<p>Usmominuk, best bet is to drill into the specifics with the coaches at the schools your D will apply. D's school (D1), freshman are required to meet once a week with an academic counselor for athletes. They review all work for the week etc., make sure they stay on track. Freshman are also required to attend something like a study hall for a set number of hours each week (six or seven, I cannot remember). If gpa falls under a certain number, they're required to continue the weekly meetings and study hall requirements sophomore year.</p>
<p>Coaching staff also broadcast emails gpas at the end of each semester so the entire team can see where everyone is - team members, and also how their sport did gpa-wise with other sports in the school. </p>
<p>Last, if tutors are desired or needed, the athletic department pays for them. I'm not sure if there's a limit, but D has three lined up this semester - for calculus, organic chem, and physics. She doesn't "need" them yet but wants them on tap just in case, and especially for finals. She has three different academic advisors, including the one for athletes. </p>
<p>I would recommend asking a lot of questions. In D's case, even though there were many, many discussions, emails, and in-person visits prior to start of freshman year, somehow no one ever told her about the mandatory study halls and weekly meetings. It was o.k., except D had calculated out her time, and hadn't accounted for this; she found it difficult to study in the "study hall" environment, so basically she did the majority of her homework outside of it. So this morphed into about eight hours per week that she had not planned...</p>
<p>I'm guessing that all D1 schools will have similar programs, regulations and support avenues. Another way to evaluate is to check out the academic credentials of the coaching staff, and, during in-person meetings, learn something about their college experiences. All of D's coaches have masters with the exception of the strength coach; her primary coach from a D-1 school, graduated with honors in engineering, international wins on her record, and worked all through school. That's the sort of "role model" that works for D.</p>