College Prospects of America CPOA UK Sports Scholarship Placement Service

Academic Standards

Universities range from those cpoa at the top like Harvard, Stanford and M.I.T., to open-enrolment junior colleges that will accept students with no qualifications.

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.

American degree courses take 4 years but this can be shortened with A levels, highers or certain BTEC National or Higher national diplomas.

Minimum British Qualifications for the Three Sports Governing Bodies

For the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA):

Five different academic subject passes at GCSE/Standard Grade including english, mathematics, science and social studies (history, geography, economics, citizenship or psychology) with an overall average of "D". A/S and A-levels and Scottish Highers (A-C) are acceptable too. Students with Higher National diplomas will be considered transfer students.

For a number of years, the NCAA Division I has allowed tennis players, swimmers and women's volleyball players only one gap year in which to play their sport after graduating. Competing for more than one gap year has required a student-athlete to enrol, usually as a fee-payer and to sit out his/her first year (they could train but not compete). In their wisdom, the NCAA has now decided to extend this rule to players of ALL sports except ice hockey and skiing, effective August 2010.

To make matters worse, the NCAA no longer accepts the BTEC National or the NVQ Level 3 as proof of continuing education, so the graduation date of a student with those qualifications would revert to the date of their last 'proper' exams, usually GCSE's. So effectively, a student who will complete a BTEC National in 2010 will be considered to have graduated in 2008 and will be in the middle of his/her second gap year. Students taking AS, A2's, Highers, ScotVec or IB subjects will not be affected until they stop studying.

Effective August 2010, Division II schools will also be moving to the 'one gap year' rule. Students who graduated before 2009 or those who have been taking alternative qualifications would need enrol at a uni (possibly as a fee payer), could train with the team but could not compete in year one. They would then have three further years of eligibility. Division III schools have not been affected by this ruling.

If you are in the middle of a BTEC or other ineligible qualification, you cannot rectify the situation by starting A-levels next year because your graduation date will be capped at four years after the beginning of your GCSE's.

NAIA (small colleges) have not been affected by these rules. The NJCAA (two year further ed colleges) has brought in a rule limiting competition in money tournaments (including qualies) to 10 events, so this could be a problem for some tennis players but should not affect people playing other sports.

For the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA):

An average "C" overall in GCSE/Standard Grade subjects, or an alternative qualification such as BTEC or GNVQ, if the student can show that he/she was in the top half of his/her class.

For the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA):

Youngsters who do not qualify for either of the above, but who play their sport at a high level, can sometimes get on the higher education ladder by starting at a junior (or community) college and then transferring to a four year college for the final two years of the degree course.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

All NCAA Div. I and II colleges, most NAIA colleges and most NCAA Div. III and NJCAA colleges require this test. The test includes a written essay and alternating sections of English and mathematics, mostly multiple choice at GCSE level. Information about this test is available at www.collegeboard.com.

There are 2400 possible points, but the only two sections that count for NCAA eligibility are mathematics and critical reading (1600 total). The test is offered six times a year between October and June at designated centres in Britain and most other countries.

American College Test (ACT)

The ACT is also an acceptable entrance exam but is not so readily available in the UK. Information about this test is available at www.act.org.

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.

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)

CPOA (UK) is a branch of College Prospects of America, Inc., the world’s biggest and most successful sports scholarship placement service. Their expertise has helped thousands of students from all over the world to make the right choices - academically, athletically and financially - to enable them to get good degrees and to reach their full sporting potential.