Choosing A Division Level and Other Reader Questions
We got another great reader e-mail the other day, and we thought we would share some of the questions and answers that came about from the e-mail. Don’t forget that we are available by phone, e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter for you to ask us any college recruiting questions you may have.
We Have Been Invited to Visit a Division III Campus. They Are Interested, But to Be Honest with You, We can’t Afford a Private School Without Any Scholarships for Sports. How do They Deal with That? Besides Academic Scholarships, what Else Can They Offer to Balance the Costs?
Schools offer academic scholarships for good students. They also offer financial aid based on income. You can ask the school’s admissions department what kind of financial aid they offer and also what you would be eligible for with your family’s income level. American students can go to the FAFSA website to research on the federal student aid. Many division III schools offer scholarships for international students to help create a diverse student body. Many of these scholarships cover up to 50 percent of the cost of tuition.
We Have a Coach that Was Responding to All Our E-mails and Inviting Him to Their Camp. Once I Enrolled Him in the Camp, the Coach Stopped Responding to E-mails. How Do You Think I Should Proceed with that College?
If a coach stops responding to e-mails, try picking up the phone and giving them a call. Making a phone call can be faster and more efficient than e-mailing. Plus it may be easier to get a response by phone if he is not responding to your e-mails. It is important to make sure you get in touch with coaches prior to attending camps to make sure that coaches will be scouting you at the camp. You should also be contacting other coaches at this time so you can keep your options open.
What is the Big Difference Between Divisions I and II in Terms of Scholarships?
NCAA Division I sports have two categories of scholarships: head count and equivalency. Basically, head-count sports must offer athletes full scholarships, and equivalency sports can break up scholarships and give them to more athletes (four 25 percent scholarships would equal one scholarship in an equivalency sport). All NCAA Division II sports are equivalency sports.
The other big difference is in recruiting budgets. Division I schools typically have much more money to spend on recruiting than division II schools do.
If You Had the Choice of Picking a Team Among All Divisions, Which One Would You Pick?
The best division level depends on what you are looking for as a student athlete. Division I tends to have more of a big-school feel. Division II is still a very high level of competition, but it offers a little bit of a mix between division III and division I. Division III is typically more academically focused but still has great athletics. Going pro should not be your goal when thinking about a college. Your goal should be finding the best fit for you, both athletically and academically. Athletes have gone pro from all divisions.
Do you have recruiting questions you want answered? Ask us in the comments section below or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!