Chaparral College Preparedness Packet
Before going any farther you must answer these questions for yourself:
· Do I want/need to go to college?
There are few things in life that are as beneficial as a college education; however, there are several great professions that do not require a college education. Do not go to college and waste time and money just because you believe that is what others want for you. Think about what you are passionate about and find a career in that field. “If you have a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
· Do I want to participate in athletics in college?
If you have a love for the game and strong desire to continue playing, there are SEVERAL universities in Texas and the surrounding states that give you that opportunity.
· Do I want/need to get paid (scholarship) to play in college?
Wanting to play and getting paid to play are two VERY different things. Earning an athletic scholarship is extremely rare, but it is an attainable goal for those who demonstrate rare athletic ability and production.
This packet is for those who answered YES. If you have no desire to participate in collegiate athletics, but wish to go to college, your best resource is Mrs. Holloway, our counselor.
I want to be a college athlete
Different levels of collegiate athletics:
1. DIVISION I (schools like Texas, Texas A&M, TCU, UNT)
a. Number of Scholarships: 85 full-ride scholarships for football, 13 full-ride scholarships for basketball, 11.7 scholarships for baseball, which will be broken into partial scholarships to cover 25-30 players.
b. Summary: Competition for these scholarships is more than fierce, and only the very elite football players will be tapped for recruitment.
2. DIVISION 1-A, FCS (schools like Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, Sam Houston)
a. Number of Scholarships: amount equal to 63 full scholarships for football, usually broken into partial scholarships. For basketball and baseball these schools will usually participate at the Division I level regarding scholarships
3. DIVISION II (schools like Tarleton State, Angelo State, Midwestern State)
a. Number of Scholarships: amount equal to 36 full scholarships for football, which may be (and usually are) broken into partial scholarships, amount equal to 10 scholarships for basketball, 9 scholarships for baseball, which will be broken into partial scholarships to cover 25-30 players.
b. Summary: These rosters are populated with players who may be an inch too short or a step too slow for Division; however, currently every NFL team has at least one player from a Division II school on its roster.
4. DIVISION III (schools like Mary Hardin-Baylor, Austin College, Hardin-Simmons)
a. Number of Scholarships: Division III schools are not allowed to give money to a student based on his athletic ability; HOWEVER; there is a great number of grants, loans, and other types of scholarships they are allowed to give.
b. Summary: Division III schools may be restricted from offering football scholarships, but they can offer general scholarships and grants to academically impressive students who have excelled at high school football as an extracurricular activity.
5. NAIA (schools like Ok. Baptist, Southwestern Assemblies of God, Wayland Baptist)
a. Number of Scholarships: NAIA Division I schools can offer 24 full-scholarships for football, usually broken into partials.An amount equal to 12 scholarships for baseball and 17 for basketball.
6. JUNIOR COLLEGE (JUCO), schools like NCTC, Kilgore College, Hill College
a. Number of Scholarships: 85 for football, 24 full-ride scholarships for baseball and 15 basketball.
b. Summary: Regardless of your test scores, good grades or an Associate’s degree from a JUCO school qualifies you for eligibility at a 4-year university.
How do partial scholarships work?
A full-ride scholarship pays COMPLETELY for tuition, housing and books. These are very rare, and usually only apply to Division I (sometimes Division II) football and basketball.
A partial scholarship pays for a certain percentage of those things, or will pay for one and not the other. For example, a school may offer to pay for 25% of tuition and housing, but pay for all books. Schools try to split their scholarship money as many ways as possible to cover as many athletes as possible. Particularly in baseball, no one is on a full athletic scholarship. The better your grades, the better your opportunity.
What can I do now?
The single most important thing you can do is GET GOOD GRADES NOW!!! It does no good to be a great athlete, if you are not eligible for NCAA competition or can’t get admitted to college.
Having a good GPA and class rank allows you some leeway when taking the SAT/ACT tests, if you don’t score as high as you would like. Conversely, having a poor GPA or low class rank put pressure on you to score very well on your tests. TAKE CARE OF YOUR SCHOOLWORK!!!
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for Division I athletics, you MUST have a 2.3 GPA in your core classes. For Division II, you must have a 2.0 GPA in core classes with an SAT score of 820 or ACT score of 68.
**Attached is a scale showing what your ACT/SAT scores must be according to your GPA in order to be eligible to compete in NCAA athletics. (Writing portion of tests is NOT used to determine eligibility.)
REMEMBER, you can be eligible by NCAA standards, but you MUST also meet your particular school’s admission standards!! Check with Coach Perkins, who has a list of the requirement for every school in Texas.
As an Underclassman
n Don’t wait until your senior year to prepare.
n As a sophomore, go to www.eligibilitycenter.org, to register with the NCAA. There is a fee, so only do this if you are seriously interested in playing at the next level. You may also wait until later, if you are not sure.
n TAKE THE ACT/SAT TESTS. Don’t wait until your Senior year. Taking one, or both, tests beginning as a sophomore gets you acquainted with the test, and lets you see where you stand. When testing use the code “9999” under the section “Where to send test scores”, to have your scores sent to the NCAA. If you take the tests multiple times, the NCAA will use the highest score. Attached are the testing dates for this year.
n COMPLETELY fill out your HUDL profile. Make sure all your information is up-to-date, particularly your cell phone number.
n During your first varsity season, compile a highlight tape using HUDL. Just click the star beside any play you would like as your highlight. Highlights should NOT exceed 5 minutes.
n After your first varsity season, talk with Coach Ivy and Coach Perkins about sending your recruiting information to colleges via HUDL.
n GO TO COMBINES AND SHOWCASES to see how you measure up to others and to get verified tests and times. The National Underclassmen Combine is in Dallas on March 8 and May 24. The website is www.nucsports.com. There is a fee. The Nike SPARQ combine is FREE and dates will be posted in January. Their website is www.studentsports.com/football/nikecombines to register.
n ATTEND SUMMER CAMPS. If a school has contacted you via letter or text, attend their camp. If not, attend a school’s camp that you are interested in. Go to that school’s athletic website or see Coach Perkins for information on a specific school or camp.
n Most importantly, work hard to maximize your athletic potential and help your team succeed.
Resources
Communicate early and often with your sport’s coach and Coach Ivy. We want to provide you every opportunity to compete at the next level, if you so desire.
The coaching staff here can be your best resource. We have years of experience with the recruiting process, and we want to help you. We have coached kids who have played at every level of NCAA competition. We have coached “kids” who played in the NFL. We have coached “kids” who signed million-dollar MLB contracts.
***** The best site for information regarding collegiate athletics is www.ncaa.org Once on the site, click on the menu heading “Student-Athletes”. On the pull-down menu select “Guide for the college-bound student-athlete.”
n WARNING!!! DO NOT SIGN UP WITH A RECRUITING SERVICE. THEY ARE EXPENSIVE AND COLLEGE COACHES WILL NOT OPEN THEIR EMAILS!!!