OK, I have a question (particularly relevant to DIII athletes)

Applying to College
1

<p>First off, it's best that you all know that I'm an international high school soph. Please don't flame me though.</p>

<p>I play tennis at the state and national level - I'm not at the tippy-top, but I'm not bad either (ranked 19 in the state, 300 in the nation). Since tennis is a big part of my life right now, I'm pretty sure I'd like to continue it in college. </p>

<p>I know I'm not up to DI standards, and I though DIII sounded just right, so I went ahead and emailed a few DIII coaches asking them where I stood. They said I sounded good, but they need to see a video of me playing before confirming, and asked me to get one to them in the summer.</p>

<p>But now I'm having second thoughts. I know athletes need to commit quite a bit of time to practice, especially during the season. I'm asking these questions now because I don't want to send the video, get approved, get into college and then back out by realizing that this isn't what I want. So my questions are:</p>

<p>1) Due to this time commitment, will I miss out on time to hang out with friends, take part in some other extracurriculars and do research, apart from the study time?</p>

<p>2) Does being a DIII athlete really have a great booster effect when it comes to admissions, or is it not too significant?</p>

<p>3) If you were in a situation like mine, what would you do? (just curious)</p>

<p>If all you have to contribute is a statement that I'm too young and should get off this site, or that I shouldn't think about this right now...well, I think I could do without that contribution (sorry if I'm sounding a bit rude here). However, if you do have some valuable advice for me, I would love to hear it (and am thanking you in advance for that).</p>

2

<p>Send in the video, without question. Athletic recruitment at D3 schools will definitely help you. You are not committed to play once accepted, especially if you find that your time is compromised.....(even though if a coach helps you get in, I don't think that it would be really ethical not to start with the team.....)</p>

3

<p>Oh OK, I wasn't aware of that fact. Thanks!</p>

4

<p>DIII sports don't tend to hose their participants in quite the way DI sports do. All the varsity athletes I knew at my DIII school had time to have a life and do their work.</p>

5

<p>It can definitely help in admissions. No doubt. If you're not a tip top player, but could still be valuable to the college team, <em>and</em> you have the grades and test scores that would put you in consideration regardless, then it can be a big boost. At very selective school lots of academically qualified kids don't get accepted - there just aren't enough openings for all of them. But if you're briging something else to the table besides your strong academics, that's definitely a plus.</p>

<p>Do send the tape, for sure. But as you get closer to applying, don't lead on any coaches if you're not committed to playing. That's not fair to them, or to other athletes who would love to be on the team.</p>

6

<p>I agree with everything that has been said here. It will give schools another reason to accept you. I have heard that sports can take a lot of time, but it's only for one season a year, right? Anyway, exercise is always important. :) I'm personally going to try sports my first year and then go from there.</p>

7

<p>Getting admitted into a school as an athlete will be easier. Being an athlete in college can be an enriching experience. You go in as part of the athletic dept. family and can make lifelong friends and business contacts through competing. There are multiple opportunities for community service, volunteer positions within the athletic community, and interacting with staff, faculty, and alumni that not all students may be able to take advantage of. Of course, you can do that without sports, but if you love your sport and wish to continue playing, it is worth it to give it a try and see if you like the level of commitment. There is nothing unethical about getting recruited, trying the sport for a year and seeing if it works for you. If you find it doesn't, give the coach enough notice to recruit a replacement for you so his team does not suffer. (My son is a D1 athlete, which does put a lot pressure on the rest of his life, but he has still had more than enough time to go to parties and socialize with a wide variety of students on campus.) I suggest, in addition to asking here, that you see if the coaches can give you sample schedules from kids at their school. They probably email the practice schedules out each week/month to players and their academic advisor can put a mock frosh schedule together for you so you can see what is involved. There is nothing wrong with carefully researching and considering the decision to play college sports. Coaches expect either players or their parents to ask these types of questions. You can always ask the players, but they will be loathe to give you any info that could jeopardize your recruitment and put them on the hot seat with the coach. Good luck.</p>

8

<p>You are a high school sophomore, how do you know that you will not be D1 quality when you are a senior? You will grow physically and get stronger, as well as improve your skills in the next two years. This does require dedication, so keep it up! Yes, athletic prowess, does help with admissions, even if not D1. You won't get the money to attend, but for entrance, yes it certainly is looked upon very highly. Participating in athletics is extremely time consuming for high school kids, so if you succeed academically in high school with this schedule, then, why not in college? </p>

<p>Also, if you should decide that you no longer wish to participate in a sport after you have been admitted, then that is o.k., too. Some students are admitted based on their choice of major, and then they change to something else, so why not the athletes. You may send in your video, but the coach, if interested, will "monitor" your progress, and if you do not keep up the good work, then he will be looking at others. I say use all of your "attributes" when trying to get in to a good college. Good luck!</p>

9

<p>One more thing tetrisfan: you can find out all about how much schools are allowed to practice, recruit, compete, etc by going to NCAA.org and looking up your division/sport. The website isn't always the easiest to navigate, but there is a lot of info there!</p>

10

<p>Thank you so much guys. The consensus seems to be that it will not consume my life, and that I should go ahead and send the video. I'll do that, then!</p>

<p>@Adultparentmom!: Notice how I'm wary about whether I'll have spare time at the DIII level. I really don't think DI would ever work then! Besides, I'm interested only in LAC's, most of which play only at the DIII level anyway.</p>

<p>@bessie: Alright, I'll turn scavenger when I have a bit of spare time. :) I will definitely contact the coaches regarding the schedules.</p>

<p>@catsushi: Yes, that's true - it's only for a season. It's also true that excercise is always good - and I'm the sort of person who's very mindful about her health!</p>

<p>@'rentof2: Right, good to know that it will give me a boost in admissions - top colleges, even if they are LAC's, are definitely not easy to get into! However every coach has told me that my academic and extracurricular profile thus far is outstanding - and that can only be a great sign!</p>

<p>@jessiehl: Thanks for the insight!</p>

11

<p>Contacted a couple of coaches - on match weeks, they practice for about 2-3 hours a day. During the off-season, it's a lot less rigorous and the players more or less figure out their own schedule. Sounds cool!</p>

12

<p>Our S and D are competitive junior tennis players and are completing their senior year. They are excellent players but NOT in your tier when it comes to competitive tennis and especially collegiate tennis. If you are a top 300 national player as a sophomore and want to play D1 - especially as some of the smalller schools-you will have abundant opportunities IMO. S has been recruited by D1 and D3 schools-has made decision he does not want tennis to own his college career and therefore if he ends up being accepted at a school he loves where he can play D3-then that is what he will do. D is good player-not in his league, but made the same decision. </p>

<p>D3 Colleges with strong academic programs are excellent opportunities for scholar athletes. Practice committments during the year from what kids have been told are several hours a day and 3 D1 schools told son to expect 3-4 hours each day during both the spring and fall seasons.</p>

<p>There is an excellent website ( free) devoted to junior players who want to play collegiate tennis. You can post pictures, video of your match play ( via YouTube), etc. You can PM me if you would like and I will tell you how to link to the site. Good luck-you will receive a number of offers!</p>

13

<p>Georgiatwins, I have sent you a PM. Thanks!</p>