<p>Hi everyone, I've been reading the posts with much fervor now that my S is in his jr. yr. in HS. There's so much to digest! I realize that S is not in any way a candidate for an elite school and will most likely attend a state school or a small liberal arts college. We will most likely be paying for most of his expenses as I don't see any merit $$ on the horizon. My D, however, IS a serious student in her freshman yr. in HS. She also is very good in golf. Her instructor and coach both say she needs to pursue this - sign up for every and all tours and compete year round. She's also a straight A student. My husband happened to attend college on a football scholarship so he's all for the athletic investment but I'm more worried that we will not have the extra money to save in the event that she doesn't get a free ride! Being so young, she hasn't really decided on a course of study but it will most likely be in math and science.</p>
<p>It only takes one injury to end a sports career. That seem a big risk to take and a lot of pressure to put on a child.</p>
<p>It seems a compromise could be reached. If you tell the coach that you can spend X number of dollars a year, then they can help you to spend that money wisely. </p>
<p>Best of luck to you.</p>
<p>I'ld be careful. Althletic scholarships are not as common as every coach would like parents to think.</p>
<p>You might want to check the NCAA website for the number of "potential" scholarships a school can award in golf. I don't think it is many. Add on top of it the fact that many schools don't (and aren't required to) fund this number of scholarships. Add onto this that any scholarships awarded may be split between the members of the team.</p>
<p>Now if your D is that good that she can carry an NCAA team on her shoulders, she might have a chance.</p>
<p>More likely though, she will be able to use her golf as a hook (as opposed to slice - LOL I couldn't resist the pun) to get her into a more competitive school.</p>
<p>I wouldn't count on and $.</p>
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More likely though, she will be able to use her golf as a hook (as opposed to slice - LOL I couldn't resist the pun) to get her into a more competitive school.
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<p>Pretty funny. I love a good pun. And I concur that there might not be much money involved but the truth is, depending on what kind of schools you are looking at, a lot of schools get a lot of applications with straight A's and perfect test scores and a gazillion other ECs. Being a standout is a valuable commodity.</p>
<p>However I will say this... we invested a lot into the lacrosse circuit for our S. He absolutely loved the sport. Funny thing is, he got the most notice for Football. Go figure.</p>
<p>D1 women's golf teams get 6 scholarships; D2 gets 5.4, FWIW. At my D1 school, there's 9 women on the team, so some of those scholarships are split.</p>
<p>If she's decent, she may have a fairly good chance at a scholly. According to this WSJ article, "any girl capable of breaking 85 most of the time in tournaments on a 6,000-yard course (which is longer than the 5,400-yard set-ups most commonly used in high school) should attract at least a partial golf scholarship somewhere, including two-year junior colleges. Girls capable of posting tournament scores in the upper 70s can usually land scholarship money at midlevel Div. I schools or at Div. II schools."</p>
<p>Golf</a> Journal - WSJ.com</p>
<p>You do have to kind of consider how much you're putting in to foster that golf career once you think about your travel costs to tournaments, entry fees, lessons, etc. My brother plays club soccer at a fairly high level and probably has a decent chance of being recruited, but the amount of money my parents spend on his sport isn't tiny.</p>
<p>The answer to this question is easy--NO. Division I golf programs are allotted only 4.5 scholarships per year. Even assuming D will be good enough to get some of that money, it is likely to be only a partial unless she is the second coming of Michelle Wie. There might be a variety of good reasons to invest in her golf, but don't expect to get your money back. If you do, it is gravy.</p>
<p>Interesting--my source is NCAA</a> Division 1 Women's Golf Programs | U.S. Junior Golf Tour. Obviously, juba2jive has a different source. If my info was wrong, I apologize. But even if there are 6 per school, the OP is talking about investing a LOT of money in D's golf.</p>
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Not all athletic scholarships are full ride like football and basketball, so called "head count sports". Most are classed as "equivalency sports" like golf. This means that coaches can "share" their allocation between a larger number of players.
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There are 290 division 1 and 199 division 2 colleges that offer men's golf scholarships and for women there are 228 division 1 and 109 division 2 colleges that offer scholarships.
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total of 1,980.1 men's golf scholarships available in the NCAA alone. For women's golf the total number on offer in the NCAA is 1,812.
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The NCAA allows each division 1 men's golf program 4.5 scholarships and in division 2, 3.6 are available. For women there are 6 scholarships available in division1and 5.4 in division 2.
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College</a> Golf Scholarships. NCAA and NAIA Golf Recruiting Information.</p>
<p>Thinking while I am typing, train of thought...so, about 330 colleges in Division 1 and Division 2 are allowed to give out women's golf scholarships, and they are allowed to give out about 6 per school, and - as noted - a coach might give 2 full scholarships, 4 half scholarships, and 6 1/3 scholarships, or maybe not all 6 will be funded. With the cost of attendance of an out of state public or a typical private, a 1/2 or 1/3 scholarship still leaves quite a bit to pay.</p>
<p>I do not think it is a good idea to count on a full ride golf scholarship but if she excels, she keeps up those good grades, and she is flexible, willing to attend many of the 330 schools that offer women's golf scholarships, she might very well get a full ride golf scholarship. Does she love to golf? Playing year round sounds important, but being in every tour and tournament she can find sounds like overkill; she might get burned out on golf.</p>
<p>The thing is, though, once she starts out at a college, you want her to stay there at that school and enjoy her time there and finish her degree there. Start thinking about your college search. Academics considerations are very important. I'm sure you and she would not be willing to have her attend all of the 330 schools that offers golf scholarships - they may not all have good programs in the major she is interested in - and then there's geography: would she be fine with going to college in Arizona, Oregon, North Dakota, Maine, Alabama, and Oklahoma?</p>
<p>I think that once she has two seasons of H.S. golf behind her, if she indicates she's intersted in playing in college, you'll start to see interest from coaches.</p>
<p>If she keeps up the straight A's, merit scholarships are a great possibility, too of course. Especially if golf is not her passion. D1 athletes spend a LOT of time on their sports. :)</p>
<p>Your daughter should pursue her sport as her passion and family finances dictate. You should have her evaluated by an independent coach who will not stand to gain any money from your family for an unbiased opinion. As for scholarships, injuries and other unpredictable events can make adopting that as a goal too early troublesome. As the parent of two college kids, one on an athletic & one on an academic scholarship, I recommend trying to get the academic merit money over the athletic scholarship for the following reasons:
1. Injuries, wear and tear on the body can lead to surgeries, early arthritis, and other medical problems that can be very expensive for the family budget.
2. Competing at a National level can create a lot of pressure and leaves little time for a "normal" high school experience. Many times, competition requires traveling during spring and summer breaks or missing prom or other events. It also leaves less time for schoolwork.
3. Unless we are talking about one in a million athletes, it can be very difficult to predict who will get an athletic scholarship until sophomore year at the earliest. Even then, sometimes the rankings don't always come, and the college recruiting does not allow a wide enough choice of schools.
4. An academic standout, particularly female, who can play any division one sport at a competitive level, will have a better choice of schools than most. Having achieved at that level can help her get a merit award if she can compete and keep her grades high.
5. Division I athletes generally train year round and often put 30-40 hours a week into their sport. They cannot always join frats or sororities, study abroad, or take on internships. Students on merit scholarships for academics generally have to show up in class and maintain the minimum GPA as determined by their award. My merit kid can use his merit money to study abroad. Athlete will not be able to study abroad.
6. If your daughter preps for the PSAT and does well on it her sophomore year of HS, she can target her prep for the junior year (when National Merit is decided) and try to become a NMSF. Being a NMSF/NMF will get your daughter a free ride at schools across the country.
7. Division I sports call for a time commitment that makes some majors impossible to pursue. Traveling for sports makes it challenging to get the grades one wants for grad school admissions.
8. Academic scholarships are just plain easier than athletic scholarships.
9. She should follow her heart, but if she chooses to take her golf to the highest level, straight A's and high standardized test scores along with a rigorous HS curriculum will work to her advantage in sports recruiting at the most elite schools in the Nation.</p>
<p>Good luck! Your daughter will have a great experience either way. And I bet your son will, too!</p>
<p>Your daughter may also want to consider using her golf skill as a hook into a top DIII school. Even though athletic scholarships are not given, these schools usually have great financial aid, as described on this board. At the less competitive DIII schools she would likely qualify for academic scholarships. Either way, her aid would not be tied to her athletic performance during college, which can be a very good thing. </p>
<p>As the parent of two college athletes - one a DI sophomore, the other a high school senior who will attend a DIII school - the most important thing is for your daughter to choose a school that she would be happy attending without the athletics.</p>
<p>My experience has not been golf, the two S were football..but I am sure that similar rules will apply....</p>
<p>if D is good enough, and provided the proper exposure, college coaches will FIND HER.</p>
<p>This is the most important point all who are entering this process should remember. It doesn't matter if you think your child is good, it doesn't matter what your friends think, it doesn't matter what the HS coach thinks, says, does..or more importantly doesn't do...</p>
<p>all that matters is what the college scouts/coaches think...often vastly different than the aforementioned.</p>
<p>Have D go to clinics at the schools she is interested in over the summers...if she places well in regional/state competition I can guarantee she will be noted.</p>
<p>If noted, (in football that is) you will start receiving letters...these mean nothing in football..not sure about golf....the only thing that counts are the phone calls....then the in-school visits...then the official visits/in-home coach visits..hand-written letters (emails these days)..etc.</p>
<p>There are services that purport to expose your athletic student to college coaches..take these w/ a grain of salt..though more exposure is better than less.</p>
<p>Bottom line is...top college coaches find talent where talent exists...very few fall through the cracks.</p>
<p>(Older S was one of these).</p>
<p>Senior year, Have D early decision/rolling decision a safety school or 2...it helps having a school or 2 in the back pocket come Dec/Jan/Feb.</p>
<p>Youngest S was recently accepted into honors flagship U as well as an OSS into another flagship w/ a 35k merit scholarship. He was also offered full rides at high ranking institutions.</p>
<p>But, he's going Ivy....for academics AND sports. Coach found him and he connected.</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>THe expression of putting all of your eggs in one basket is supposed to illustrate the dangers of not having some alternative ideas. As many of the posters have already stated, there is a lot that can happen to jeopardize an athletic scholarship to college. Even kids who do not get injured, lose interest, stop improving, don't make the level for college play, can find that the options available to them via their sport are not what they want in terms of college. I know that several of the swimmers we knew well ended up at schools that may not have been their best choices because the interest that those schools and their coaches had in the athletes became the main issue. In some ways that can open the field for a student since schools that may not have been on the radar could enter the picture, by making the sport the main consideration can be an issue if other more important things arise.</p>
<p>Golf is not football.. and as we discovered, football is not lacrosse either. Football is a big roster. Huge comparatively. And I think the coaches finding you is very much dependent on where you go to high school, the proximity to the college, and the record of your HS team, etc. Too many variables. I think talking to your athletic director and be referred to an outside resource. At the very least, have her looked at by a good pro.</p>
<p>You could look into the Evans Scholars program, which is a great scholarship program for golf caddies. (less chance of a career ending injury.)</p>
<p>I totally disagree with jdjaguar. Coaches will not find her! There are plenty of good, if not excellent, female golfers. Do not assume that coaches will find her. They may, if she is amazing. But if she is excellent, much better than average, she needs to let the coaches know that she is interested. This is actually a simple process of emailing the coaches, having a golf resume to attach, and filling out their prospective athlete forms. Have a dedicated email address for her correspondences with coaches. Start early - like sophomore year. You can make a DVD or CD by yourself and send it when the coaches ask for it. Again do not assume that coaches will find her! With a little effort, you can increase her chances and exposure. With even more effort (all on your part), she can get recruited.</p>
<p>Thanks for the feedback. She'll be spending the summer golfing around SoCal where she'll get her first taste of competition (other than HS golf which isn't that competitive.) In a year or two, if she is truly passionate about golf and is being contacted by schools, we will narrow the focus on that. For now, I like the idea of her preparing academically for college. I hadn't thought about injuries, either! You've given much to share with my husband and daughter!</p>
<p>You cannot correctly assume coaches will find your student. It is especially naive to expect every coach to find her, and the ones that miss her may be the best for her. Even outstanding athletes are missed by some coaches. I don't know how golf works and each sport is different.</p>
<p>When MidwestMom2Kids_ mentioned,</p>
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The NCAA allows each division 1 men's golf program 4.5 scholarships and in division 2, 3.6 are available. For women there are 6 scholarships available in division1and 5.4 in division 2.
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<p>she probably should have emphasized the word "allows", which means that a school is "allowed" to offer "up to" 6 (D1) or 5.4(D2) scholarships. Which returns me to a quote from my original post:</p>
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Add on top of it the fact that many schools don't (and aren't required to) fund this number of scholarships.
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<p>I know in the sport my daughter plays (womens Ice Hockey), the NCAA is particularly generous allowing schools to award 18 D1 (No D2 as there is exactly 1 D2 Womens Ice Hockey Team - St. Anselms which does not award scholarships and plays a D3 schedule). Of the teams in D1 Ice Hockey, I know that none of the Ivies nor Union offer athletic scholarships. And from looking a Common Data Set information for a few schools regarding number of athletic scholarships offered, it is obvious from the number that they do not offer the full allotment (unless the guys hockey team is getting shorted, which I kind of doubt). </p>
<p>And a lot of the talk on womens hockey forums is about schools that seem to be perennial cellar dwellers not fully funding their programs (i.e. not giving out many scholarships), so it is rather obvious that even in a higher profile (not that any womens sports draw huge crowds, unfortunately) womens sport, you still have plenty of issues finding any scholarship money.</p>
<p>My advice for looking for schools with scholarship money for golf (no schools divulge this information freely), is to look at which teams are competitive year-in and year-out. Either they are a school that is highly competitive (think Stanford here), they have a top rate course available to them (probably worth it for those who can afford the school), or they have some money available for their golfers.</p>
<p>Good luck and glad to hear that your focus is on her academics first.</p>
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Good luck and glad to hear that your focus is on her academics first.
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<p>This is absolutely the best advice. If my S did anything right it was to be a good student first. This is what will make a coach interested in you. I think this is part of the reason coaches are attracted to my son. His grades and scores might offset another player's scores who are not as stellar. I also know he has been told that they will not slot him because his grades are way above any kind of minimum. Athletics has not given him a free ride (and in fact none of his schools offer scholarship money for athletes) but it might tip the scales in his favor if they want him. Golf is obviously not a position sport, but a lot of a certain school's recruitment is whether or not they need that running back or forward hockey player in the year your kid is set to graduate.</p>