How To Get Considered By Big Schools

[shortgrass lover]

I'm a sophomore in high school, and play golf for school and on a junior tour. I read on my tour (National Junior Golf Club) website that I should start writing letters to universities this school year. Just wondering if you guys have any suggestions about getting looked at by D-1 schools, and what it will take. TIA

[st0wgolf08]

I'm a sophomore in high school, and play golf for school and on a junior tour. I read on my tour (National Junior Golf Club) website that I should start writing letters to universities this school year. Just wondering if you guys have any suggestions about getting looked at by D-1 schools, and what it will take. TIA

I've asked friends about this, most people from my team move on to the U of Akron, its like 75 in nation, or kent state which is like top 10 i think. For a d1 i think 74 is a solid average, 72 for a better d1 school 76/77 for d2 and around 80 for d3s

[JCDot33]

Playing great golf goes without saying ... if you want to play D-1 you need to play excelent golf ...

But you also need to score well somewhere else ... IN THE CLASSROOM!

A GPA on the 3.0 - 3.5 (based on a 4.0 scale) range will carry more weight than your handicap ... you can play great golf, but if your grades suck, guess what, most college coaches will pass on you!

Have other activities outside of golf, be part of some of your school activities/other groups ... the more "well rounded" you are the more valuable you become to that college's community.

This is not $hit that I am talking here ... one of the D1 hockey coaches (actually, in Hockey East) is a family friend (had dinner with him last Thursday actually) and I know what goes into the recruiting process (at least a basic understanding of it) ...

Colleges want a well-rounded individual who can show that his isn't a "one-trick pony" so to speak. The more you have on your plate the more impressive you become and you get their attention ... THEN you show them your game and you are on the road to being "in" ...

Good luck ... it's very smart of you to start paying attention to these things now ... you must be a pretty intellegent young man!

[st0wgolf08]

Playing great golf goes without saying ... if you want to play D-1 you need to play excelent golf ...

But all colleges see people that just pile stuff on as a senior as lazy people that just want good applications without doing any work, so do things soon. Also in a couple magazine, most colleges like finding people that do 2 or 3 things, but do those things well. It's best not to do 150 clubs if your not good at them. Find a couple your good at and it'll look great. I completely agree with the grades part.

[dave s]

You're at the right age to REALLY start YOUR part of the recruiting process. There are a huge number of 'pay-for-recruiting' help ... just google 'college recruiting' and you'll find hundreds of places willing to take your money.

Start here: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal This is the NCAA site that governs ALL college athletics and the recuiting process according NCAA rules.

There are several other things you really need to do THIS year: Get this book from NCAA: http://www.ncaapublications.com/Prod....aspx?sku=CB09

It tells you how to register with NCAA and get your classes and grades posted so you can be sure that you meet D1 or D2 school elegibility requirements. The most important thing for you to do right now is keep your GPA in high school ABOVE a 3.0. If you can't make grades and don't meet academic requirements (established by NCAA) no school CAN offer you a scholorship under NCAA recruiting rules.

Other things to consider: Most schools recruit locally because of cost. Very few colleges recruit nationally anymore. Examples would be Ohio State, USC, Notre Dame and the biggest of the big football schools. Not in all cases, but most colleges recruit very regionally. And by that I mean that University of Akron gets most of its recruits from Ohio, PA, MI, KY. You get the point.

The above info might get you pointed in the right direction. The reason I know about this is that I have a 6' 3" 340 lb high school sophomore football player. We're already on the recruiting process and will be full blast at it after football season concludes at the end of October.

Good luck. If your serious about having a university pay for your education, fantastic! Do a bit of research on your own and get your parents and your coach(es) involved after golf season concludes. You've got a lot of work to do. And one last comment:

If nobody (coaches/universities) knows about you, you won't be recruited. That's the key. There are legitimate ways to get yourself known without paying outside recruiting companies lots of money. They'll blow smoke up your kilt (how's that for a golf reference?!!!) and do some things for you, but this is YOUR gig and you and your parents need to drive the process.

All the best and keep us posted.

dave

[907golfer12]

I'm a sophomore in high school, and play golf for school and on a junior tour. I read on my tour (National Junior Golf Club) website that I should start writing letters to universities this school year. Just wondering if you guys have any suggestions about getting looked at by D-1 schools, and what it will take. TIA

You can start writing letters to schools, but coaches cannot talk to kids about going to their school for golf and such until September 1st of your junior year. But I would say this coming summer play in as many tournament's as you can, and try and place a high on the leader-board. Coaches care more about if you can close out a tournament when your in the lead going into the last day, or can you come from 4 strokes behind to win, this is more important to them then score average or handicap. If your a +2 handicap but can break par in clutch situations then they don't want you on the team.

Also, good luck in you attempts to play Division I golf, as I am also a sophomore and also trying to make it to Division I to play golf.

[st0wgolf08]

You can start writing letters to schools, but coaches cannot talk to kids about going to their school for golf and such until September 1st of your junior year. But I would say this coming summer play in as many tournament's as you can, and try and place a high on the leader-board. Coaches care more about if you can close out a tournament when your in the lead going into the last day, or can you come from 4 strokes behind to win, this is more important to them then score average or handicap. If your a +2 handicap but can break par in clutch situations then they don't want you on the team.

me three! Yay for sophomores!

[Doctorfro]

If you are part of the NJGC and have an interest in playing on the next level then you should already know that there's a college prep series that starts this month and runs through the winter and into spring. They are two day tourneys and usually on the Saturday nights during those events they have seminars talking about all this stuff you're discussing now.

I would agree with the others, the next big thing is to get it done in the classroom. What a great leg up. My son carries a 4.0+ GPA and as much as golf is huge to him he knows that the classroom is even more important and really works to stay on top of his grades. If your game is good, your GPA can help separate you from the pack.