Me too, but I honestly don’t think its more than everyone has access to, even if it is packaged as such and/or you have someone preemptively point you where to go.
2 Likes
At many schools which have tutoring services for the entire student body, it can be very hard to get tutoring for certain courses during specific times of the year.
Student-athlete tutoring is more like a concierge service. Athletes can get consistent tutoring when they want it for as long as they want it. Unlike regular students, they don’t have to wait in line.
Student-athlete tutors may have their own vetting process, so the quality of their service could be “better” than the ones tutoring the rest of the student body.
2 Likes
In P5 instances, athletes frequently have their papers written for them. It’s not official policy and it’s not what tutors are supposed to do, but they do it and it happens all the time. This I have first hand experience with, and it’s not dated experience either. P5 also have designated “advisors” who essentially walk these people through their entire college experience. At many schools, there is an entire building just for athlete student services. “Ok Jimmy (the actual name of one of my athletes), you’ve missed the max number of days for that Lit class and we’re out of season so you have to go every day. I’ll call you and remind you. You can’t miss, ok? Remember you have to do this, that and the other for that. Ok, let’s talk about your Intro to Writing class, I got the book you’re supposed to read. Here is the outline for the story. Try and at least look at the outline.” That is all “on the books” type of service, and in many, many cases these “advisors” or personally assigned tutors do the actual work. It’s ridiculous. Now, of course, there are many, many D1 athletes who are smart and work hard and don’t need any of this crap. But there are also many, many, many who would flunk out almost immediately but for these services.
People honestly don’t really appreciate what goes on in big-time college sports. Their suspicions are usually more tame than the reality. In the old days it was down right criminal. It’s improved, but the truth is a lot of athletes at P5 are not there to play school. At. all.
3 Likes
My daughter had a combo of the services others are listing above.
*She did get priority registration
*She had required study tables for the first semester or until she made grades; those who didn’t make a 3.2 , they continued in study tables in the library until they did. The study tables weren’t tutored, but of course they could form study groups with other athletes.
*The tutors were available to all. Office hours available to all. All stood in line
*The school had a test schedule that all students followed. ex., math tests were on Thursday nights so coaches did not schedule games on Thursday nights on test nights. Math quizzes were on Friday mornings and athletes leaving for games could take the quiz with the first section and then leave.
Honestly, any student could have all this (except early registration). My daughter never had a problem with any professor adjusting a scheduled test or assignment, but my daughter was never one to ask for special treatment.
I remember reading that Duke had special athletic tutors that even traveled with some teams. In Michael Oher’s books, he writes that “Miss Sue”, his tutor from high school, got a job at Ole Miss as an athletic dept tutor. So some athletic departments do have their own tutors.
1 Like
Most entry level math and science courses (single variable calculus, general biology, general chemistry) at most colleges do not have AP or IB level prerequisites – just high school level course work (precalculus, high school biology, high school chemistry respectively). Calculus-based physics is an exception (it requires calculus, so many students start it second instead of first semester), although its physics prerequisite is typically just high school physics.
However, at any college, the transition from high school (more highly supervised with more hand holding) to college (where more self motivation and time management is required, while managing a new social scene) trips up many students. If the entry level math and science courses are also filled with students repeating their AP or IB credit for grade grubbing purposes and are graded competitively (“on a curve”), that can mean additional challenge for those going in with only the listed prerequisites.
The above phenomenon is not unique to athletes or highly selective LACs.
HUGE difference between P5 and Ivy. My son has traveled for big national and international competitions (non-NCAA) with students he is friends with at P5 schools. They may have not been in class at all for a couple weeks leading up to a big competion with world team spots or international hardware on the line. He and his college teammates are more likely trying to arrive as late as possible, and generally get a redeye back home a few hours after their last match, to miss the least amount of class.
3 Likes
Note that University of Mississippi automatically admits in-state students who meet the NCAA minimum (being an athlete is not required). Perhaps there is need for similar tutors for the general student population there.
1 Like
This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. If you’d like to reply, please flag the thread for moderator attention.