College Admissions Checklist for Prospective College Athletes

- Get the best possible grades you can, beginning in your freshman year. - Familiarize yourself with the NCAA's SAT/ACT and GPA requirements. - Be sure that the courses you are taking throughout your high school career are appropriate college preparatory courses as required by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Plan your future courses with an eye to continuing to satisfy their requirements and also improving your record - Near the end of your Junior year or early in your Senior year, register online with the NCAA Eligibility Center. - Take the SAT early during your Junior year so you can determine whether there will be any problems satisfying the NCAA's requirements. Make sure all of your SAT and ACT test results go directly to the NCAA Eligibility Center. - Contact coaches. Don't expect coaches to come after you. Email is an appropriate means of communication. - Create a resume detailing your academic and athletic achievements and goals. The resume will tell coaches a little about what you have done. The cover letter will tell them who you are and why you are interested in their school. - Schools make thousands of inquiries and shower athletes all over the country with lots of favorable attention. Do not assume that interest automatically translates into scholarship offers, so be prepared to ask direct questions and find out what their intentions are. - Be sure you know what you must do in terms of applying, even if a scholarship offer is forthcoming. Check with the admissions office to understand the exact procedures for athletic admissions. - If a scholarship is offered, be sure to learn the amount and duration of the award.