<p>Hello all, currently Im a freshman at a DIII college studying Computer Science. I run for their track and field and cross country programs. However I was a late bloomer and my times did not really shine until outdoor track my senior year. I encountered multiple injuries my junior year and senior year cross country that prevented me from showing my times as a prospective DI athlete. I have seen athletes all around me that run around my times get into DI programs WITH scholarships and Im just confused, why haven't I? My best times in outdoor track were (800: 1:56, 1600: 4:14, 3200: 9:27) and my GPA was just above a 3.0 in high school, which isn't too terrible I suppose. Im just wondering if its still possible to get into a DI program with an athletic scholarship by transferring, and if so would anyone recommend any steps on how to do so? I understand its a huge process transferring and certain requirements need to be met, but I figured if I really wanted to, I would. Do I just have to be the one to reach out to the coaches explaining my situation and times? How much scholarship money can be given out? Im just so confused when it comes to this, thank you all in advance.
Other times-
Indoor 2014: (800m:1:57.1[ranked US#97 by dyestat.com] 1600m: 4:24, 1000m: 2:38.5)
Cross Country 2013: (5k: 16:36 late september, injury followed)
Cross Country 2014: (8k: 26:11, regionals upcoming weekend)</p>
<p>You will need to reach out to coaches to find the best fit for you. Based on your questions, it sounds like you did not take a proactive approach to find the right fit out of HS. Unfortunately with track, most coaches will not come to you, you need to approach them. Others whose performances were comparable to yours out of HS may have done just that. And one word of caution, everyone “talks” about how much money they think so and so got, or the great deals they negotiated, but my experience has been that for track there is very little money to go around (12.6 scholarships for men for the whole team to be exact) and no one really wants to share that all they got was 25% plus books or a guaranteed roster spot, but by and large that is the norm. You are however, in a good position to ask for something since you run both cross country and track, this gives you an advantage over someone who doesn’t do cross country, which typically does get funded as a separate team. </p>
<p>You are now in a very different space, as a transfer. We just went through the transfer process with my son (D1 to D1) and sadly, even though you are only part way into your first year of college most schools will not want to hear about your HS GPA or senior year times, they will focus on what you are doing now.</p>
<p>First thing to do is identify what NCAA regulations apply to you. Download the annual transfer guidelines from the NCAA website, it will call out what you need to do to be eligible to compete at a new school. Be prepared for D1 & D11 coaches to contact your school (head coach or athletic dir) first before speaking to you directly to verify that you are academically eligible to compete and have permission to contact. Transfers happen all the time, but there are restrictions, coaches can’t recruit from other’s teams unless you initiate it. You are at a D111 now so I think there are minimal restrictions, (since there is no athletics scholarship money or NLI still in effect), but you need to know the regulations. </p>
<p>One word of advice, don’t contact a prospective new coach and tell him/her that you want to transfer because you think you are better than your current program or should be getting money. Even if you feel that way, it will come across as arrogance and only raise questions as to why you went to you current school in the first place. If your times are good, one quick search of the TFRRS website will verify where you belong.</p>
<p>You will need to give a non-offensive and positive reason for wanting to transfer; e.g. a more challenging competition schedule, different conference, attending a larger/smaller school, attending a school closer/further away from home, different major/academics that your current school doesn’t have, if you see what I mean. In general, don’t be too negative about your current situation, since a new coach will likely reach out to your current coach first before talking to you. </p>
<p>One thing that is on your side is being able to sell yourself as a proven entity. You have already made the successful transition to college, are a solid competitor, success academically (assuming all that is true).</p>
<p>So identify options for yourself with a good academic and athletic fit, contact the coaches with targeted emails, if possible introduce yourself to them at any remaining cross country meets and investigate transfer admission application deadlines. Good luck!</p>
<p>D3 to D1 has a lot of restrictions, IIRC, because the implication is that D1 schools would “steal players” because they have scholarships/name recognition.</p>
<p><a href=“http://informedathlete.com/advice-for-college-athletes-regarding-transfer-situations”>http://informedathlete.com/advice-for-college-athletes-regarding-transfer-situations</a></p>
<p>It looks like you can, but would be ineligible for money for the first year if you meet all these requirements for grades and eligibility:</p>
<p>The general rule for all student-athletes tr
ansferring from one four-year institution to
another four-year institution is that they must
spend one academic year in residence at the
school to which they transfer before they
may be eligible for competition. However, you
may be eligible immediately upon transfer if
you meet one of several
transfer exceptions.
[Note: During a student-athlete’s initial year
of collegiate enrollment, he or she only may
use a transfer exception if they have been certified by the NCAA Initial-Eligibility
Clearinghouse as a qualifier.]
The most common transfer exception is the One-
Time Transfer Exception. To be eligible
to use this exception:
a.
A student-athlete must be transferring to another four-year institution to
participate in sports other than Division
I basketball, Division I men’s ice hockey
and Division I football (unless the student
-athlete is transferring from Division I-
A to Division I-AA);
b.
The student-athlete’s first transfer from
one four-year college
to another four-year
college;
c.
The student-athlete must have been eligib
le academically had he or she remained
at their previous institution;
d.
The student-athlete must obtain a written release from the current institution
stating that they have no objection to th
e student-athlete’s use of the exception.
[Note: Student-athletes transferring from
an NCAA Division III institution using
this exception may not receive athletically
related financial aid during their first
academic year in residence on transfer.] </p>