Division III

The third option for the student-athlete is to choose a Division III college. Division III is the most academically oriented Division in the NCAA. Many of the colleges in Division III are top colleges and powerhouse academic institutions and include universities like MIT, Johns Hopkins, and Emory. Unlike Division I and Division II, Division III colleges cannot give athletic scholarships. This allows a different balance to be struck between academics and athletics because whether you stay at the college from year to year and whether you receive scholarships are not tied to your athletic performance. Because many Division III colleges have very selective admissions, your commitment to a sport, along with your excellent academics, may be of importance in the admissions process. Nonetheless, while your athletic skills may be an important factor to the college in admitting you and possibly awarding merit-based scholarships, you will not receive an athletic scholarship. Division III teams also have shorter seasons and are not allowed to practice as many hours as Division II or I teams. Qualifying for NCAA Championships in Division III while still challenging, is easiest.