Comments on: Division I vs. Division III: Sports as a Job, or Scholar-Athlete?

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 21:42:18 +0000

Hi, Gary. I’m sure there are, indeed, “universities that may be better suited for her.” I’m not sure from your message how to guide you toward those particular schools, but that’s definitely what we do as part of our consultative services for athletes: we ensure that the fit is right both athletically and academically. Feel free to give us a shout if you’d like to explore the possibilities of getting some Great College Advice!. Our number is 720.279.7577.
Thanks.

By: Online Blog Source « sydneydaniels

Online Blog Source « sydneydaniels — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 05:28:21 +0000

[...] I found an online blog source at http://greatcollegeadvice.com/division-i-vs-division-iii-sports-as-a-job-or-scholar-athlete/. The title of the specific blog post I found is called Division I vs. Division III: Sports as a [...]

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:46:56 +0000

Hello,My high school senior daughter wants to play D1 softball and I was wondering if their are any universities that may be better suited for her since she wants to study engineering. She has excellent grades and can get into just about any university. Thanks

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:18:56 +0000

Hi, Kelley. It’s hard to give you solid advice without understanding more of the particulars. But your questions are good ones. Most colleges that recruit at the highest level want kids for all four years–they can cultivate their athleticism and benefit from it for four years. As youngsters, they aren’t big enough or fast enough yet (probably) to compete with college students. As Juniors at age 18, your students will be considered transfer students, not freshmen. So things become a bit different at that point, both academically and athletically. I’d also point out that the Naval Academy is an undergraduate institution. He cannot go there to become a pilot as a graduate student. He can enlist in the Navy, if he likes, and perhaps he can become a pilot of some sort. But the Academy is for undergraduates. Best of luck, and thanks for writing in.

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:11:28 +0000

Nick, everything depends on how good a student your son is. Most D3 schools throw most of their financial aid discounts at strong students. If your son is also a strong athlete, he may be able to command more money. But most of the time, a college will not discount heavily for a student with strong athletic skills who does not also excel in the classroom. Only D1 and D2 will do that. If his athletic skills are terrific, and he wants to get a cheap education, then he might want to go D1. But remember: not all D1 schools will offer really big scholarships for sports like lacrosse. He may get a scholarship, but be sure to investigate what this will mean in terms of the entire cost of his education. Even at D1, many parents are woefully disappointed by the small size of scholarships. What most parents of athletes forget is that much more money is available for strong academic performance than is available for strong athletic performance. I hope this is helpful. Good luck!

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:08:45 +0000

Hello,
My son is currently in his Senior year. He is a All State lacrosse player. He has 1 D1 school, 2 D2 schools and endless D3 schools interested in him. He has shown interest in a D3 school. They have told him he is the number 1 recruit on their board. My concern is at a D3 school, will they show him a financial package based on his academics only or are there other monies that they can offer him. I have heard from other parents in the past that their son or daughter went to this school for next to nothing because they were a great athletes.

By: Kelley

Kelley — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:41:23 +0000

Thank you for all your wonderful advise! My two sons have been homeschooled due to the poor schools in our area. They have great sports, but lack in the academic area. I have used a great curriculum that has put them far ahead of others their age. Due to this they will start college as dual enrollment next year, as they have fulfilled all high school credits required by the end of spring semester (both have 4.0 GPA). I was planning to have them continue to play at the high school level in sports another year or two due to their age (15 & 16). One is interested in playing College Baseball and has interest in Robotics Engineering. The other plans to enlist in the Naval Academy (as a pilot) after he finishes his bachelors (undecided, but leaning toward avionics engineer). He may want to play football at the collegiate level. Will a college be disinterested in them for sports if they are Juniors at 18? Should I consider limiting their collegiate courses? Should I lean toward one division over another? Thanks again for your advice!

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:51:31 +0000

Hi.
Her verbal commitment is just that…a verbal commitment. We don’t like to pull back from our commitments. And yet, since she has not yet started, if she finds a school (and team) she likes better, she is not contractually committed to her present school. It’s okay to “look out for number 1.” But if it looks like she will commit somewhere else, please tell the coach to which she is not committed so she can find another player pronto.
Best of luck

By: Maureen

Maureen — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:48:28 +0000

My daughter has recently committed to a Div III school to play lacrosse. It is October of her Senior Year in High School. Because she has verbally committed to a DIII school, does that mean she cannot look at any other schools? What is the commitment level on both the student’s side and the coaches?

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 12:03:03 +0000

Hello. The deal is this: a wrestling coach is looking for a wrestler. So playing other sports may or may not help your wrestling. Certainly they will help you stay in shape, athletically. And there may not be that many opportunities in your area to pursue your sport outside of the competitive season. But the fact that you may be a great basketball or volleyball player will not make you more attractive to coaches. One other thing to keep in mind: it has always been my experience that a great GPA will get you more scholarship money from many colleges than a great athletic ability. And you control your academic performance in ways that you cannot control the academic competition or the capriciousness of coaches. So make sure you focus on that GPA this year…it may be more important than any sport.
Good luck!