Athletics

Good Fit is the Name of the Game

Even if playing a sport is the most important criteria in your college search, finding colleges that are good fits academically, socially, financially, as well as athletically should be the overall goal. What do we mean by “good fit”?

**Academic Fit**

For a college to be a good fit academically, your GPA and standardized test scores fall within the median 25-75% range of accepted students. Coaches will look carefully at your grades and test scores. They will have their own opinion as to whether or not you are a good academic fit for their college. Coaches do not want to have to manage athletes who don’t keep up with their studies.
Ask questions such as:
What is the academic environment at this college? Do I want an environment that leans more toward intellectual/scholarly or more toward a good academic/social balance? What are the academic offerings? Do they offer the majors I might be interested in studying? Is the curriculum generally pure liberal arts or more pre-professional? What academic supports are available?.

**Social Fit**

For a college to be a good fit socially, you will want to consider factors related to the campus environment and the student body. For example:
Size: Do you prefer lecture style classes or small discussion type classes? Do you want to have easy access to professors? Are you a participant learner or do you like to be anonymous in class?
Location: Take into consideration how close or far from home you want to be. Also think about the campus and its surroundings. Do I prefer the excitement of being in or near a city? Do I prefer the quiet of a small rural town? Or somewhere in between?
Student Body: What types of students do I want to be around? Do I want Greek life? Lots of school spirit? Lots of arts activities? A focus on social justice?
Diversity: Beyond ethnic and racial diversity, do I want a college that values diversity of thought? An emphasis on religious life? A homogenous community or a varied mix of backgrounds?

**Financial Fit**

To determine whether a college is a good financial fit for your family, you must first know how much you can afford to pay for college. The government and colleges use your “Expected Family Contribution” to help determine financial aid awards. Use this calculator to calculate your EFC:
Expected Family Contribution Calculator
This will give you a starting point as to the amount colleges will expect you to contribute toward each year of college.
Another tool to help determine financial fit is a Net Price Calculator. Every college has one on their website. You plug in basic financial data and the college gives you an estimate of your cost of attendance at their college.
Do not rely on a hope of receiving an athletic scholarship. In Division 1, 57% of athletes receive some financial aid but most of these are small amounts.

**Athletic Fit**

When visiting campuses and meeting with coaches ask questions such as: what are the graduation rates for athletes in my sport? What is your coaching philosophy and style? How much playing time am I likely to get? What are the team time demands?
Do you know which college athletic association might be the best fit for you? There are three associations: National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA).

The Broken Leg Test
Use this question as another way to determine whether a college is a good fit for you:
*If you broke your leg and could not play your sport would you still be happy at this college?*

NJCAA

525 member colleges.
All are 2-year institutions (Junior and Community Colleges).
60,000 student athletes.
Three divisions: I, II, & III
16 sports (13 mens, 10 womens)
After graduation, students go on to transfer to 4-year institutions.

Know the Facts

Division I requires you to take 16 academic core courses in high school including: 4 years of English, 3 years of math, 2 years of natural/physical science, 1 additional year of either English, math or science, 2 years of social science, 4 more years of either foreign language, philosophy, math, science, or English. You must have a GPA of 2.3 or higher in the core courses.
Division II academic requirements are similar with a minimum GPA of 2.2.
Only about 2% of high school athletes are awarded athletics scholarships to compete in college. Most of these are small amounts. Most student-athletes who receive athletics scholarships receive an amount covering a portion of the cost of tuition and fees, room, board and course-related books and supplies.
Division II colleges may grant athletic scholarships, but scholarships are limited to tuition, books, fees and up to $250 in course required supplies. Each sport has limits on the number of scholarships that can be granted.
Division III colleges (in all athletic associations) do not offer athletic scholarships, but 80% of DIII athletes receive non-athletics aid.
At Division III colleges, 1 in every 6 students is an athlete.
Division I athletes spend on average 33 hours per week on athletics, even in the off-season. Division II athletes report spending an average of 31 hours per week and Division III athletes report spending 28 hours per week on athletics.

Know the Rules

Each college athletic association has its own rules for academic eligibility and recruitment. Read about academic requirements for each group using the links below.

Also read about the specific rules surrounding recruitment. Players and coaches must follow the rules laid out by the association in order to be in compliance.

For NCAA and NAIA institutions, players must register in order to compete.

NCAA Eligibility Center: Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete

NJCAA Eligibility Rules: NJCAA Eligibility Rules: 2019-20 Edition - NJCAA

NAIA Eligibility Center: PlayNAIA - NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics