She was looking for help identifying schools that were the right match for her athletically, as well as academically. Ally lives in North Andover, Massachusetts and chose to work with Great College Advice to help her find the colleges that were the right fit.

Here she is explaining how it worked…in her own words.

Frequently Asked Questions: Athlete Scholarships

Which athletes receive the biggest college scholarships?

Athletes who combine strong academic credentials with athletic ability receive the largest overall aid packages. Outside of full-ride sports (including men’s football, hockey and basketball, women’s basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics), the students who earn the most scholarship money often times are those with the highest grades and test scores.

Do all Division 1 athletes get full athletic scholarships?

No. Full-ride athletic scholarships exist only in a small number of revenue-generating sports. Many D1 programs — especially in Olympic sports like track, swimming, and tennis — divide a limited budget across an entire roster or have a set number of full-ride scholarships to offer top recruits. Some D1 schools offer no athletic scholarship money in certain sports at all.

What is the difference between head-count and equivalency sports?

Head-count sports (mainly football and basketball) allow each scholarship to cover a full ride for one athlete. Equivalency sports (most other NCAA sports) give coaches a total dollar amount that must be divided across the team — so a coach might split one full scholarship across three or four players. This is why most college athletes, even at D1 programs, receive only partial aid.

How much is the average college athletic scholarship?

Across all NCAA and NAIA divisions, the average athletic scholarship for an incoming student-athlete is approximately $12,500 per year. By comparison, the average academic financial aid award in 2024–2025 was nearly $17,000, with $12,000 in grants. Neither figure covers the full cost of attendance at most four-year institutions.

Can a student-athlete get both an athletic and academic scholarship?

Yes, and this is often the most financially advantageous outcome. Coaches actively recruit students with strong academics because they raise the team’s academic standing and reduce compliance risk. Those same students frequently qualify for institutional merit scholarships. The two awards can and do stack, particularly at Division 2 and Division 3 programs.

Do Division 3 athletes receive athletic scholarships?

No. NCAA Division 3 rules prohibit athletic scholarships. However, D3 schools — many of which are highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities — often provide generous merit-based and need-based aid to recruited athletes. A strong student-athlete at a D3 school may graduate with significantly less debt than a peer who received a partial athletic scholarship at a D1 program.

When should a student-athlete start the college recruiting process?

Earlier than most families expect. For students seriously pursuing athletic recruitment, the process ideally begins by sophomore year of high school, with information gathering starting in freshman year. Athletic recruits are often committed to a school before senior year begins — up to 18 months ahead of the standard application timeline.

What should a recruit ask a college coach during the recruiting process?

Key questions include: What is the team’s culture and how do players interact? What are the coach’s expectations during the season and off-season? What does a typical practice look like? What academic support — tutors, advisors, study halls — is provided to athletes? How is scholarship money structured, and is there potential for the award to increase over four years?

What non-financial benefits do college athletes receive?

Athletes at many programs receive gear, access to training staff, priority course registration, priority housing assignments, dedicated academic advisors, and access to tutoring and study halls. Priority registration in particular can give athletes a significant advantage in course selection each semester.

Should my child focus more on athletics or academics for college scholarships?

Academics offer a more predictable and universally applicable path to scholarship money. Athletic recruiting is unpredictable — a coach’s needs change each year, and most sports carry limited aid. Strong grades and test scores, by contrast, are valued at every institution and in every sport. The best strategy for a student-athlete is to build the strongest possible academic record, use the sport to open doors, and let the academics provide the financial floor.

The post NCAA D1 Swimmer on Working With a Consultant first appeared on Great College Advice.

When did you decide that you wanted to play at the varsity level in college?

I first began thinking about being recruited when I entered high school. But did not really do anything about it until the end of my sophomore year.

How did your recruiting process evolve?

During my sophomore year, I emailed dozens of coaches just trying to get my name out there. Even though coaches were unable to respond, they were able to come and watch me at different tournaments. On top of sending coaches emails, I created a highlight video. As well as a website that highlighted my academic and athletic accomplishments all in one place.

At the end of sophomore year, I joined a club team that went to the two major field hockey tournaments hosted by USA field hockey. One being The National Field Hockey Festival and the other being The Disney Showcase. I went to both tournaments in the fall and spring of my sophomore year. And began getting looks from coaches, mostly from D3 schools.

From the beginning, I knew that I didn’t want to choose a school based on field hockey. But instead on academics, first and foremost. I also wanted a school that fit all of the “criteria” I looked for in a school. This gave me very few schools to choose from. Another major component was that I didn’t want to go north of my home state. Which made it very difficult because many of the schools I was getting interest from were from up north.

As time went on, I was getting a lot of looks from coaches. But not from schools I really wanted to attend, so I lost a lot of hope. Luckily, fall of my senior year (fairly late in the process), I got interest from the field hockey coach at a school I really wanted to go to. It was the perfect scenario. I am very thankful I waited and was patient during this recruiting process.

What did you feel was the most effective way to get seen and develop interest from coaches?

For field hockey, emailing the coaches and having them come and see me at the two major tournaments was the most effective recruiting method. I know a lot of other sports have a lot of showcases and camps, etc. But for field hockey, it is really important to be seen by coaches at The National Field Hockey Festival and Disney. Another way you can be seen is at individual schools’ play days. Which are usually open for anyone to come and allow you to get to know the coaches and some members of the team.

I didn’t attend any college camps until the end of my junior year summer. And to be honest, they really were not worth it. Very few coaches come to the showcases and camps over the summer. And because there are so many of these camps, many coaches aren’t at the ones you go to. So, to me, it was a waste of time.

When did you take your first SAT or ACT?

I took my first SAT/ACT in January of my sophomore year. I took it then only because I needed it to send to coaches so they would have an understanding of where I stood with my academic record and testing potential.

Please explain your “commitment” process.

I committed the fall (November) of my senior year to my school and then applied in January for admissions. The commitment process was fairly easy for me. I discussed my interest with the coach. I went up and visited the school, committed to the school and then went for my overnight. For me, at that point in time, I really had no other choice in schools so that made the process a lot easier. I had declined all other offers from other schools just because the school was not the right fit for me beyond being able to play field hockey.

Why did you choose the school that you did?

The school I choose was not originally on my list of schools that I wanted to attend. I was looking for a school in the South, but when I got an offer from this school I immediately became interested. The school is the size I was looking for (large), there is a nice academic quad, and there is a ton of school spirit, all of which were really important to me. They also have a top program in the major I am interested in.

I considered the distance from my parents, too. Also, I wanted them to be able to come and watch me play, and I didn’t want to have to fly to and from school. I also weighed athletic factors including the coaching staff, the team members, athletic facilities, etc. The school I chose has the best of everything, and the team really is a family.

In addition, the school gives you the opportunity to study abroad (Andrea’s note: This is unusual for a D1 school.) and play for a club team while you’re away. And, finally, the most important factor was that, even though it’s a D1 program, the school puts academics before athletics. That was a major component for my parents.

Any sage words of advice for others in your sport who are going through their own recruiting process?

Don’t feel like it is ever too late to be recruited. The fact of the matter is, things happen and teams and coaches are always looking for players.

Keep contacting coaches no matter how much you think you are annoying them. They get hundreds of emails and you have to make yourself known (email them early).

Join a club team! Very little college interest comes out of high school and being on a club team will allow you to be seen by coaches at the major tournaments!
________________
Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Specialist 
Westfield, NJ

The post Tales of College Athletic Recruiting: Field Hockey first appeared on Great College Advice.

The post Choosing a College: Considering Greek Life first appeared on Great College Advice.

The post To Play or Not to Play: College Sports and Academics first appeared on Great College Advice.