College Athletics

There are many levels in which a student can participate in athletics in college.  Students can participate on teams ranging from intramurals, which is not very competitive, to Division I, the most competitive.  For intramurals, students do not need to meet any certain criteria to participate.  At the Division I and II levels, there are specific guidelines with regard to academic and testing standards that student athletes must meet.  The Counseling Center has handbooks that outline these differences and requirements.  You should obtain the handbook as early as possible in your high school athletic career to make sure you meet the requirements.  You should consult your coach on the athletic aspect of the admissions process, and with your college counselor on the academic aspect of the process so that everyone can coordinate efforts to help you attain your goals.  Listed below are the different levels of college athletics.

Intramurals - Not competitive.  Anyone can play.  Compete against other teams from your college.  No skill or academic levels required.

Club - Many colleges offer clubs for students with similar interest in the same sport. 

Division I - The most competitive level of college athletics.  Must meet certain athletic and academic guidelines as outlined by the NCAA (National College Athletics Association).  Colleges that offer Division I athletics are usually very large 4-year campuses.  For more information go to http://www.ncaa.org and click on the NCAA Eligibility Center icon in the right margin.  Then click on "Perspective Student Athletes".

Division II - These colleges offer competitive sports, on level lower than Division I.  The eligibility rules are slightly less restrictive than Division I, yet there are guidelines.  See http://www.ncaa.org (click on the NCAA Eligibility Center icon in the right margin) for more information.

Division III- Colleges that offer Division III athletics do not require any special eligibility guidelines.  These colleges are typically 4-year schools that are smaller in size than Division I.  The majority of 4-year SUNY schools fall into this category.

NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association.  This covers the competitive athletics for 2-year junior and community colleges.  There is no special academic eligibility requirements.

Reminder: To determine which level best suits your talents, talk to your coach and school counselor about your interests.  It is a good idea to send a video or "sportfolio" to a potential coach for Division I, Division II, and some Division III schools.

 

SAT and ACT Scores:  To have your SAT and ACT scores sent, go to the Collegeboard website for SAT http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/scores.html  and http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/index.html for ACT to have your scores sent to the NCAA Clearinghouse.  There is usually a fee to have your scores sent.