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Thursday, December 11, 2014

DIII EDUCATION

Choosing a college: “Focus on the overall opportunity”
DIII athletes enjoy competitive sports
and a first-rate educational experience


The tremendous advantages of the DIII college experience are often lost on young athletes anxious for big scholarship opportunities. But DIII sports programs should be seriously considered as much as any other higher educational opportunity.   
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See also the article: 3 Benefits of Playing Sports in College (1. The Relationships, 2. Health, 3. Get a job).
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DIII sports, like the Wesley College programs, offer student athletes competitive leagues and team camaraderie, constant games and practice in season with arduous workouts and training off season, and the pride of school spirit on the road or at home.

Plus, most importantly, DIII allows time for undergrads to fully enjoy all aspects of the campus environment, while placing first and foremost the whole reason for the collegiate adventure: acquiring A QUALITY EDUCATION.

Surprisingly – because DI and DII athletic scholarships often end up much less than what a typically good high school player expects – the cost of a DIII college can be the same or even less, too.
 
(Schenectady, NY) takes maximum advantage of a 
DIII education. Besides being busy with softball, this 
History major also has traveled across the country 
with her Wesley honors class for academic studies 
to places as distant as California and New York. She 
also is President of the Historical Society on campus.  
CLICK HERE for her profile.
Here are a few words from a high school baseball star who, 15 years later, holds no regrets about his DIII choice – “looking back... I would make the same decision,” he says...

... deciding on where to continue my playing and educational career was extremely tough. I had four legitimate options. One was a walk-on opportunity at a DI program. I received two athletic scholarship offers from two DII programs. And then there was DIII... (which) was my first call, first visit, and first offer. They showed me the most 'love' in the process, but I still struggled to pull the trigger. I was stuck on the 'division level' aspect of the opportunities.

The best piece of advice I received during the decision making process was to remove the division level and college names from the discussion. Focus on the overall opportunity at each college. Once I shifted my focus in this direction, the right decision was clear. Specifically I targeted the baseball opportunity, academic programs offered, distance from home, and the overall cost of attending each college.

The DIII baseball team hit the bulls-eye for this young man on all four of his targets.

CLICK HERE for the full story
at the NCSA Atletic Recruiting blog titled Why I Chose A DIII Baseball Program Over DI and DII Opportunities.”