NCAA Guidelines for Juniors
Are You Interested in College
Athletics?
• All Division I and Division II athletes must register
with the NCAA Clearinghouse/Eligibility Center.
Student athletes must be declared eligible to
participate in college athletics.
• Most Division I students receive athletic
scholarships, and many Division II students
receive athletic scholarships.
• Division III athletes are not required to register
with the NCAA, and do not receive athletic
scholarships.
Michigan Athletic Divisions
Division I
Michigan, Michigan State University, Eastern
Michigan University, Central Michigan University
Division II
Grand Valley State University, Wayne State
University, Saginaw Valley State University
Division III
Albion College, Hope College, Calvin College
NCAA Requirements
• Graduate from high school.
• Earn a minimum ACT or SAT score.
• Earn minimum grades in required classes.
Currently, students must have a 2.0 or higher.
• Requirements differ slightly from Division I
and Division II.
• New requirements will be enforced for
students graduating in 2016 and beyond.
Junior Year Timeline
• At the beginning of junior year, register at
www.eligibilitycenter.org
• There are online tutorials and videos with
directions on how to register. There are also
many handouts on your next steps as a
student athlete.
NCAA Registration
• It is important to register with the NCAA before
you take your first official visit.
• Visits must be conducted after the opening day
of classes your senior year.
• The NCAA recommends that your registration
with the NCAA Eligibility Center be completed the
summer after junior year.
• There is a $60 fee to process the registration.
Vouchers for this fee can be obtained from your
counselor.
Selecting High School Courses
• WBHS juniors will register for senior courses in
February of junior year.
• More often than not, athletes are not turned
away from Division I or Division II scholarships
because of ACT scores-but because of incomplete
transcripts or a shortage of required high school
courses.
• Selecting high school courses is extremely
important in becoming and maintaining NCAA
eligibility. Discuss your NCAA aspirations with
your counselor.
Course Selection
• Access a list of approved courses at
www.eligibilitycenter.org and click on “resources”
at the top of the screen.
• Division I and Division II requirements differ
slightly; please see the following chart for
specifics.
• For Division I competition, 10 of the 16
requirements must be completed before senior
year.
• Always check with your school counselor.
Academic Requirements
Division I
Division II
16 core courses
16 core courses
4 years of English
3 years of English
3 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)
2 years of math (algebra 1 or higher)
2 years of natural or physical science
(including one year of lab science if
offered)
2 years of natural or physical science
(including one year of lab science if
offered)
1 extra year of English, science, or math
1 extra year of English, science, or math
2 years of social science
2 years of social science
4 years of additional core courses from
any category above, or foreign language
4 years of additional core courses from
any category above, or foreign language
GPA Requirements
Minimum Grades
• Beginning August 1, 2016, you must earn at least
a 2.300 GPA in NCAA core courses to be eligible
to compete in your first year of college. Currently,
it is a 2.0 minimum.
• Only courses that appear on your high school’s
list of NCAA courses will be used to calculate your
GPA for NCAA eligibility purposes.
• Once ten core courses are “locked in” prior to
the start of your seventh semester, you can’t take
those classes over again to improve your GPA.
• Questions? Visit www.grades2.3.org
GPA and Test Scores
• The NCAA uses a sliding scale to compare high
school GPA and ACT or SAT scores. The
combinations allow students to compete in
Division I and Division II athletics.
• The NCAA does not use + or – when
evaluating grades.
• The NCAA will recalculate student GPAs
considering only the NCAA required classes.
NCAA Sliding Scale
Each student can check
their ACT/SAT scores
against their high
school GPA to
determine eligibility. To
see the complete
sliding scale, visit
www.ncaa.org.
Academic Help at WBHS
• The WBHS National Honor Society maintains a
database of tutors in our building. Please visit
the Counseling Office for specific tutoring
assistance.
• WBHS also offers lunchtime AND after school
tutoring in math, science, English, and social
studies. Check with your core teacher for days
and locations!
Power School
• WBHS utilizes Power School to access grades
and attendance.
• Remember to maintain your Power School
account and check grades frequently.
Testing and Scores
• Refer to the NCAA sliding scale to match test
score requirements to high school GPA.
• The ACT is a sum of the English, mathematics,
science, and reading sections of the test.
• The SAT includes only critical reading and
math sections.
• Test scores MUST be reported directly from
the test. Use code 9999 each time students
test to send scores directly.
When to Test?
• All WBHS junior students will take the ACT test
in March each year.
• Students are welcome to take additional tests
throughout their junior and senior years.
• Fee waivers are available for students who
receive free or reduced lunch vouchers.
Students should speak to their school
counselor regarding vouchers.
ACT Test Dates 2013-2014
SAT Test Dates 2013-2014
Test Taking Resources
• The West Bloomfield Township Library has
free test taking programs and manuals for
checkout.
• There are many local companies that provide
practice test materials. Please check with the
Career Center or WBHS Counseling Office.
Test Score Reporting
• The NCAA only considers official score reports
directly from the testing centers. Scores
reported by the student or high school are not
considered official.
• To report scores directly to the NCAA, enter
code 9999 on each ACT or SAT test taken. This
will ensure that your scores are sent directly
to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Transcripts
• All seniors will be required to send transcripts
to the NCAA twice during senior year.
• At WBHS, students send transcripts via
Parchment.com.
• Students will create a parchment.com account
during course registration junior year.
Summer School
• If a student needs to retake a course, it must
be completed before senior year. Register for
summer school courses before the end of
senior year.
Additional Resources
• Please visit the NCAA Eligibility Center for
additional handouts and information.
Helpful Websites
• www.ACT.org for test dates, registration, study
tips, and sample ACT test questions
• www.collegeboard.com for SAT test
information
• www.NCAA.org for college athletics updates
• www.eligibilitycenter.org for NCAA eligibility
NCAA Resources for High School
NCAA Eligibility Center Contact
Information Students
• http://www.ncaapublic
ations.com/productdow
nloads/CBSA.pdf
• The link above will take
students to the 20132014 NCAA Guide for
the College Bound
Student Athlete.