicated—especially if an athlete wants to be sure she’ll have the opportunity to actually play her sport as opposed to just warming the bench. Here are some important tips for every college-bound athlete to keep in mind.

Get to know the NCAA—ASAP
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the go-to resource for any serious high school athlete. It oversees the athletics programs at more than 1,000 colleges and universities with Division I, II and III sports teams and sets firm rules on everything from the ways college coaches can recruit to what high school courses a student needs to take. As early as freshmen year, students should bookmark its website (ncaa.org) to become familiar with guidelines and procedures. In junior year, athletes need to submit a NCAA clearinghouse form if they hope to play at a Division I or II school. Simultaneously, students should also check out opportunities with the 400 schools that are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (naia.org). Though these teams tend to be lower profile, the recruiting process is less stringent. Those interested in playing at community colleges should look into the National Junior College Athletic Association (njcaa.org).

Know where the money is
If you’re looking for an athletic scholarship, it’s important to understand where you have the best chance of getting one: That would be from Division I and II schools in the NCAA. Division III schools usually do not offer non-needs-based financial aid. Although these schedules can be challenging, it would be more of an academic destination for those athletes. Schools in the NAIA do offer scholarships, but they tend not to offer “full rides,” which are the most advantageous.

Don’t neglect academics
Most student athletes know how to garner recognition in their sport: They need to stand out in regional or national competitions and attend summer athletics camps so they can showcase their talent. But it’s just as important to prepare academically as well. A good batting average isn’t enough to get any student into a selective school. So it’s important to take challenging high school courses and aim for top grades if you want to optimize your chances for an athletic scholarship—or for admission into a top-tier school

Talk to the coach
At some point during junior year, students should talk to their high school coach to get a realistic assessment of their athletic ability and advice on which colleges might make the best fit. Based on these discussions, athletes should draw up a list of prospective schools and then personally get in touch with the college coach. Send a letter of introduction, your athletic resume, contact info for your high-school coaches, and a DVD or videotape highlighting your performance on the field. Remember, coaches get lots of inquiries, so if you don’t hear back within a month follow up with an e-mail or phone call.

Look beyond the playing field.
No student should ever pick a school based solely on its sports program. The fact is, students go to college primarily to get an education, not to play ball. While a kid may have lived for soccer in high school, his college experience may be entirely different. He may discover other new passions and decide that he doesn’t want to spend all his free time at practice and traveling to out-of-town games. (In that case, a less competitive “club sport” may be a more manageable option.) Or an athlete may get injured and end up not being able to play at all. Finally, no matter how strong a swimmer or tennis player is, chances are slim that she’ll be a strong enough athlete to play at a professional level—so it’s really important to prepare for a productive future by going to a school that’s academically right for her.