In college recruiting, the first goal is to identify the colleges where you have a realistic shot. Today in our six-part series, we consider the first of the key components: academics.
What makes up your academic record? Your GPA, along with your SAT/ ACT Board scores, make up the first level of your academic record, but it doesn’t stop there.
For each school you eventually apply to, there will be hundreds of student’s with comparable GPA’s and SAT’s.
So what will make you different? Community service, leadership achievement, a quality interview, a well-written and interesting essay, AP classes, SAT II’s all become a part of your academic record. These add-ons can set you apart from your competition.
Why is it important to match your academic record to that of college admission standards as your first step toward a college sports opportunity? You will not generate interest from college coaches if they do not believe you are eligible for their college admissions, it’s just as simple as that. College coaches will invest their time and energy into qualifying students first before they exhaust any effort on evaluating them for athletic interest.
Here are a few things you can do early on in your high school career to build value in you-
Build a student profile, a one page resume, with photos, contact information, and a record for personal achievement; keep it updated all throughout high school
Understand that the grades you make in 8th and 9th grade very much count and prove to be your eligibility for AP classes later on
Register for the collegeboard.com “Question of the day”, a daily SAT question they send to you with a full explanation for both the right answer and the wrong answers
Get involved in a few community service or leadership role activities, and stick with them for the duration of high school, show a favorable trend in your partication
Colleges, more today than ever before, are flooded with applications and are looking beyond your basic GPA to determine value in prospective students and athletes. Value to the college means a lower cost to you, it’s your best opportunity to take charge of your future, taking ownership of your outcome.
