ROADMAP TO INITIAL ELIGIBILITY

NCAA Eligibility Short Session

Steps You Must Take to Participate in NCAA Division 1 or 2 Athletics

Freshman and Sophomores:Start Planning Now!Work hard to get the best grades possible.Take classes that match you school’s NCAA List

of Approved Core Courses. The NCAA Eligibility Center will only use approved core courses to certify your initial eligibility.

You can access and print the Bothell HS NCAA List of Approved Core Courses and www.eligibilitycenter.org.

Steps You Must Take to Participate in NCAA Division 1 or 2 Athletics

Juniors:Register for eligibility at www.eligibilitycenter.org and

complete the amateurism questionnaire at the beginning of junior year.

Register to take the SAT, ACT or both and use Eligibility Center code “9999” as a score recipient

Double check to make sure that you are taking courses that match Bothell’s approved core courses

Request that your school counselor send an official transcript to the Eligibility Center after completion of your junior year.

Steps You Must Take to Participate in NCAA Division 1 or 2 Athletics

Seniors:At the beginning of senior year, check with your school

counselor and the Eligibility Center to determine the amount of core courses that need to be completed your senior year.

Take the SAT and/or ACT again. The Eligibility Center will use the best scores from each section of the ACT or SAT to determine your best cumulative score.

Continue to take college prep core courses.Check to make sure that you are taking courses that

match Bothell’s approved core courses.

Steps You Must Take to Participate in NCAA Division 1 or 2 Athletics

Seniors:Review your amateurism questionnaire responses

and request final amateurism certification beginning April 1 (for fall enrollees) or October 1 (for spring enrollees).

Don’t slack off and let senioritis set in. Continue toe earn the best grades possible.

Graduate on time (in 8 academic semesters). After graduation, ask your school counselor to send your final transcript with proof of graduation.

Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center

Starting at the beginning of your sophomore year:Ask your counselor if you qualify for a fee waiver.Log on to: www.eligibilitycenter.orgSelect “NCAA College-Bound Student Athlete.”Register as a U.S., Homeschooled, or

International student-athlete by clicking on the cell phone on the screen

Then, click on “Transcript Release Form.”

Core-Course RequirementsDivision 1

4 years English 3 years math (Algebra 1 or higher) 2 years natural/physical science (1 year

of lab if offered by high school) 1 year additional English, math or

natural/physical science 2 years social science; and 4 years additional courses (from any

area above, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy)

Earn a minimum GPA in our core courses and;

Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core course GPA on the sliding scale

Division 2

3 years English

2 years math (Algebra 1 or higher)

2 years natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school

3 years additional English, math or natural/physical science

2 years social science

4 years additional courses (from any area above, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy)

Earn a 2.0 GPA in core courses; and

Earn a combined SAT of 800 or ACT of 68

Core-Course RequirementDivision 3 & NAIA:Contact the respective college or university

regarding its academic and amateurism policies.

Definition of a Core Course

A course that qualifies for high school graduation in one of more of the following: English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy; and

Is considered four-year college preparatory; andIs taught at or above the high school’s regular

academic level (no remedial courses, those taught at a slower pace or cover less content).

Make Sure List of Approved Core Courses Is

Up to DateHelp make sure your school counselor has

updated your school’s NCAA List of Approved Core Courses.

To obtain Bothell’s list:Log on to www.eligibilitycenter.orgSelect NCAA College-Bound Student AthleteSelect ‘Resources’, ‘U.S., Homeschooled or

International student’ and ‘List of NCAA Courses’.Follow Prompts to select school by name

Take the SAT and/or ACT

Be sure to enter “9999” code when registering for the tests

This requests for your official test scores to be sent directly to the Eligibility Center

Test scores will not be accepted if not sent directly from testing agency

Graduate On TimeGraduation “on time” means that if your high

school graduation takes place June 12, you graduated June 12. If you don’t graduate June 1 with the rest of your high school class, you have not graduated “on time.”

If you don’t graduate on time in 8 semesters, no core course taken after the 8th semester will be counted toward your NCAA academic-eligibility requirements.

Recruiting

You become a prospective student athlete when:

You start 9th grade classes; or

Before your 9th grade year, a college gives you, your relatives or your friends any financial aid or other benefits that the college does not provide to students generally.

Recruiting TermsContact: Face to face contact by a coach with you or

your parents off the college campus that is more than hello. This includes contact at practices and games.

Contact Period: Coaches are allowed to have contact with your off college campus and may also write and call you

Dead Period: No in person contact from coaches allowed on or off college campus. Coaches can call and write you.

Quiet Period: No in person contact from coaches allowed off college campus. You can visit on campus.

Recruiting TermsOfficial Visit: Any visit by you and your parents

paid by the college. Includes transportation to and from college campus, room and 3 meals and reasonable entertainment expenses.

Unofficial Visit: Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus that is paid for by you and your parents. The only thing you are permitted to receive from the college is 3 complimentary tickets to a home contest.

RecruitingBefore a college may invite on an official visit,

you will have to provide the college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division 1 only) and SAT or ACT scores and register with the Eligibility Center.

A prospective student-athlete may take a maximum of 5 official visits, with no more than one permitted to any single institution. This restriction applies, regardless of the number of sports in which the student-athlete is involved and only for official visits to Division 1 or 2 institutions.

Top 10 Recruiting Mistakes1. Waiting until your senior year to start getting

serious about the recruiting process. Campaign early.

2. Assuming you will make up poor grades in your senior year—it will be too late and decisions will be made mostly from GPA through junior year.

3. Expecting college coaches to be knocking on your door with scholarship offers.

4. Leaving others to do the work for you. If you want it bad enough, go get it.

Top 10 Recruiting Mistakes5. Not having a serious approach to training.6. Focusing all your efforts on Division 1. 7. Not having a game plan. Set obtainable goals

and be realistic.8. Expecting coaches to discover you. You need to

recruit the coach/team in many cases9. Assuming a form letter means you are being

recruited. 10. Not considering the entire college.

Financial AidIf you are academically eligible to participate in

intercollegiate athletics and are accepted as a full-time student at an NCAA Division 1 or 2 institution, you may receive athletics-based financial aid from the school. Division 1 or 2 financial aid may include tuition and fees, room and board and books.

Division 3 institutions do not award financial aid based on athletics ability.

Financial AidAll athletic scholarships awarded by the NCAA institutions

are limited to one year and are renewable annually. However, institutions are permitted to offer multi-year scholarships.

Athletics scholarships are awarded in a variety or amounts, ranging from full scholarships (including tuition, fees, room and board and books) to very small scholarships (e.g. books only).

The total amount of financial aid a student-athlete may receive and the total amount of athletics aid a team may receive can be limited. These limits can affect whether a student-athlete may accept financial aid from other sources.

Always Ask Before You ActAmateurism Red Flags

Ask questions before: Signing a contract with a professional team. Receiving money for participating in athletics. Receiving prize money above actual and necessary expenses. Playing with professional athletes. Trying out, practicing or competing with a professional team. Receiving benefits from an agent or prospective agent. Agreeing to be represented by an agent. Participating in organized competition after your first opportunity

to enroll in college.

Questions?

Please contact your school counselor or the NCAA Eligibility Center at 877-262-1492.