LAKEWOOD ATHLETICS

Many of you may be receiving or have received letters or other mailings from college programs.
These letters, although exciting, do not necessarily mean you are being recruited for that school.
They simply indicate that you have been noticed as a potential recruit and these schools are
just wanting you to keep up with them. A lot of times, your name/stats, etc. are being passed
around between schools, recruiting services, etc.
If you are interested in playing collegiately, there are several things that YOU must do in order to
even entertain that thought. First and foremost, you have to have the academic background and
qualifications needed at different levels.
There are several levels that you could continue your athletic-academic career. Division 1,
1AA, 2, 3, NAIA, JUCO are the main ones. Please note that the NCAA Division 3 schools do not
give athletic scholarships all of their scholarships are merit (grade) based.
NCAA Division 1/1AA Must have 16 core courses which include 4 years English, 3 years
Mathematics (at Algebra 1 or higher), 2 years of natural/physical science, 1
additional year of English, Math or Science, 2 years of social science, and 4
years of additional approved core courses.
NCAA Division 2 Must have 16 core courses which include 3 years English, 2 years
Mathematics (at Algebra 1 or higher), 2 years of natural/physical science, 3
additional years of English, Math or Science, 2 years of social science, and 4
years of additional approved core courses.
Note that years above refers to a completed course in the semester tract, like we are on at
Lakewood.

Additionally, you must have a certain cumulative overall Core Grade Point Average. Again,
this GPA is not what is listed on your transcript it only includes your GPA from the approved
core courses. Furthermore, your ACT/SAT score must meet a minimum qualification as well.
NCAA Division 1/1AA Must have at least a 2.300 Core GPA to be eligible to compete in your
first year of college. You must have at least a 2.000 to earn a scholarship and
practice. SAT scores (not counting writing) must be at least 900 (with the
2.300) and ACT sum score (not the average but add all parts together)
must be at least 75. There is a sliding scale that can be used in
Division1/1AA that allows you to have a lower test score with a higher Core
GPA, and vice versa.
NCAA Division 2 Must have at least a 2.000 Core GPA and either a 820 SAT or a Sum 68 ACT.
The sliding scale is not used in Division 2.
NAIA is a separate governing body that has its own schools, sports, and programs. Additionally,
they have their own qualifications for athletic scholarships. A NAIA school sets the minimum at
meeting two of the following three requirements: Graduate with at least a 2.0 overall GPA (out of
a 4.0 scale); Graduate in the top 50% of your senior class; and Score either 860 on the SAT or an
18 on the ACT. Note that each school may have stricter guidelines for enrollment.
JUCO is an acronym for Junior College, and is defined as a two year school where athletics are
offered. There are not many local JUCOs that offer football in relation to South Carolina, and

many of these institutions have numerical limits of how many out of state student-athletes they
can accept. To qualify for a JUCO scholarship, you have to graduate from high school.
Both the NCAA and NAIA have Eligibility Centers that prospective student-athletes must
register with. On these sites, you will give a lot of personal information as well as certify that you
have never been paid (or given gifts) to play sports in high school. Each center does have a cost
associated with it, but can be waived if you have used a FEE WAIVER to take either the ACT or
SAT.
The NCAA Eligibility Center link is: https://web3.ncaa.org/ECWR2/NCAA_EMS/NCAA.jsp
The NAIA Eligibility Center link is: http://www.playnaia.com/psaRegister.php
Note that SAT and ACT scores must be directly sent to these centers from the SAT/ACT
corporations. They will not accept a score sent in from high school or your parent(s).
You must register for and take the ACT and/or SAT as many times as you can. Some students will
qualify for a fee waiver get this information from Ms. Farthing, and waivers are based on your
family income. There is a limit to the number of waivers you are allowed to use, so you will
inevitably have to pay some registration fees. All registrations must be completed online using a
credit card. On both test registrations pages, when it asks you if you want to send your
scores to any college, always put down 9999 (NCAA Eligibility Center) and 9876 (NAIA
Eligibility Center) The school code for Lakewood High School is 411928
Finally, no matter the level of school you are thinking about, every student-athlete needs to
register with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In a lot of instances, smaller
colleges will see what types of grants and scholarships you qualify for based on your family
income, and will add to that amount with athletic based incentives. Note that you and your
parent must complete the FAFSA because tax records are needed from the previous year.
Keep track of all of the email addresses, passwords and PIN numbers you are using when
registering with these services. Also keep in mind, that National Letter of Intent Day is not the
only time you can sign scholarship papers. This date is just a media blown frenzy that mainly
deals with Division 1 prospects. Many schools lower than Division 1 will come to high school
campuses to see who is still available, and many will have a good deal of scholarships left. The
one thing you need to keep in mind though, is have I done everything I need to do to be
considered for a scholarship grades, stats, film, lifting, etc?
Please read the above information as carefully as possible, and review it often the next several
months if this is in fact something you want to pursue. Even if you are not offered an athletic
scholarship, you can still walk-on at the institution you choose and earn a scholarship later. A
good many athletes at all levels have taken this route.
Upcoming SAT test dates:
January 23, 2016 (register by December 28, 2015) March 5, 2016 (register by February 5, 2016)
May 7, 2016 (register by April 8, 2016)
June 4, 2016 (register by May 5, 2016)
Upcoming ACT test dates:
February 6, 2016 (register by January 8, 2016)
2016)
June 11, 2016 (register by May 6, 2016)

April 9, 2016 (register by March 4,

If you have any questions, please see me. I can also assist you with figuring your Core GPA, etc.
Sincerely,

Coach Jackson