It is never too early to start planning for college.

The more you know the more informed you will be when it comes to making one of the most important decisions of your life. There are many opportunities to play collegiate tennis, the more research you do the more options you will have.

You can start as early as your freshman or sophomore year. Meet with your guidance counselor to ensure you are taking the required core courses. The Preparation Calendar for College Tennis will help you with this. When you are ready, download or request the following resources:

• Go online to NCAA.org and download a free copy of the Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete. This is an invaluable tool and a great guide. The NAIA also provides a free download of their NAIA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete.

• Download your copy of the USTA Guide to Tennis on College Campuses

Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse

If you want to play DI or II tennis as a freshman, you must register with the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse (the clearinghouse). The clearinghouse is not the NCAA, but an organization that evaluates student-athlete academic records to determine eligibility to participate in DI or II college athletics as a freshman.

Do not register until after your junior year. If you have completed your junior year, go online to ncaaclearinghouse.net and complete the student release form online.

NOTE: Initial-eligibility certification from the clearinghouse does not guarantee your admission to any DI or II college. You must apply for college admission separately.

DIII does not use the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Each Division III school has its own requirements and they do vary from school to school. Contact the DIII colleges you are interested in and request information regarding academic requirements for student-athletes.

What are you looking to get out of your college experience?

Assess what you want out of your college experience and the relative importance of each requirement:

• Academic
• Tennis opportunities
• Career preparation
• Social
• What part of the country do you want to attend school / distance from home
• Size of the college/university
• Public vs. private
• Religious affiliation
• Scholarships and financial aid

Realistically evaluate what you have to offer to potential schools. When you have answered these important questions start making a list of schools.

Remember to recruit your support team: parents/legal guardians, tennis coach, school guidance counselor, etc. These people can provide valuable advice along the way.

Identify potential schools with a tennis and academic program you want. Consult college directories and websites, attend college nights in your section or at national tournaments (when available), talk to students, coaches and players, and visit potential schools (unofficial visits).

Make a list of schools you would like to attend. If you have selected a particular region of the country and you would like a more extensive list of schools in the region visit collegeboard.com answer a few simple questions and you will be able to broaden your search in that area.

There are many ways to get an idea of the division that is right for your ability level. Research team websites directly or access these through the ITA (itatennis.com). Look for players you have competed against, to get an idea of the level of the team. However, do not rely on this solely as each player has selected a school that meets their individual needs academically and/or athletically. You can also ask your coach, visit schools and watch practices and matches. This will give you a chance to watch the coach interact with the players.

When looking at the different divisions, remember that just because a school is Division I doesn’t always mean it is the strongest when it comes to level of play. There are some Division II and NAIA schools that are stronger than some Division I programs. Division I programs usually have larger athletic budgets and more national exposure, therefore attracting more attention to their programs.

In general, if you are able to qualify for National level events then you most likely can compete at a top-60 Division I school. If you primarily play at the sectional level you would probably play out of the top 60 in Division I or a top Division II. Division III, NAIA and NJCAA schools offer good programs so don’t count them out.

Also familiarize yourself with the following:

• NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA eligibility requirements and recruiting rules

• Preparation Calendar for College Tennis

Establish communication with college coaches
Once you have identified potential schools and narrowed down your list to a manageable size, it is time to establish communication with the college coaches. You should include a cover letter, resume/player record and your tournament schedule. Coaches may be attending some of the tournaments you are playing and will know to look out for you. Videos are also a good idea, although you don’t need to send one to every coach unless they request a copy. A sample letter is available in the USTA Guide to Tennis on College Campuses.

Follow up with each coach to ensure they received your letter. If a coach does not reply to you right away it doesn’t mean they are not interested. The coach may not be allowed to return your call due to NCAA rules (refer to the recruiting rules in the previous section), or the coach may be traveling with the team.

Visits

You may visit schools at anytime (unofficially). These visits may be necessary to help you narrow down your list. Some of your schools of interest may be in the same city as a tournament you are playing, this would be a great time to take a look at the school while you are there. Note: you may only take five (5) official visits to Division I & II schools.

Commitment time

By now you will have narrowed down your list of schools to those who have also shown a mutual interest. You should be visiting these schools officially or unofficially and meeting with the coaches. When you meet with the coaches and players be prepared with all the questions you want to ask. We recommend using a charting system or making notes after each visit. When it comes to making the final decision ensure you weigh all of your options carefully.

Tennis has two signing dates, November and April. Most conferences use the National Letter of Intent (www.national-letter.org). However, you will need to check with the coach on their procedures. If you are on scholarship, remember scholarships are year-to-year.

Scholarship Opportunities

For helpful tips on finding scholarships to help pay for college, visit our guide to college scholarships. See below for scholarship availability within each athletic association.

Athletic scholarships available (maximum)
NCAA
Division I:  Men – 4.5  Women – 8
Division II:  Men – 4.5  Women – 6
Division III:  Men – 0  Women – 0
Note: Division I Ivy League Conference and Division III do not offer athletic scholarships

NAIA
Division I  Men – 5  Women – 5

NJCAA
Division I  Men -  8  Women – 8
52 men’s and 64 women’s programs offer scholarships

Check with your high school counselor, the college financial aid officer, and local and state government agencies to research all avenues of financial aid.

Academic Eligibility Requirements

Visit NCAAclearinghouse.net to view a list of approved core courses. Search by your high school code or high school name to view a list of courses that meet the NCAA criteria for core courses.

Division I: Student-athletes enrolling in a Division I college in 2008 and after must meet a 16-core course requirement for the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

Division II: For student-athletes enrolling in 2005 and after must meet the 14-core course requirement for the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse.

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