Part III in a series: Do you qualify academically to be an NCAA DI or DII student-athlete?

High school student-athletes are pressed to perform in the classroom as more emphasis and attention are placed on grades and test scores

The NCAA will get its pound of flesh from you in the classroom if you have designs on playing Division I or II athletics.  Today more than ever you must be conscious of what is required from you in the classroom and in standardized test scores to be NCAA freshman eligible.  Skating by academically is no longer an option.

To be DI eligible, you must pass 16 core courses, four years of English, three years of math (algebra 1 or higher level), two years of social science, one extra year of English, science or math, two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered) and then four years of additional core courses (from any category above, or in a foreign language, nondoctrinal religion, or philosophy).  But merely passing those courses is not enough to be eligible as a freshman.  The NCAA has created what they believe is a fair standard for student-athletes that may be stronger in the classroom yet weaker at taking standardized tests or weaker in the classroom but who tend to score higher on the SAT or ACT.  That standard is “a sliding-scale combination of grades in high school core courses and standardized-test scores.  For example, if a student-athlete earns a 3.0 grade-point average in core courses, that individual must score at least 620 on the SAT or 52 on the ACT. As the GPA increases, the required test score decreases, and vice versa.”  That full scale can be seen at

To be DII eligible, it is a simpler process, but still academically demanding:

• “All students entering college prior to August 1, 2013 must have completed 14 core courses in high school.
• All students entering college on or after August 1, 2013 must have completed 16 core courses in high school.
• Standards require a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a combined minimum SAT score of 820 or sum ACT score of 68″

DII core courses to pass are:  Three years of English, two years of math (algebra 1 or higher level), two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if offered), two extra years of English, math, or science (three extra years if enrolling on or after August 1, 2013), two years of social science, three years of additional core courses (from any category above, or in a foreign language, non-doctrinal religion, or philosophy);  (four extra years if enrolling on or after August 1, 2013).

Early academic planning has become a must-do for high school student-athletes.  If you want to reach  your dream of participating in NCAA DI or DII athletics, getting on top of your academic schedule and then focusing on solid performance in the classroom is absolutely essential.

NOTE:  As a side note, NCAA DIII schools, because they do not offer athletic scholarships, do not have minimum academic standards like those of DI and DII.  Each DIII school has its own entrance requirements which a student-athlete, as with any other applicant, must meet or exceed.