NCAA Pathways: Freshman Year
West Bloomfield High School
What is the NCAA?
• The NCAA is a governing board that supervises
all collegiate athletics and high school
recruiting.
• In order to play college sports at the Division I
or Division II levels, the student athlete must
meet all NCAA requirements.
• GPA, test scores, and class selection are all
important components of being a college
athlete. Start preparing early!
Different Divisions
• 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.
Students must have a 2.3 or higher as seniors.
• Requirements differ slightly from Division I and
Division II.
• New requirements will be enforced for students
graduating in 2016 and beyond. This graduating
class will be held accountable to the new
standards.
Selecting High School Courses
• WBHS sophomores will register for sophomore
courses in February of freshman 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. This will apply to
you as a senior.
• Only courses that appear on your high school’s list of
NCAA courses will be used to calculate your GPA for
NCAA eligibility purposes. Your elective classes might
not count in the reconfiguration of your GPA.
• 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
Power School
• WBHS utilizes Power School to access grades
and attendance.
• Remember to maintain your Power School
account and check grades frequently.
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!
WBHS Mentor Program
• Each 9th grade student is
assigned a junior or senior
mentor. The mentors check in
frequently and provide
academic and social support.
• If a 9th grader falls behind or
requires extra help, the
mentor is a great resource.
• Each semester WBHS students
take final exams. The mentors
hold after school “Exam Jams”
and study sessions to help
prepare for the first year of
finals. Plan to attend!
Grades and Test Scores
• The NCAA will consider two things: GPA and
standardized test scores. The student’s grades
and scores will placed in a grid to determine
eligibility.
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.
Standardized Testing: the ACT
• There are two standardized tests used by the
NCAA: the ACT and the SAT.
• All WBHS juniors will take the ACT free of
charge in March of their junior year.
• All WBHS sophomores will take the PLAN test,
which is a practice ACT test. This is also free of
charge. The test is administered in October of
sophomore year.
The ACT PLAN Test
• In October of sophomore year, students will take
the ACT PLAN test during the school day. The test
is free of charge.
• Students will see results a few months after the
test.
• While colleges and the NCAA will not see or
count this practice test, it will provide the student
with a good indication of how he or she might
score when they take the test “for real” as a
junior.
Ways to Prepare for the ACT
• At WBHS, every junior
English class (World
Literature and/or Honors
World Literature)
provides ACT grammar
books, weekly
instruction, and two
practice ACT tests.
• WBHS also hosts the
Princeton Review, who
will review PLAN test
scores with students and
suggest ways to improve.
Ways to Improve ACT Scores
• The West Bloomfield
Township Library offers
free ACT test prep on
their computer
programs, books for
student use.
• WBHS has ACT materials
in the counseling office,
career center, and offers
free online test prep
tools as well.
The SAT
• Students may take
both the ACT or the
SAT, but both are not
required.
• Only reading and
mathematics sections
of the SAT are used by
the NCAA Eligibility
Center.
Academics and Conduct
• Future college athletes should do two things:
avoid disciplinary incidents and maintain a
strong GPA in academic classes. Studying and
doing well in courses is great prep work for
standardized tests.
• WBHS has a fully staffed counseling office and
career center. If you have any questions please
ask for help.
Social Media and the High School
Athlete
• Remember that colleges and coaches often
check social media during the recruitment
process.
• Inappropriate use of social media has resulted
in NCAA suspensions.
• Think before posting!!
Questions?
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NCAA Eligibility Center Contact Information
NCAA Eligibility Center:
Certification Processing
P.O. Box 7136
Indianapolis, IN 46207-7136
Package or overnight delivery:
Certification Processing
1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Web address:
www.eligibilitycenter.org
www.2point3.org
NCAA Eligibility Center customer service:
U.S. callers (toll free): 877/262-1492
International callers: 317/223-0700
Fax: 317/968-5100
Additional Resources
• Please visit the NCAA Eligibility Center for
additional handouts and information.