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 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 IDivision II 16 core courses 4 years of English3 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) 1 extra year of English, science, or math 2 years of social science 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 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

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 9 th grade student is assigned a junior or senior mentor. The mentors check in frequently and provide academic and social support. If a 9 th 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

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? NCAA Eligibility Center Contact Information NCAA Eligibility Center: Certification Processing P.O. Box 7136 Indianapolis, IN Package or overnight delivery: Certification Processing 1802 Alonzo Watford Sr. Drive Indianapolis, IN Web address: NCAA Eligibility Center customer service: U.S. callers (toll free): 877/ International callers: 317/ Fax: 317/

Additional Resources Please visit the NCAA Eligibility Center for additional handouts and information.