How to Get Into College as an Athlete

Are you hoping to be a college athlete, either as a recruit, walk on, or just as someone who is particularly talented at a sport and thinks that'll be what makes you stand out to colleges? If athletics has dominated your high school years, you may be wondering how you can translate that skill and dedication towards a strong college application. That's where we come in! In this in-depth guide on how to get into college as an athlete, we'll explain how you can create a strong athletic "spike" that'll showcase your athletic abilities, impress college admissions teams, and show that you're a top-notch applicant who they want at their school.

What Do Colleges Look for in Applicants?

There are lots of misconceptions around what it takes to get into college, especially as an athlete. Some people think your grades don't matter if you're hoping to be a recruited athlete, some think your sports don't matter to colleges if you're not a recruit, and some don't fully understand the difference in college admissions between a recruited athlete and a high school student who is simply very committed to their sport. Many people think you need to excel in a lot of areas in order to show schools that you have a lot of different skills. However, for many top programs, being well-rounded can actually put you at a disadvantage. 

What the most competitive schools want to see is that you're highly-skilled in a specific area. So, instead of being pretty good in all your classes, being in a club or two, playing a sport at perhaps a JV level, doing some volunteer work, competing in some sports tournaments, etc. you'll be a much stronger art candidate if you can clearly show your talent for athletics. Having a strong focus in a single area is what we call a "spike." We go into spikes more in this article, but, basically, a spike is where you focus your talents in one area so that you become exceptional in it, rather than be "pretty good" in a bunch of different areas.

So, if your spike is athletics, you want as many parts of your application to relate back to your sport as possible. Why is the spike approach better? Think about some famous athletes. How well did Michael Phelps do on his SAT? Did Serena Williams play an instrument in her high school marching band? What grade did Tom Brady get in Algebra II? You don't know, right? That's because you and everyone else are primarily concerned with how well these athletes compete. If they're winning games, it doesn't matter if they weren't in the National Honor Society, you'll still love them, and if they're losing, knowing they completed a lot of high school volunteer hours won't ease the sting.

If you're trying to get into college as an athlete, schools are primarily interested in your athletic abilities. You still need to prove you can handle college-level coursework, but schools won't care about "filler" activities like a couple hours helping out at an animal shelter, a passing interest in guitar playing, or being treasurer of your school's finance club. They want to see a strong athletic spike.

What constitutes an athletic spike? If you're being considered for recruitment, or if you're ranked at least at the state level, that's enough for the start of a strong spike. If you're not ranked but are team captain and heavily involved in the sport, that also has the potential to be an athletic spike. We discuss both options more throughout the article.

How Can You Impress Colleges as an Athlete?

Below, we break down how to make each key part of your athletic spike as strong as possible throughout your application. We go over:

• Classes
• Test Scores
• Extracurriculars
• Personal Statements
• Letter of Recommendation

For each, we give concrete goals to aim for, as well as general qualities your application should have throughout. In general, remember that you want your athletic talents to be most prominent, but you don't want to slack in other areas to make schools doubt you can handle college classes.

Classes

Even if you're a star athlete, you'll struggle to get admitted into colleges if schools don't think you'd pass their classes. This means you need to take your high school classes seriously and do well enough in them to show you can handle college-level material.

We recommend choosing a subject area to focus on, such as science or history. Ideally, this focus will tie into your future career (so if you want to study medicine, you'd focus on science, or if you wanted to go into journalism, you'd focus on English classes), but if you don't know what you want to study, choose your focus based on the classes that interest you most/that you do best in. Your academic focus should be where you take the most challenging classes (including honors and AP), and, ideally, where your grades are highest. Think of it as a mini academic spike in addition to your athletic spike.

So, if your spike is in science, you'd want to take math and science classes at a more challenging level and aim for the highest grades in those classes. That doesn't mean you can slack off on your classes in other subject areas, but you don't need to take them at as advanced a level if it would be too much for your schedule. Athletes often have limited time after school, and having this academic focus can help you prioritize that time instead of trying to cram in a bunch of difficult classes which could impact your athletics if you're too tired/stressed.

For all your classes, we recommend taking the most difficult level of a class you can while still getting a "B" or higher in the class. So taking AP Physics isn't worth it if you think you'd get a C or D in the class; it's better to take it at the honors or regular level in that case. Again, if you're struggling to know which honors or AP classes to take, choose those in your academic focus first.

As to the GPA you should aim for, it depends on the schools you're applying to. If you're planning on being a recruited athlete, you should aim for just below a school's median GPA for admitted students. So, if you're applying to a school with an average weighted GPA of 3.5, you'd want your own GPA to be about a 2.8. You can multiply the school median by 0.8 to get a GPA to aim for.

If you're not a recruited athlete, you'll want to aim for at least the average GPA for admitted students, and ideally the 75th percentile. So, for example, if you're applying to Purdue University, the 75th percentile of weighted GPA for admitted students is a 3.9. That's a great goal to aim for. If you're concerned about your GPA, check out our guide on raising your high school GPA.

Test Scores

Some people think that recruited athletes don't need to worry about test scores, but, just as with classes, you need to prove to schools that you'll do well as a student there. If you are aiming to be recruited and/or have otherwise very impressive sports credentials, you can aim a little lower than other applicants. For example, if you're applying to a school with a median SAT of 1540, achieving a 1500 will put you in a great spot.

If you're planning on being an NCAA athlete, it's also important, for both your GPA and your test scores, that you meet NCAA SAT score or ACT score requirements.

If you're not aiming to be a recruited athlete, and you don't have a national or international ranking in your sport, you'll have the same SAT score goals as other applicants. Read our guides to setting SAT and ACT goal scores to come up with more precise score estimates. We recommend aiming for the 75th percentile for admitted students. So, for example, if you want to attend Purdue University, their 75th percentiles are a 1420 for the SAT and a 33 for the ACT. You'd set one of those as your goal (depending on which test you're taking) to aim for. Of course plenty of students are admitted with lower test scores than that (a full half of the freshman class, actually), but it's a good goal to have to give you the best chance of being admitted.

If you're concerned about your test scores, know that it's possible to make a significant jump in your score if you study. Check out our guides on raising your SAT or ACT scores for more information.

Extracurriculars

This is where you get to discuss your sport! Extracurriculars is the area that really allows applicants to stand out from the pack, and this is especially true for students with athletic spikes. When adding your sport(s) to your application, here are some tips:

• Include any awards/titles you've won.
• This is often what can help you stand out, especially if you're ranked at a state level or above. This can also include stats you're particularly proud of.

• Include the number of hours you commit to the sport per week. 
• This includes anything related to the sport like training. Your sport likely takes up quite a bit of your time, so be sure colleges see the time and effort you're dedicating to it. It'll show you have a real passion for the sport and aren't afraid of hard work.

• Include any leadership roles or responsibilities.
• Colleges love to see leadership experience. If you were team captain, organized a new training schedule, began a mentoring program for new athletes, etc. be sure to include it! Anything where you took charge is fair game.

• Include any camps or intensive programs you participated in.
• Mention the hours you spent at these as well. These are another way to show you're committed to your sport and have the ability to stick with something.

Non-Sport Extracurriculars

A common pitfall students fall into is thinking they need to show a diverse and broad array of extracurriculars. Don't fall for this! Remember, your goal is to make your athletic spike as strong as possible, so you'll want to concentrate most of your time and energy on your sport (which is probably what you want to do, anyway).

For extracurriculars, you should focus on staying on top of your sport and your schoolwork first. Only once you feel comfortable managing both those things should you consider taking on additional extracurriculars. Bulking out your extracurriculars with a bunch of half-hearted activities won't impress colleges, so save yourself the time! If you can manage it, add one or two activities that you truly enjoy and that don't overload your schedule. These can be anything: clubs, volunteering, a musical instrument, a job, etc. 

Personal Statements

You aren't required to write about sports for your personal statement(s), but we highly recommend it as a way to continue to strengthen your spike. Your personal statement also gives you space to discuss how you got into sports/what sports mean to you/what your goals as an athlete are/etc. It's a level of depth that other parts of the college application don't allow. This is your chance for schools to really understand what makes you tick as an athlete.

Some essay prompts are easy to tie into sports, others less so. It's fine (and even advisable) to discuss something other than sports, but you should aim to at least mention your athletics somewhere in your personal statements. Here are some ways to do this using common essay prompts:

• Why do you want to attend this school? For this prompt, you can mention the school's athletic program, but also be sure to discuss specific academic offerings the school has to show you'll take your education seriously. You can also add reasons like your favorite athlete went there, you cheered for the school as a kid, etc. Also discuss how attending the school will help you achieve your goals as an athlete to show you're looking towards the future.

• Describe a problem you've solved: Overcoming an injury, working things out with a teammate or coach you didn't agree with, discovering a better way to practice or train, figuring out a way to practice without a lot of money/equipment, etc.

• Discuss an accomplishment you're proud of: Winning a sports competition, meeting an athletic goal you set for yourself, mentoring other athletes, building up your teammates after a tough loss, etc.

• Describe a favorite childhood memory. The first time you played the sport, the first time you watched a sports competition, meeting a sports idol, the first time you won a competition, learning to play the sport with friends/parents/mentors, etc.

Letters of Recommendation

If the schools you're applying to require letters of recommendation, follow any rules they have about who can write them. They often must be written by a high school teacher, and some schools have specifications on the subject the teacher must have taught you (for example, you may need one letter from a math/science teacher and one letter from an English/history teacher).

However, that means your coach, possibly the person who knows your personality and talents best, may not be one of your official letter writers. If that's the case, it may be possible to send an additional letter of rec they're written; lots of schools allow these "extra" letters written by someone who isn't necessarily your teacher but still knows you well. If this is a possibility, you should definitely take advantage of it, as having a written record of all the positive things your coach thinks of you can add a nice boost to your athletic spike.

For all your letters of recommendation, when you ask someone to write you a letter (which you should always do in person, when possible), it's very helpful if you include a "brag sheet" or list of accomplishments/qualities you're proud of. This both helps the teacher know what to write and helps you make sure your best achievements have a better chance of being discussed. For a coach teacher writing a letter of rec, there may be specific awards or skills you want them to mention. 

For other teachers, they'll obviously discuss other things besides your athletic ability. That's fine, as you also want to show schools that you will be a solid student and do well in your classes. Potential things for them to discuss include your strong work ethic, skill in a particular subject area, willingness to help other students, etc. Remember, you can't control what teachers will write about in your letters, but by offering suggestions and potentially discussing what they'll include, you can make sure they're writing a letter they feel comfortable with and that highlights the accomplishments you want.

What Do Good Examples of Athletic Spikes Look Like?

Below are two hypothetical examples of high school seniors with athletic spikes. They've both been accepted into the same school, a Tier 2 school where the average accepted student has a weighted GPA of 3.75, average SAT of 1300 or average ACT of 28. The school has an acceptance rate of 55%. These are all hypothetical examples, but they can give you a better understanding of the goals you should set for yourself, whether you're aiming to be a recruited athlete or not.

Profile 1: Michael the Recruited Athlete

Extracurriculars: Michael has played basketball since elementary school, and he has been on his high school's varsity team since freshman year. Michael has set a new school record, helped his team win multiple tournaments, and was named All American. He got a lot of attention from recruiters and could have played basketball at several schools. Additionally, he volunteers at an animal shelter during the off-season and is a member of his school's outdoor club.

Grades: Michael has taken advanced classes in math, economics, and science. He doesn't enjoy history or English classes as much, and takes them at the regular level. He's gotten a mix of mostly As and Bs, with a few Cs. His weighted GPA is 3.2. 

Test Scores: Michael took the SAT, and he earned a 630 in Math, and 560 in EBRW. He's received a 3 and a 4 in his AP scores, and he's taking two more AP classes his senior year.

Personal Statement: For his personal statement on why he's interested in the school, he discusses both a favorite childhood memory of watching the school's football team make an incredible comeback at a game he attended with his parents. Since then, he's been an ardent fan. He also discusses his career hopes of going into economics, and he discusses professors and classes he's particularly interested in.

Letters of Rec: The two teachers who write Michael's letters praise him as a friendly, positive influence who is a great team player on group projects and sees tricky subjects as a challenge to overcome. They both agree Michael works well with other students, has a sincere interest in learning, and is a genuinely nice person.

Analysis

Michael's profile shows how being a recruited athlete can impact the test scores and grades you need to be accepted into a school. Both his GPA and his SAT scores are below the school's average, but they're within the 80% cutoff we recommended, so the school is still confident he can manage his course load. As you can see in his extracurriculars, basketball takes up most of Michael's time, and he doesn't participate in many other activities. This is fine since Michael is such a strong basketball recruit. Positive letters of rec and a forward-looking personal statement round out his application.

Profile 2: Kyle the Football Captain

Extracurriculars: Kyle has played football since middle school. He was on his high school's JV team his freshman and sophomore year, made the varsity team his junior year, and became team captain his senior year. He's a talented football player, but not at the level of being a recruited player. As a junior, Kyle created a mentorship program where upperclassman athletes are paired with an underclassman athlete to show them the ropes, help them form friendships, and act as a positive influence. The mentorship program was a success and has now expanded to the basketball and soccer teams. Kyle was fundamental in getting it started and spends a lot of time working with others to make sure it keeps growing and improving. Over the summers, Kyle works as a lifeguard, and during the school year he is also involved in his school's photography clubs and future medical professionals club. Both meet about once a month.

Grades: Kyle wants to go into kinesiology or physical therapy, so he's taken a lot of math and science classes, including some at the honors and AP level. He takes his English and social science classes mostly at the regular level, but does well in them. His weighted GPA is 3.86.

Test Scores: Kyle took the ACT and earned a 30. He's taken three AP classes and earned two 5s and a 4. He's taking three more AP classes his senior year. 

Personal Statement: Kyle's personal statement is about a challenge he has overcome. He discusses how difficult it was to start at a new school where he didn't know anyone and how lonely it was in the beginning. After making his high school's football team, he meets many of his closest friends and learns how sports can bring people together. He then discusses how he developed his mentorship program to help other new athletes find their community. He mentions that he's seen the college has a similar program for new freshmen, and he's excited to get involved with it.

Letters of Rec: Kyle's AP biology teacher writes his letter of recommendation. In it, she discusses how Kyle is a strong student who clearly makes an effort to do well in class. She also recounts an instance where Kyle helped a student who had missed a lot of class due to illness catch up on the work he needed. This reinforced the teacher's view of Kyle as a compassionate person who looks out for others who might be struggling. Kyle's football coach also writes a supplemental letter of recommendation where he describes watching Kyle evolve from a shy freshman to a team leader who looks out for all the other players on the team. He mentions specific instances of Kyle helping other players out and improving team morale.

Analysis

Kyle isn't a recruited athlete, but he still has a strong athletic spike that got him accepted into this school. His grades and test scores are above the school's average, so he's strong on the academic front. He's a good football player and captain of his varsity team, so it's fine he doesn't have a ton of other extracurriculars. A great way Kyle has stood out is through his mentorship program. He's combined his love of sports with desire to help people, and, as a result, has strengthened his athletic spike without winning state championships or other similar-level honors. From his personal statement and letters of rec, he seems to be a very caring person with strong leadership qualities, which colleges love to see. It gets him admitted even though he's not a superstar football player.

What's Next?

Got more questions about the college recruiting process? Take a look at our in-depth guide to college athletic recruiting to learn even more about what the process entails.

Curious about the NCAA? Read about the differences between the different NCAA divisions, and get the full lists of NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III schools.

Know any artists hoping to use their art as their college spike? Check out our complete guide on how to get into college as an artist.