US Academic Standards
American degree courses take 4 years but this can be shortened with A levels, highers or certain BTEC National or Higher national diplomas.
Choosing a course is very different in the States. You do not get accepted to study a particular course. Once accepted you can study any subject that the college offers. The courses contain core elements (a foundation year, a major field and a subsidiary field). There is considerable flexibility and it is possible to change subjects and even universities without having to start again.
If you are interested in a sports scholarship there are three things you need to think about:
- What kind of University are you looking for?
- The Minimum British Qualifications for the Three Sports Governing Bodies
- The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) OR the American College Test (ACT)
Universities
Universities range from those at the top like Harvard, Stanford and M.I.T., to open-enrolment junior colleges that will accept students with no qualifications.
Minimum British Qualifications
For the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):
The NCAA requires all British students to obtain a MINIMUM of five academic GCSE passes with average of ‘E’ or Standard Grade passes at ’6’. These must include English, maths, any science and any social studies such as history, geography, modern studies, sociology or psychology. Foreign languages, philosophy and non-doctrinal RE will be accepted as one of the five so long as the other four areas are achieved. GCSE PE, media studies, ICT, D&T, music and art will not satisfy core requirements and neither will applied science, applied maths or any short-course GCSE’s. At least two AS levels or Highers followed by two A2’s, will be required to extend a student’s graduation date (or a BTEC, GNVQ Advanced Level or an IB). Subjects that a student takes AFTER year 13 will not be considered continuing education but MIGHT be used to satisfy core subjects. Home schooling /distance learning is acceptable so long as the students get passing grades. Students who get ‘U’s’ will have their graduation backdated to their last year with passing grades. Please note that students enrolling on or after August 1, 2016 must present a 2.300 or higher core-course average to be eligible to compete at a Division I institution in their first year.
All students will be allowed one gap year to play their sport before enrolling at university after year 13 (tennis players will only be allowed one gap semester for Div I). Div. III schools do not have age limits, MAY offer academic or other financial aid (but not sports scholarships) and are allowed to set their own requirements, but the overall sporting standard is usually lower.
For the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA):
The NAIA requires an ‘E’ average for any GCSE, Standard Grades, BTECs or GNVQs, OR the student must show that he/she was in the ‘Top Half’ of the class. For some sports, the NAIA may penalize a student for each gap year he/she takes after finishing school/college with loss of one year’s eligibility per gap year.
For the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA):
JC’s are a bit like British further-ed colleges. Youngsters who do not qualify for the NCAA/NAIA, but who play their sport at a high level, can sometimes start at a junior (or community) college and then transfer to a four year college for the final two years of their degree course. JC’s currently limit international players to 25% of the squad, eg, two for tennis and golf, six for soccer, etc, with or without a scholarship, but it IS possible that this limit may be abolished for 2015-16.
Aptitude Tests
There is a sliding scale for Div I eligibility for students who satisfy core requirements:
| Core | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|
| B+ (3.55) | 400 | 37 |
| B (3.0) | 620 | 52 |
| C+ (2.5) | 820 | 68 |
| C (2.0) | 1010 | 86 |
Note: There are actually 59 DIFFERENT scores between 400 and 1010 at .025 intervals, so contact CPOA for more information. A minimum score of 820 is required to compete at Division II level.
SAT Reasoning Test:
This test (or the alternative ACT test) is required by all NCAA Div. I and II colleges and most NAIA, NCAA Div. III and NJCAA colleges. The format is mostly multiple choice and is GCSE-level English and maths. There are 2400 possible points, but only mathematics and reading count (1600 points). There is currently a sliding scale inversely related to grade point average (GPA) for acceptance at NCAA Div. I schools. A ‘C-’ student will need 980 points; a ‘D’ student will require 1010, but these rates will increase slightly in 2016. The pass rate for Div. II colleges is 820 and for NAIA colleges 860. The test is offered 6 times between October and June at designated centres in the UK. For students who are taking A-level sciences, we recommend the ACT.
