For pursuing a career in athletics without compromising on college education, USA college sports system has always been the best option. This stands true when it comes to professional swimming too. There are over 500 USA Universities and colleges which have swimming programs and many of them also offer swimming scholarships. Swimming is one of the most prominent sports in the USA and it is recognized for having produced many Olympic participants and medal winners.
In this blog you will get to know what makes USA colleges the best place for aspiring swimmers and will also briefly go through some of the requirements of getting a swimming scholarship:
Why choose the USA for professional swimming?
For High school students looking for a swimming scholarship, USA is one of the best options available. Over 500 colleges that have swimming programs, almost all of them have excellent training facilities including Olympic size swimming pools, coaches and training staff.
Swimming scholarships for High School Students in each NCAA Division
Most of the college sports in the USA are administered by NCAA (National Colligate Athletic Association). The NCAA has classified USA Universities & colleges into three divisions, namely division I, II & III. The large and most reputed colleges of USA fall under divisions I & II, while division III includes some of the smaller colleges.
NCAA Division I
Some prestigious universities and colleges are a part of this division and all of them have excellent sports and academic facilities. The best swimmers of the lot compete to get a swimming scholarship from these colleges. This division offers the maximum amount of scholarships depending upon the students achievements and abilities.
NCAA Division II
The swimmers who get into a division II Colleges don’t often get a full athletic scholarship. However, many students manage by getting partial funding from both sports scholarship and academic scholarship.
NCAA Division III
Division III colleges do offer swimming programs but they generally do not have a budget for swimming scholarships. To get a scholarship in a division III college you need to go through the academic route.
Academic Requirement
Your achievements in the pool are very important, but what can give you an edge over the rest is your academic performance. Having a good SAT & TOFEL score can boost your chances of getting a swimming scholarship.
Remember, coaches play the most important role in giving out athletic scholarships and when they see someone putting just as much effort in both sports and academic, they are likely to invest the scholarship in them.
How a sports consultant can help you.
Determining if a swimmer is good enough to get a scholarship can be quite confusing and requires an intervention from a sports admission consultant. Apart from giving you clarity about the sports admission and scholarship process, a sports admission consultant can help you in many other ways, like:
- Help develop a training schedule, physical fitness
- Help develop showcase videos to show sporting talent to prospective college coaches
- Complete all requisite formalities for college admissions
- Provide a realistic approach towards earning scholarships etc.
Conclusion
The swimming circuit in the USA is very competitive and the process of getting a swimming scholarship can also be quite difficult. At CASE we can help you clear your doubts and determine which university is the best fit for you based on your athletic and academic achievements.
Know More – sports scholarships in India
