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The NCAA is divided into three divisions, Division 1 (DI), Division 2 (D2) and Division 3 (DIII) and so if a university or college's athletics program is governed by the NCAA, their sports will fall under one of the divisions. See here for some quick facts about the three divisions.

Division I (DI)
Division 1 is the highest level of college sports competition in the United States and includes many of the largest and most well-known universities and athletic programs. Most Division 1 programs are found at large schools with big athletic budgets and they typically provide more scholarships compared to other divisions. Approximately 1 in 23 students at DI schools are DI athletes. A few examples of universities and colleges with DI programs would include University of Michigan, Princeton University and University of Arizona.

However, we want to emphasize that this is the highest level of competition in the US and includes many of the the most elite athletes in the world. It is fair to say your academics come second to your sport when you are in a DI program. You "live, breathe, and sweat" your sport because that is what it takes to compete at the DI level. In most cases, due to the very high skill level required and the very high level of commitment/intensity needed, most ISB student-athletes are NOT focusing on DI programs.

*All DI athletes must meet specific eligibility requirements set by the NCAA (those requirement are explained further below)

Click here to the  DEMANDS of an Division I sports program.

Division II (DII)
Divison 2 also offer a very high level of competition but with arguably a more balanced approach. The programs are generally smaller in scale compared to their DI counterparts. Athletics will still be an pretty important part of your university/college life and you will be competing against outstanding athletes. Approximately 1 in 10 students at DII schools are DII athletes. Division II universities and colleges offer a quality education and a very competitive athletic environment but are typically not as "well known" by name for international students. Similar to Division I institutions, DII schools do offer athletic based scholarships. A few examples of institutions with DII programs would include Pace University, California Polytechnic University-Pomona, and Azusa Pacific University.

All DII athletes must meet specific eligibility requirements set by the NCAA (those requirement are explained in the next section)

Click here to the  DEMANDS of an Division II sports program.

Division III (DIII)
Division 3 offers a more "well rounded" college experience. While the athletics is still competitive and demanding, it is a very balanced approach and in the end, academics are ultimately the priority, not the sport. There are no athletic scholarships at DIII schools but DIII athletes do receive non athletic aid through merit and need based scholarships. Approximately 1 in 4 students at DIII schools are DIII athletes. Due to the skill level required, the demands of the athletics program and the priority on academics, DIII schools are typically the best fit for ISB students. A few examples of institutions with DIII programs would include Tufts University, Middlebury College and Chapman University.

*All DIII athletes DO NOT need to meet specific eligibility requirements set by the NCAA. Instead, each university/college sets their own individual DIII eligibility requirements.

Click here to the  DEMANDS of an Division III sports program.

Below are the basic steps to follow by grade level in order to be eligible to play in the NCAA. For a more detailed list of steps that include some important hyperlinks, please see page 9 of the NCAA Guide for the College Bound student located here.

Grade 9
There is nothing you need to do other than be the best academic student you can be and continue to develop your skills in the sport you love.

Grade 10

Register for a free Profile Page account at eligibilitycenter.org.

Then transition the Profile Page account to a Academic and Amateurism Certification account if/when you are being actively recruited.  You need this account to compete at a Division I or II school, to go on official visits, to sign a National Letter of Intent and to potentially receive an athletic scholarship.  There is a registration fee for this account.
OR
Transition the Profile Page account to a Amateurism only Certification account if you are an international student-athlete AND planning to compete at a Division III school.

At the end of the school year, ask your university counselor to upload ALL your high school transcripts to the Eligibility Center account.

Grade 11

Share you NCAA ID with NCAA schools recruiting you so each school can place you on their institutional request list.
At the end of the school year, ask your university counselor to upload an official high school transcript to your Eligibility Center account.

Grade 12
Request your final amateurism certification beginning April 1.
At the end of the school year, ask your university counselor to upload your final high school transcript with proof of graduation to your Eligibility Center account.

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Grade 10-12
Do you best academically and make sure that you are taking the appropriate NCAA approved courses to remain eligible. In most cases this is never an issue for our students as we have such a robust and academically challenging curriculum. 

Please note however that not all ISB courses are NCAA approved. If you want to see a list of ISB's current NCAA approved courses, please go here and search for ISB by name or by CEEB code (695220).

See below for specifics on the academic standards of Division I and II. 

Division I Academic Standards

Division II Academic Standards

See here for an overall flow of the NCAA Eligibility pathway.

*Please reach out to your university counselor if you have any questions about this eligibility process.

In order to promote your well-being and ensure fairness among schools, the NCAA definines certain periods during the year in which recruiting may or may not occur in a particular sport. There are NCAA Division I and II recruiting calendars which outline the "Contact" periods, "Evaluation" periods, "Quiet" periods and "Dead" periods. See here for definitions of those four important periods.

Note that certain recruiting activities, such as calls, visits to your high school, face-to-face contact and other forms of correspondence, may have both division- and sport-specific restrictions prior to certain grade levels in high school. It is important to be aware of these periods.

Sport specific recruiting calendars can be found here.

While Division III (DIII) is part of the NCAA, to some degree it operates in a slightly different manner than the other two divisions.  

As mentioned earlier,  DIII student-athletes DO NOT need to meet specific eligibility requirements set by the NCAA. Instead, each university/college sets their own individual DIII eligibility requirements. Reach out directly to each DIII school in order to guage their academic requirements.

Additionally note that DIII student-athletes DO NOT received athletic scholarships (like what is possible with DI and DII) however, many DII student athletes do receive non athletic aid through merit and needs based scholarships.

If you are an international student-athlete and planning to play your sport at the DIII level, one important task is to make sure you are certified as an amateur by the Eligibility Center. Therefore, you will need to create and complete the Amateurism Only Certification account.

See here for some more information on DIII Academic Standards and Amateurism certification.

1. First of all, make sure your university counselor know that you are interested in playing competitively in university. Don't worry if you are not sure of the division, Just let us know so we are aware.

2. Also let the coach of your particular sport know your interest. It is important to receive an objective assessment in terms of your abilities and potential to play in the NCAA before you get too deep into the process.

3. Work hard in the classroom. All coaches in all divisions want student-athletes who are also academically solid.

4. You can use the NCAA's Interactive Map to located NCAA schools you might be interested in attending.

5. Once you've targeted some colleges, fill out each of their "prospective recruit" questionnaires. Most schools should have this. You need to go to the institution's athletic website to find it. Here is an example for University of Southern California (USC). They will typically ask for personal, academic and athletic information. You should also be able to see contact information for the coaches of your sport at these sites. 

6. Thoughtfully target coaches (Head coaches and Assistant coaches) to share both your academic and athletic achievements with an email AFTER filling out the questionnaire. You can tell them about yourself, your abilities and why you are interested in their school/sports program and the fact that you have already filled out the questionnaire. Also make sure you include appropriate physical measurements (such as height, weight, reach, wingspan, vertical jump, 40 yard dash time etc.). If you are involved in a sport that is timed and/or measured (such a track and field or swimming), make sure to include your best times for your events. If you play a team sport, it makes sense to include links to some game footage and/or highlights. Also make sure to include your name, position and NCAA ID number  in the subject line of your emails for easier referencing by coaching staff. Coaches are busy and they don't want to open a long email. Keep it brief and to the point. An example of a template email can be found here.

7. You can also create an athletic resume (with greater details on both your academics and athletics) and have that as an attachment to that introductory email. An example of an athletic resume can be found here.

8. Additionally, we are in Thailand and so ISB student-athletes have an added challenge of getting coaches to physically see and meet them. So, if possible, play on elite travel teams and/or attend camps or showcases that will allow you to display your talents to US university/college coaches and build relationships.

9. Keep your university counselor informed on any correspondence you receive from any coaches.

10. IMPORTANT: Always conduct yourself both on and off "the court" with the utmost integrity and honor and that includes thinking carefully about what you post on social media. Coaches care A LOT about the character of their potential future student-athletes.

You might have seen in the news or on TV, high school student-athletes signing a letter of intent, committing themselves to a particular university/college in the US. This is called the National Letter of Intent (NLI) and this is specific to Division I and II sports programs.

The NLI is a legally binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution. By signing an NLI, you agree to attend the institution for one year in exchange for the institution's promise, in writing, to provide you athletics financial aid for the entire academic year. Simply put, by signing an NLI you are given an award including athletics aid for the upcoming academic year provided you are admitted to the institution and you are eligible for athletics aid under NCAA rules. Furthermore, by signing an NLI you effectively end the recruiting process. Once you sign an NLI, a recruiting ban goes into effect and you may no longer be recruited by any other NLI school.

For more information on the NLI, please see here.

National Signing Day is the first day a student-athlete can sign the NLI for their particular sport. The National Signing Day dates vary depending on the sport you are taking part in. Note that there are initial dates that begin this NLI signing process window and then there are final closing dates. See here for the NLI signing date ranges by each sport and here for a NLI FAQ.

As a high school, we celebrate ALL our student-athletes who have committed themselves to play their sport at their university/college through our very own ISB International Signing Day Ceremony.

GOLF

SWIMMING
Swimcloud

TENNIS
The Tennis Recruiting Network
International Tennis Federation World Junior Rankings

TRACK AND FIELD
College Track and Field Rankings

NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student
NCAA Student-Athlete Educational Resources
NCAA: The Value of College Sports
NCAA: Choosing a College - Questions to Ask the Coaching Staff
NCAA Eligibility Center Instagram