Paying For College - NCAA I Track and Field Scholarship Standards
Student debt is higher than ever. In fact, total student debt has surpassed $1.5 trillion. Furthermore, the average college graduate leaves college $38,000 in debt. In addition, one in six college graduates owes more in student loans than they make in a year. Currently, the average monthly student loan payment for recent grads is more than $350.
Numerous schools offer need-based financial aid and scholarships in addition to academic based incentive scholarships. In addition to school issued monies there a numerous outside organizations that offer scholarships. Find Outside Awards.
Need help - use these resources to find and filter outside award opportunities:
· CollegeScholarships.com: Search private scholarships, find those that match your criteria, and send a personalized letter with your information to scholarship sponsors.
· Fastweb!: Create a personalized profile that can be matched against a database of more than 1.5 million scholarships totaling more than $3.4 billion, and get notifications of new scholarships and approaching deadlines.
· Scholarships.com: Search scholarships from nearly 3,000 sources, potentially worth up to $3 billion.
· CollegeScholarships.org: Search for scholarships and grants from many different sources, and find information on both federal and private financial aid sources.
· UNIGO: Find scholarships that match your hobbies, interests, and academic background in a database of 3.6 million awards worth over $14 billion. Gain tips on finding and applying for scholarships and download scholarship applications.
· SchoolSoup Scholarship Directory: Search for scholarships by a variety of key categories using SchoolSoup’s free scholarship matching platform.
· Scholarship Search by SallieMae: Access more than 5 million awards worth over $24 billion and get notifications when new scholarships become available.
For elite high school track and field / cross country athletes additional money can be obtained through an athletic scholarship. We have put together the times you will need to run to receive athletic scholarship money at a NCAA I Power Five program.
Below you will find the general recruiting standards NCAA I Power 5 Schools are using to decide whether or not to offer a full ride or a partial athletic scholarship. Remember, these standards are from "big-time" division one programs. Mid-major NCAA I, NCAA II and NAIA programs will have lesser standards depending on their level competitiveness.
FULL SCHOLARSHIP TRACK AND FIELD STANDARDS
EVENT MEN / WOMEN
100m 10.35 11.50
200m 21.00 23.50
400m 46.90 53.00
800m 1:49 2:07
1600m 4:04 4:47
3200m 8:50 10:30
110HH 13.65 13.50
300IH 36.50 41.80
400IH 51.50 58.50
PV 17' 13' 3"
LJ 25' 20'
TJ 51' 41' 6'
HJ 7' 6'
SP 63' 50'
Dis 200' 170'
Jav 225' 160'
Ham 225' 185'
TRACK AND FIELD STANDARDS FOR A PARTIAL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP
EVENT MEN WOMEN
100m 10.50 11.70
200m 21.40 24.00
400m 47.50 54.20
800m 1:52 2:12
1600m 4:12 4:55
3200m 9:10 10:45
110HH 14.00 14.00 (100H)
300IH 37.50 43.00
400IH 52.80 60.00
PV 16' 12' 6"
LJ 24' 19'
TJ 49' 40'
HJ 6' 10" 5' 8"
SP 60' 47'
Dis 185' 155'
Jav 205' 145'
Ham 225' 185'
College Track and Field Recruiting Tips - Do Not Sell Yourself Short But Be Realistic
Do Not Sell Yourself Short But Be Realistic
Obviously, everyone wants to run Cross Country for Stanford or line up in the 4 x 100m for LSU but if you haven’t heard from their coaching staff yet, then they are probably not interested. At this point, you need to be realistic.
Regardless of your ability level, if you have been reaching out to college coaches and they are not responding, take the hint and move on. You might need to reassess the type of schools and programs on your list. Research the team’s current performance level (see TFRRS https://tfrrs.org/ for team rankings and performances) and learn more about the academic profile of the school’s incoming freshmen class.
If you haven’t been contacting colleges yet, get started today. Be sure to pursue colleges where you have a legitimate shot at making their team or being admitted to their university. Additionally, pursue schools that a safe options. Spend the majority of your time committed to focusing on the colleges that are just as interested in you as you are in them.
Track and Field Recruiting: Three Things To Consider When E-Mailing A College Coach
Over the span of my thirty-year coaching career, I learned that communication is the most important element to reaching your goals. It is imperative that you learn to communicate openly and effectively with your parents, high school coach, and college coaches.
More specifically, when sending an initial email to a college coach expressing your interest clearly articulate yourself. Here are three suggestions to consider when emailing college coaches.
1. COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
Be brief. Clearly and concisely articulate who you are. There is no need to list what place you finished at your conference meet or how competitive your high school is academically. Express your interest in their specific school and program, list your PR’s and provide your essential academic information – GPA and test scores. Avoid phrases such as “I am confident that I can contribute greatly to your program” if you are not yet performing at a level close to the team’s current athletes.
2. COMMUNICATE PROFESSIONALLY
In most cases, your initial e-mail to a college coach will be your first impression. Make it impactful. Avoid slang terms, misspellings and formatting mistakes. Carefully proofread every email before hitting send. Be sure if you cut and paste that the formatting is not changed clearly exposing such. Finally, be sure that the coach’s name and school are correct. On several occasions while I was coaching at Columbia I would receive emails addressed to other coaches and/or colleges expressing interest on one of our rival schools. Send a couple of test emails to your self first to ensure there are not weird font or text size changes where you have cut and pasted new names.
3. COMMUNICATE EFFICIENTLY
Prior to sending your email complete the school’s online recruiting questionnaire. Your e-mails should be extremely easy to read. Avoid sending attachments – there is no reason to include them on your initial email and they will most likely not be opened. Provide clear and easily seen contact information.
The recruiting process can be daunting. There are so many unknowns throughout the entire process. However, if you get started early, put in the work and take an active role you will find the right fit.
College Track and Field Recruiting - What Should I Be Doing In My Sophomore Year In High School?
In less than a year, college coaches will be allowed to start contacting you. On September 01 of your Junior year, your recruiting process will begin. As a result, it is imperative that you devise a plan of action now.
Below are three suggestions for you to consider during your sophomore year of high school to optimize your college recruitment experience:
DETERMINE THE BEST FIT FOR YOU
Create an expansive list of schools/programs that meet your specific needs and desires. Among factors to consider are affiliation level (NCAA I, II, III, NAIA, and JUCO), competitiveness of the program, cost of attendance, quality of education, geographical location, intended academic major, enrollment size, public vs private, and other factors that matter to YOU.
Do not be mesmerized by the name of a school. See beyond the prowess of their football and basketball programs or their academic reputation. Make sure the schools you choose meets your needs for reasons beyond it simply being cool to tell the world you will be running or studying at a particular school. There is much more to college track and field than simply Division I.
Create a list of schools that you would be happy at without track and field - just in case your athletic career does not go as planned.
TAKE CHARGE
Do not be passive. Start reaching out to college coaches now from the schools on your list. In my personal dealings with high school student-athletes, I often heard prospects state that the schools on their list were comprised solely of programs that contacted them. If a program you’re interested in does not reach out to you, reach out to them! You will be surprised at how effective personally reaching out will enhance your recruiting experience.
Start to visit colleges during your sophomore year. Take a campus tour, check out the athletic facilities and eat lunch at a local restaurant. Start to get an idea of what it is you want in a college. You can’t sit down and speak with the coach until your Junior year, but you if you happen to bump into them you can say, hi.
COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY
Over the span of my thirty-year coaching career, I learned that communication is the most important element to reaching your goals. It is imperative that you learn to communicate openly and effectively with your parents, high school coach, and college coaches.
Because it is only your sophomore year college coaches are not allowed to respond to your emails and other forms of communication, but now is still a good time to start reaching out. Fill out their online questionnaire. Send an email expressing your interest in their program and give them a brief overview of who you are as an athlete and student.
Your sophomore year is a great time to begin readying yourself for the process that is about to begin. You should view this time as your pre-season training. Although there will be no meets during this time the work and preparation that you do now will be critical to future success.
For more recruiting information click below:
What Should I Be Doing in My Senior Year
What Should I Be Doing in My Junior Year
College Track and Field Recruiting: What Should I Be Doing In My Junior Year In High School?
RECRUITING ADVICE FOR CURRENT JUNIORS –
Your Junior year of high school has arrived. With the new NCAA recruiting rules in place, coaches were allowed to start contacting you on September 1st. Many programs are in the midst of finalizing their recruiting classes for this year and will begin focusing their efforts on next year’s class – this year’s juniors.
To ensure that you take full advantage of this process, here are a few suggestions to help you find the right fit for you.
1. Cast A Wide Net
Your junior year is about seeing what’s out there and what kind of school might be a good fit for you. If you have not yet done so create an expansive list of schools/programs that meet your specific needs and desires. Among factors to consider are affiliation (NCAA I, II, III, NAIA and JUCO), competitiveness of the program, cost of attendance, quality of education, geographical location, intended academic major, enrollment size, public vs private, and other factors that matter to you.
Think about what may impact your athletic experience the most like coaching style, athlete retention, and success of the program. Determine if you are a good fit athletically – many schools post their recruiting standards online.
Know what the academic requirements are for the schools you are considering to determine if you are potentially admissible.
Continually revise your list. During my coaching career, I often saw recruits close doors too early. They would rule out programs in their junior year of high school based on a variety of factors and then end up scrambling in the end when Plan A did not work out. Make sure to keep Plan B in play as to not have to settle for Plan C at the last minute.
2. Fill Out Online Recruiting Questionnaires
The online recruiting questionnaire is a good first and simple means to initiate communication with a program. It allows the coach to assess if you are a good fit for their program. In a recent interview with the Recruiting Code, Duke University Head Women’s Cross Country Coach, Rhonda Riley was asked, “What are the important steps for an athlete to get noticed by you?” She responded, “The two ways to get on my radar are to fill out our online questionnaire and to follow up with an email. When a high school athlete takes the time to send an email with their contact information, personal best marks, academic information etc. it means they are serious about considering Duke as a potential university.” Online recruiting questionnaires are typically very easy to find on individual schools’ track and field websites.
3. Contact College Coaches
Over the span of my 30-year coaching career, I learned that communication is the most important element to reaching your goals. If you have not yet started - start reaching out to college coaches from the schools on your list. You will be surprised at how effective personally reaching out to coaches will enhance your recruiting experience.
Proofread every email before hitting send. A great deal of communication in the early phases of the recruiting process is going to be cut and paste on both sides, however, making a simple mistake can dehumanize the process and render the remainder of your communication less credible. Make sure you are addressing the proper institution and coach. I cannot tell you how many emails I received from recruits specifically addressed to a rival coach expressing their interest in a rival school.
Send updates on a regular basis. Most coaches receive dozens of emails from recruits each day so it’s important that you keep yourself on their radar.
4. Take The ACT / SAT
Register and take the SAT/ACT during your junior year. If you feel adequately prepared, I would suggest taking the test in the fall of your junior year. This will allow you plenty of time to take it for the second time in the spring. Everyone's test prep is going to vary based on their own strengths, weaknesses, schedule, and goals. At the very minimum, though, all students should try to put in 10 hours of focused test prep, at least to get familiar with the format and timing of the test. Realistically, you would need to put in much more time over a sustained period to do well.
However, if you are not ready to take the test do not view it as a test-run. Do not take the test until you have prepared to do so at a level that is reflective of your academic potential.
If you are considering attending a highly selective academic institution taking the test earlier will significantly enhance your recruitment. Most selective schools will not vigorously pursue a potential-student athlete without test scores to determine admissibility.
5. Utilize Unofficial Visits
Unofficial visits can help you gather significant information about individual programs and schools. This time will allow you an opportunity to meet the coach in person, tour the college, check out the athletic facilities, and possibly meet current team members.
Do your homework - know who and where you are visiting. Have a keen understanding of the unique strengths of each school and team, as it will show the respective coaching staff how serious you are about their program.
Use this time to learn as much as you can about the program and coaching staff. Identify the factors that will be most important to you in determining if you will return for an official visit. Have a short list of specific questions ready that address the most critical factors in your college decision.
There is no imposed limit on the number of unofficial visits you may take, so take as many as possible. There is no better tool to help you hone in on the best school/program for you.
In summary:
Do not be passive – start reaching out to college coaches now. Be aggressive in your outreach and email every program that you are interested in, regardless of the perceived reach. Be your own greatest advocate and take charge of your future.
SENIORS - What should you be doing? CLICK HERE
COLLEGE TRACK AND FIELD SCHOLARSHIP STANDARDS
Below you will find the general track and field recruiting standards NCAA I Power 5 Schools are using to determine how much scholarship money to offer a current prospect. Most schools have three standards that they adhere to:
1. WALK-ON - For more information on NCAA I Walk-On Standards (CLICK HERE)
2. PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIP - For more information on NCAA I Partial Scholarship Standards (CLICK HERE)
3. FULL SCHOLARSHIP - SEE BELOW
Below you will find the performances that are needed to get a full-ride to an NCAA I school.
FULL SCHOLARSHIP TRACK AND FIELD STANDARDS
EVENT MEN / WOMEN
100m 10.35 11.50
200m 21.00 23.50
400m 46.90 53.00
800m 1:49 2:07
1600m 4:04 4:47
3200m 8:50 10:30
110HH 13.65 13.50
300IH 36.50 41.80
400IH 51.50 58.50
PV 17' 13' 3"
LJ 25' 20'
TJ 51' 41' 6'
HJ 7' 6'
SP 63' 50'
Dis 200' 170'
Jav 225' 160'
Ham 225' 185'
How Good Do I Need To Be To Get a Partial Scholarship for Track and Field at an NCAA I (Power 5) School ?
TRACK AND FIELD SCHOLARSHIPS
In the sport of track and field/cross country getting a full athletic scholarship is extremely difficult. Men's Track and Field programs are allowed a maximum of 12.6 scholarships while the women are allotted 18. However, with over 20 events contested at the collegiate level, programs need to spread out their scholarship money. As a result, it is extremely common for track and field and cross country programs to offer partial athletic scholarships.
Below you will find the general recruiting standards NCAA I Power 5 Schools are using to decide whether or not to offer a partial athletic scholarship. Remember, these standards are from "big-time" division one programs. Mid-major programs will have slightly lesser standards depending on their level competitiveness.
TRACK AND FIELD STANDARDS FOR A PARTIAL ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP
EVENT MEN WOMEN
100m 10.50 11.70
200m 21.40 24.00
400m 47.50 54.20
800m 1:52 2:12
1600m 4:12 4:55
3200m 9:10 10:45
110HH 14.00 14.00 (100H)
300IH 37.50 43.00
400IH 52.80 60.00
PV 16' 12' 6"
LJ 24' 19'
TJ 49' 40'
HJ 6' 10" 5' 8"
SP 60' 47'
Dis 185' 155'
Jav 205' 145'
Ham 225' 185'