For many students, receiving an athletic scholarship to compete at the college level is the ultimate dream. There are, however, many fallacies in how scholarship offers work and how much support student-athletes receive. College tuition is indeed not cheap, so knowing the ins and outs of this portion of the process is crucial if you want to cut your college costs.
Follow along to learn how we dissect some key details about how to get a sports scholarship.
College Athletic Scholarships
You must be willing to aggressively promote yourself to college coaches and communicate with them throughout the college recruiting to find a college athletic scholarship. Obtaining an athletic scholarship may be difficult to ask. A scholarship is awarded to less than 2% of high school students applying for athletic scholarships. With such few chances, learning how to receive an athletic scholarship necessitates a well-thought-out strategy.
Athletic Scholarship Requirements
Division, I student-athletes must finish at least six hours of credit each term and have completed 40% of their degree by the conclusion of their second year, according to the NCAA. Failure to satisfy the academic standards for the whole year may result in dismissal from the team, placement on university academic probation, or, in severe cases, disqualification.
How Do I Get a Sports Scholarship in the USA?
A sports scholarship might be your ticket to study and play in the United States if you are a gifted student-athlete. These pointers might assist students and parents in devising a plan for obtaining athletic scholarships:
- Start Early
High school is the time to concentrate on your chosen sport and focus on it to the point where you can truly flourish. College recruiters visit high schools regularly to look for new talent. Look at the sports scholarship recruitment timeline to better understand the process.
- Obtain a Professional Evaluation
You'd be better off investing the money in a professional sports evaluation than having your coach do it. You can gain useful information during the evaluation, such as:
- What type and division of scholarship you should aim for
- What your chances are of getting a scholarship
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What you should be working on right now if you want to be considered for a scholarship
- Make Coaching Connections
It's time to start contacting coaches when you've made a list of colleges you're interested in. One of the first tasks in the recruitment process is to get on a coach's radar. It won't matter if you're an all-star on the court or field if coaches aren't aware of your accomplishments. Before approaching any college coaches, you should familiarize yourself with the NCAA recruiting guidelines. When coaches may contact student-athletes, there are certain rigorous limitations, and they normally can't contact you until your senior year.
2. Research Eligibility Rules
The NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA are the primary organizations that award sports scholarships in the United States. Each organization has its own set of eligibility requirements. For example, to play with the NCAA, you will need to take particular sorts of coursework. There are criteria for your academics, so you may need to improve your GPA to be considered for a scholarship.
3. Academically, don't slack off.
Academics and athletics are both important factors in receiving an athletic scholarship. To participate in Division I, entering Division I athletes must have a least 2.3 GPA. You must maintain a minimum GPA based on the number of credit hours you've earned each year to be eligible to play.
4. Put together a Recruiting Packet.
It isn't enough to be excellent at your sport if you want to get a sports scholarship in the United States, contrary to popular belief among young players. You should contact coaches and demonstrate why you'd be a good fit for their squad. Send them your recruiting packet. The following items are included in the recruiting packet:
1. Cover letter for each coach should be different.
2. Your curriculum vitae
3. Your grades on an unofficial transcript
4. Make a highlight video of yourself playing.
The highlights video is arguably the most challenging of these four tasks for students to complete independently. You might be able to accomplish it this way if you have a pal with an excellent HD video camera and editing skills.
5. Make a list of the colleges you'd like to attend.
Once you've decided the division you want to compete in, look into which schools offer your sport in that division. This may be accomplished by visiting the NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA websites, selecting your division, and then the "participating schools" section. Remember that you will be a student first, then an athlete. When selecting a school, consider the following factors:
• The school's location
• The school's fees (don't expect a full-ride scholarship your first year!)
• Whether or if they provide your major
• Students' average SAT or acted scores (more about SATs and ACTs here)
It is up to the school to decide whether or not you will be admitted. Even if you are a fantastic athlete, don't expect to get into Harvard if you aren't the top student.
6. Select the Correct Program
Regarding receiving an athletic scholarship, where you play might be just as significant as how well you play. Align yourself with programs that have placed students on college sports teams in the past, whether they are school-based or travel-based.
7. Put Fit First, Not Numbers
The amount of scholarship money you qualify for is significant, but it isn't the only factor to consider. Check to see whether the school, team, location, campus, and academics are all a good match for you.
What Is the Easiest Sports Scholarship to Get?
What sport gets the most scholarships? Below are five sports starting with one that is likely to bank you that scholarship deal in the USA.
1. Lacrosse has a 12.6% probability of receiving a scholarship.
17 of the 431 NCAA DI programs in the United States give 12.6 scholarships per team.
2. Ice Hockey: There's a 12.1 % probability of getting a scholarship in this sport. In the United States, there are 541 programs, 60 of which are NCAA DI with 18 scholarships per team and 7 of which are NCAA DII with 13.5 scholarships.
3. Baseball: There's an 11.5 % chance you'll get a scholarship.
There are 299 NCAA DI programs in the United States, with each team receiving 11.7 scholarships.
4. Football: There's a 7.1 percent chance you'll get a scholarship.
255 of the 894 programs are NCAA Division I, with 63-85 scholarships per team.
There are 170 NCAA DII schools, each with 36 scholarships available.
The NAIA features 85 teams, each with 24 scholarships.
Junior colleges have 68 programs to choose from, with 85 scholarships offered to each team.
5. Swimming: has a 7.0 percent probability of being awarded a scholarship.
143 NCAA Division I institutions provide swim, with an average of 9.9 scholarships per team.
There are 58 NCAA DII teams that each give 8.1 scholarships.
The chances are that the sport you love can open scholarship doors for you. Yes, the entire procedure might be perplexing and daunting, so we've broken it down for you. If writing cover letters and scholarship essays might pose a challenge, that's why Acemyhomework is here to carry the writing load for you; with our experienced writers at your beck and call, we will ensure your work is outstanding.