Top Tips for High School Athletes Applying to College

Tough questions (and pretty good advice) for high school athletes looking at colleges. Here are some tips for the elite athletes and the not-so-elite athletes.

Not an elite athlete? Perfect! You have many options.

Are you a high school athlete who has had some success but are unsure if your talent and skills should be a factor in your college search?

A few things to remember:

1. Your success as a high school athlete will be an admissions positive. 

You are exactly the sort of student admissions offices love. You are a disciplined, focused and goal-oriented candidate who will add to the life of the college community. My hunch is you have an experience as an athlete that would make a compelling topic for an admissions application essay.

2. Remind yourself of your true objective.

Your first goal is to get an education. Will you be challenged and grow as a person whether you play a sport or not?

3. Don’t forget the “broken leg” test.

If you destroy your knee on the first day of practice and will never play for that college, will you be happy at that college/university? Will you receive a good education? 

4. Be realistic.

Have you considered Division III schools? You will be playing a sport because you want to, not because you are required to do it. There are many more opportunities to play than in Division I or Division II schools and the absence of athletic scholarships could be a positive.

5. What about scholarship money? 

You have a very good chance at earning a merit scholarship at a Division III college and no chance (sorry) of athletic scholarship money at a Division I college.

6. You will perform better in your classes.

The research is clear; students active outside of class perform better in class. (see for example, the work of Dr. Margo Gardner at Columbia on the academic value of non-academics in college)

What do I suggest for your college search?  Be a savvy consumer. Remember, your goal is to find a college setting that is right for YOU. 

You are an elite high school athlete? Perfect! You, too, have many options.

Remember this stark reality; there are thousands of high school varsity athletes but few spots on the college level where a college coach will offer a grant-in-aid (translation: financial aid that does not need to be paid back).

These two illustrative examples are from Division I men’s soccer and Division I women’s basketball, but the message is the same for all sports played in high school:

men’s soccer: The most recent statistics available show that in a typical season 456,00 high school young men play  soccer but roughly 6000 make it to a Division One team. Colleges typically have 10 scholarships but an average team size of more than 25 players. The average scholarship grant is $17,000.

women’s basketball: 412,000 high school young women play basketball each season but only 5000 will play at the Division One level. The average scholarship grant is approximately $18,000 for all sports.

sources: The NCAA, 2019: “Estimated probability of competing in athletics beyond the high school interscholastic level” (Also available in chart form at “ScholarshipStats .com”)

If you have survived that filter, congratulations!

Now comes the hard part. If you are one of the 9% of high school male & female soccer athletes (for basketball it is 6%) who will play college sports, here are four questions you will want answered before you commit to a college/university.

1st: The “broken leg” test comes up again here.

If you lose the ability to play the sport you love will you be happy at that college/university? Will the college honor the scholarship offer?

2nd: Are you interested?

Have you visited the campus and met the Head coach?            

3rd: Are they interested?

Will you play? Where are you on the projected depth chart? Will the Head coach answer this question by giving you a “pre-read?”

4th: Has a commitment been made?  

Has the Head coach and the admissions office made a commitment to you?

Remember, when in doubt, go back to basics.

Your first goal is to get an education. Will you be challenged and grow as a person whether you play a sport or not at the college you selected?

Interested in more important detail on this  topic? Be sure to see “The Myth of the Sports Scholarship “ by Brad Wolverton in the November 20, 2016 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education.