A lot of young athletes aspire to take their skills all the way to the collegiate level, but what does it take to get there?
You may think that if you are a star athlete on the field that recruiters will come running and beg to put you on their roster, but how does your transcript look?
Colleges used to start looking for recruits in their junior year but now they’re looking as early as freshman year. So, instead of having three full years to get your GPA as high as you want it, you now have to be a high performer from the very beginning.
Taking higher level classes, like AP’s and honors, early in your high school career is making a big difference in recruiting for college teams.
Although athletes may commit to a college team early in their high school years, they still have to keep up the high academics to make the final cuts. Maintaining A’s and B’s in the high level classes, while also excelling on the field, is the best way to be noticed by recruiters.
Nowadays, kids are encouraged to start thinking about college on the first day of high school. It can be stressful trying to plan for the future right after middle school, but just take things slowly and trust the process. Taking just one or two high level classes a year will look great on your transcript. It is a good idea to take AP’s and honors classes in a subject in which you excel or really enjoy.
Find a mentor or counselor to help you plan out your high school years and provide good time- management tips. It is considered a high achievement to be an excellent student and a hardworking athlete at the same time.
Being a collegiate athlete will be the best four years of your life, but your academics impact the rest of your life.
