The Student Athlete

Home > College & Guidance > The Road to College > The Student Athlete

Playing sports in college can be thrilling, fun, a great way to make life-long friendships…and very demanding. There are some important considerations that student-athletes need to take seriously as they begin their college search:

  • Find a school that primarily fits your academic and career interests first and your athletic talents second.
  • Most college athletes do not go on to become professional athletes; therefore, thinking in terms of your future career is paramount.
  • You are a student first and an athlete second. Both are very exciting and demanding roles.
     

To be able to play in a Division I or Division II school (the only schools able to give athletic scholarships), you must first qualify academically. You must graduate from high school with at least a 2.0 GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) in 16 core academic courses for Division I and in 14 courses for Division II schools. You must earn a minimum score on the SAT and/or the ACT tests. The higher a student’s GPA is, the lower the test score required.

The requirements are authenticated by the NCAA’s Initial-Eligibility Center (which used to be called the Clearinghouse). The Eligibility Center is the central organization established to certify eligibility of all high school athletes who want to play any interscholastic sport at a Division I or Division II school. Students must register and be certified.

To learn more about eligibility and about MND’s approved courses, please visit www.eligibilitycenter.org.
 
How to Register

  • Go to www.eligibilitycenter.org.
     
  • Complete the online forms. MND’s school code is 361-045. In order to register, you must have a valid U.S. Social Security number and an American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa (debit or credit) card. If you do not have a credit or debit card, you may register using an electronic check. The registration fee is $60.
     
  • The last step of the registration process asks you to print out two copies of the release form and bring them to your counselor. One copy will be sent to the Eligibility Center upon the completion of your junior year. The other copy will remain in your MND file as a reminder to your counselor to send your final transcript to the Eligibility Center verifying your graduation.
     
  • All prospective student-athletes intending to enroll in an NCAA Division I or Division II school must also complete the NCAA Amateurism Certification questionnaire. This form can be found on the NCAA eligibility page.
     
  • Send your SAT and ACT scores to the Eligibility Center. To send your scores, mark code 9999 as one of the institutions to receive your test registration form.
     
  • If you have attended another high school, that school will need to send your official transcript as well. Therefore, you will need to print out another student release form for your other school (You will only be charged once).
     
  • The Eligibility Center will send your eligibility status to any Division I or Division II college that requests it.

Important Note: Before your graduation, the report will read that you are ineligible. Don’t panic! If for no other reason as a senior, you are not yet eligible because you haven’t graduated. However, when you receive the letter addressing your eligibility from the Center, it would be a good idea to review your status with your counselor.

How to Get Recruited

If you are one of the few top-notch athletes in your sport in the Cincinnati-metro area, recruitment will not be a concern. For the rest of the strong athletes with the desire, ambition and determination to continue your athletic career at the collegiate level, getting your name out to college coaches can seem like quite the challenge. Here are some tips to get you started:

  • You should begin the process during the second half of your sophomore year.
     
  • You will have to take the initiative to reach out to coaches of the schools in which you are interested by sending them your resume. There are copies of sample athletic resumes in the Guidance Office. You can also find them online or in local bookstores and libraries.
     
  • Include a cover letter with your athletic resume. Your letter should express why you are interested in that school and also include your game schedule. Be sure to highlight any games or tournaments that may be played near the college. You need to be seen in action by coaches and recruiters as much as possible. Most college coaches will begin to identify student-athletes as high school juniors.
     
  • Recruiting tips can be found at www.nsr-inc.com.

In order to secure an athletic scholarship, you should enlist the help of your high school coach and any club coaches. Mount Notre Dame conducts a special program each spring geared toward sophomores and juniors who want to play sports in college. Some of topics that are covered are eligibility, differences between Division I, II and III schools, visiting colleges and the role of the coach. You can find a list of schools that sponsor each NCAA sport at: www.ncaa.org.

For more information about NAIA schools, visit www.naia.org.