NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

The College Board has adopted a Score Choice^TM policy for the SAT that, according to the College Board website, will give students the option to choose, by test date, which SAT scores that they will send to colleges and thereby “allow students to put their best foot forward on test day by giving them more flexibility and control over their scores.”

Articles in U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek covering the College Board’s new test-reporting option raise a number of questions about the motivation for and benefits of the policy. The Newsweek piece reports that the new policy may be less altruistic and more financially motivated than the College Board statement implies. It cites an internal e-mail sent by Laurence Bunin, general manager of the SAT, that refers to “less kids taking SAT,” thereby “threatening the viability of the program itself.” U.S. News and World Report quotes a critic who has done the math: “[I]f roughly 3 percent of the 1.5 million students who take the test annually took it just one additional time-so 50,000 tests at $45 apiece-that would mean an extra $2.25 million for the College Board.” College Board is losing market share to ACT, so the potential financial motivation behind its choice of Score Choice is obvious enough. 

Newsweek also reports that some colleges, Stanford, Cornell, Pomona, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California are named, have decided to opt out of the score choice policy and, instead, require applicants to submit all scores. The overzealous test-taker who sits for ten administrations of the SAT will be sorely disappointed to find that he must display all the fruits of his obsessive labors when applying to these schools.  Such a test-taker would more wisely spend all of those testing hours on intelligent, academic study that builds a better G.P.A. as well as better test scores? 

If the objective of a standardized test is to assess whether students are college ready, that is, proficient in a vital set of academic skills, then the relevance of SAT Score Choice does indeed seem quite negligible. Our years of experience at Academic Approach, where we have helped thousands of students prepare for both standardized exams and high school core curriculum, has made obvious to us that repeated testing without intelligent assessment, analysis, and curriculum yields little or no measurable improvement.  Attempting to game the SAT by taking it ten times will look a bit desperate to admissions officers. At the same time, such repeated testing does not necessarily improve a student’s performance on the test or in the classroom.

Through our experience, we have developed our own best practices on standardized testing and test preparation-we teach in such a way that we are always simultaneously preparing our students in the fundamental skills that will be demanded of them not just on the standardized exams but also in their high school and college classrooms. Our practices accord with those of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) as articulated in its recent study of the place of standardized testing in college admissions. In that report, NACAC stated that, “the best form of test preparation is focused on core knowledge content and on skills that will help prepare students for their academic future.”

What is the best way to achieve this effect?

• Take diagnostic tests to determine which test features your skills best-the SAT or ACT.
• Develop an academic, skill-building program around the test that is best for you, focusing in to save time and money.
• Take a maximum of three official SATs or ACTs (4 in extraordinary cases).

What really matters is early assessment, determining which test to take, designing an intelligent plan, and following up by moving through the appropriate course work.  Choosing such an approach is the best, most reasonable path towards success on standardized exams.

Courtney Federle, PhD from The University of California, Berkeley, currently working as an educator at Academic Approach. 

The NCAA Eligibility Center has recently adopted a new policy for high school student-athletes who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement during their first six semesters of high school. Qualified student-athletes will receive an early certification waiver prior to high school graduation.

In order to qualify for an early certification waiver a student must meet the following criteria:

A minimum SAT (math and critical reading) score of 1000 or minimum sum score of 85 on the ACT;

For Division I:  Core-course GPA of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 13 core courses:

• 3 English;
• 2 Math;
• 2 Science; and
• 6 additional core courses.

For Division II:  Core-course GPA of 3.0 or higher in a minimum of 12 core courses:

• 3 English;
• 2 Math;
• 2 Science; and
• 5 additional core courses.

During their senior year, the student-athlete will receive confirmation that he/she has met the academic certification requirements.

If you have any questions about early certification you may contact the NCAA Eligibility Center directly at 877-262-1492.

 I often write about insights I gain when I deliver NCSA’s College Recruiting 101. Last night, Wednesday Dec 3^rd, I spoke to athletes and their families from South Bend (IN) Schools. South Bend Dir. Of Athletics Kirby Whitacre has seen what it takes to become a college student athlete over the years. When he was the A.D. at Mishawaka High School he had great advice for the athletes that got Questionnaires from Colleges. Of course, he advised them to return the Questionnaires. He also encouraged them to attach a personal hand written note thanking the College coach for sending the Questionnaire.

Whitacre also suggested they create their own note. A funny high school athlete would write something funny. A serious athlete would put a motivational quote at the bottom of the card. College coaches like that kind of thing. One of his high school softball players created a card in the shape of a softball. One signed her note “from your new centerfielder.” That showed moxie, but College coaches like that fire within.

Whitacre also had some interesting insights on the SAT. He said for twenty years he had been debating with counselors on when recruitable athletes should take the SAT. Often, students are advised to take it late in the junior year. The reason being is that they have more math under their belt. Whitacre has argued that the recruitable athlete should take it early in the junior year for these reasons: First, if they do poorly, they can work on improving the score. He cited a 6-2, 200 pound girls softball pitcher they had who could throw bullets. She had several D1 offers but her SAT was not high enough. Her parents immediately got her into a SAT prep program. In three weeks she raised her score by 200 points and got a great package to pitch at the University of Illinois. Second, if they do well by taking it early in the Junior year, the pressure is off and they don’t have to take it again. Of course, they can do well and still take it again and improve it even more.

In an article in Dec. 4th’s Wall Street Journal, Harvard’s endowment has been hit by losses of 22% in the 4 months between July 1st and October 31st.  That’s 8 Billion dollars!  More than the total endowments of all but 6 universities.  Income from Harvard’s endowment funds 35% of its budget.  That includes athletics.  As mentioned in the article, all other college endowments have suffered a similar fate.  State schools, who don’t have large endowments, must cut back because of reduced tax receipts. 

So what does that mean to student athletes and their parents?  First, recruiting budgets for college coaches are going to be reduced.  That means less travel for coaches.  They will be relying more on video than ever before to evaluate talent.  Second, college coaches are going to be more careful in their selections.  So those high school students they’ve known the longest (starting freshman year) will be more likely to score the scholarship.  Third, colleges will be reducing the financial aid awarded for academics.  A smaller percentage of elite students will receive the top awards.  A student athlete who wants to compete will need better grades and test scores than ever.  She/he better be working on that starting freshman year!  Fourth, large state institutions will be cutting costs.  That means larger class sizes for required courses.   If your student-athlete doesn’t do well in class sizes of 300 or more, then they need to find a better fit.  Finally, student-athletes will be competing harder than ever for the existing scholarship dollars.  That competition will be in the work out room, in the class room, in preparing for college entrance exams, and finally in knowing the rules of the recruiting game.   How can you gain a significant competitive advantage over others and win the recruiting game?  Start here.

NCSA is pleased to announce our newest partner, Academic Approach.  Through the partnership, Academic Approach will provide NCSA student-athletes with highly effective online SAT and ACT courses that will assist them in scoring higher.  These courses will help assess a student-athlete’s academic gaps and virtually spot-treat these gaps by teaching them the solid content they need.  Academic Approach calls this approach “Teaching Beyond the Test.”  They don’t teach games or gimmicks, but the academic content found within the test itself.  CEO Matthew Pietrefetta will lead bi-monthly conference calls with groups of student-athletes to speak with them about the nuances and strategies of getting into competitive colleges.

“We’re thrilled to provide SAT and ACT education to NCSA’s student-athletes and help provide the necessary academic skills to take their game to the next level,” says Matthew Pietrafetta, founder and CEO of Academic Approach. 

“Working alongside NCSA, we will be able to have a positive impact in the lives of thousands of student-athletes to not only improve test scores but also to build lasting confidence, motivation, and abilities that will extend beyond their college careers,” says Pietrafetta. 

Every year around the second week of December 11^th graders receive their PSAT (Preliminary SAT) scores.   And, like clockwork, they anxiously ask the same set of questions:

“If my score is low, does this ruin my chances of getting into college?”

N0. PSAT scores are NOT sent to colleges nor are they necessary for college admissions.  It’s the full-length SAT you send when applying to colleges, not the PSAT.

“If I don’t get a National Merit honor, does that hurt my chances of getting into college?”

No. We have students admitted to Harvard and Yale without ever earning any National Merit honors.  The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) honors students who post a PSAT composite typically at or above 217 out of 240 (the sum of their 80-point scaled scores in Critical Reading, Math, and Writing). Yet only 50,000 of the 1.4 million 11^th graders who take the PSAT ever score this well and qualify-that’s only 3.5% of PSAT test takers. 

Whether you’re part of this 3.5% or more likely part of the other 96.5%, there’s a much better question you should be asking:

“How do I use the PSAT to improve my chances of doing well on the SAT, which could truly influence my admission to college?”

In December, The College Board sends home each student’s score report, test booklet, and answer sheet.  Sit down with these reports and answer these questions:

• What was my lowest subsection–Critical Reading, Math, or Writing?

• Was there a particular question type within a subsection that challenged me?

• Was it the sentence completions on Critical Reading? (If so, specific emphasis on SAT vocabulary is called for.)
• Was it the Identifying Sentence Errors on the Writing? (If so, a review of SAT Grammar is in order.)
• Or was it the student-produced responses in the Math? (If so, a healthy review of the most common SAT math problems is necessary.)

In short, the best use the PSAT is as a diagnostic tool: to reveal your individual needs and to direct the best teaching plan to address those needs. Make it a familiar affair.  Sit down. Analyze. Plan.

-AcademicApproach.com

 At NCSA we always encourage our athletes to look at as many schools as possible to increase their opportunities in recruiting.  Athletes should also realize that the fact that they are athletes increases their opportunity to attend many universities.  It is common knowledge that many perennial Top 25 powers consistently admit athletes that would in all likelihood not be admitted as students.  However, what is not commonly known is that the same type of preferential treatment exists at some of the premier academic institutions in the country.  The bending of guidelines may not be as extreme, but it shows yet another example of how participation in athletics can change lives. 

This except from Inside Higher Ed shows how Vanderbilt has taken a few calculated chances to help turn around their football program:

 ”We are going to take a few chances here,” he said, “but the key thing is to make sure that we’re minimizing the risk we take on those chances. We only do it if those kids have a chance to graduate and we can have success with them.”

Each year, Williams said, when coaches go to the admissions office with a list of players they’d like to recruit, some are crossed off the list entirely, and others are green-lighted without reservation. For some number of other athletes who “maybe don’t look like the average kid we admit here” in terms of academic credentials, based on how their projected grade point averages compare to the averages for all athletes, a deal is struck. (Williams declined to say how many such athletes there are in a given year, either in football or across the athletics department.)

The athletes are admitted with the requirement that they take at least six hours of academic credit in the summer before they enroll as freshmen, and if a player doesn’t get at least C grades, “the kid is ineligible [to play sports] by our standards.”

Williams said that Vanderbilt closely tracks the performance of those provisionally admitted athletes and that it is pleased with the results. “We may take more chances this year than last year or the year before, but I think the record shows that those chances are warranted,” he said.

Yesterday, I watched the award-winning documentary, “Second Chance Season,” which chronicled the trials and tribulations of then high-school phenom Nick Young. Watch the trailer below.

This documentary inspired me in a couple of ways. First of all, I have to commend Nick for making the most out of his second chance. But that leads me to the second way this documentary opened my eyes – be forewarned about the idea of “a second chance.” Normally, it doesn’t work that way — most people won’t get a second chance to graduate, most people won’t get a second chance to earn a scholarship.

Don’t count of having a second chance season. Young was this close to missing out on a full-ride to USC and millions of dollars in the NBA. Needless to say, do your best the first time around.

 Why do high school student athletes want to play collegiate athletics?  I speak with so many student athletes who express that commitment on a daily basis and often times I wonder if they truly realize the advantages of being a collegiate athlete. Outside of love for their sport which is the best reason to want to continue to play at the next level, I believe that if student athletes realized the ancillary benefits of partaking in collegiate athletics, their desire to maximize the recruiting process would increase significantly. 

I have often contemplated writing a list of all the rewards that accompany playing collegiate athletics to pass along to prospective student athletes, but quickly realized that it might take hours if not days.  Secondary advantages such as an immediate community of possible friends on a new college campus all the way to an instant alumni network for career opportunities after college fall into this extensive list that student athletes should think about.  I believe it will inherently create more value on the goal at hand and thus a greater attention to the steps required to achieve that goal.   

Student athletes should realize that a love for their sport should serve as their main motivation for working hard in the classroom, on the field, and throughout the recruiting process.  However, they should also understand the ramifications of taking part in collegiate athletics and how that might change their entire life.  Knowing what’s at stake, every student athletes should make sure to maximize this process.  What are some other advantages that college athletes receive?  I think that is a topic well worth a discussion…

I never thought I would be accepted to an Ivy League institution. As an overly cautious high school student insistent on finding a place to play college hockey, I applied to twenty colleges and universities throughout the Northeast and Midwest. I was a very good student, but not a great one. I worked hard in high school, but did not take AP classes. My SAT and ACT scores were above average, but I was not a merit scholar. I was a member of a few high school clubs, but most of my time was spent playing hockey.

Little did I know that my skates would bring me acceptance letters from several of the top colleges and universities in the country. If I were an average high school senior I would never have picked up a brochures for Princeton University, and I may never have even heard of Colby College. Yet my athletic abilities made me unique and I fielded calls from Ivy League and NESCAC coaches every week.

Each year, hundreds of student-athletes like my self use their athletic talent to gain acceptance to elite colleges and universities. NCSA’s Recruiting Coaches recently studied our last 285 students who went on to play their sport at a college or university deemed to be in the top twenty five according to the US News & World Report. We compared the average SAT and ACT test scores of the student-athletes to the average test scores reported by the institutions. Since 2004, NCSA student-athletes have been admitted to the most selective institutions with test scores considerably lower than their non athletic counterparts.

NCSA athletes who are accepted to elite institutions average a 28 on their SAT, while the schools report 31 as their average score. Most students who attend these colleges and universities score over 1400 on the math and reading portions of the SAT, yet the NCSA athletes average under 1300 on their math and reading scores. While a 28 ACT and 1250 SAT is not shabby, most high school students with these marks do not anticipate an Ivy League future.

Hockey opened up many doors for me that I could never have anticipated. My Yale diploma represents much more than essays, Spanish lessons and problem sets. I was able to combine my intelligence and work ethic with the sport I love, and use all of these factors to gain acceptance to a special university. I encourage all student athletes to take hold of their academic and athletic careers; opportunities will follow.