What are my degree options in the US and what are the differences to degrees from other countries?

What are my degree options in the US and what are the differences to degrees from other countries?

First and foremost, you can basically study the same degrees in the United States as you would in your home country. If anything, you might even have more options over here as there are a lot of universities that have specialized in newer degree fields such as the technology industry or have become worldly renowned in areas such as fashion or acting. So you can definitely find any possible degree in the US and should have plenty of options. Now, there are some degrees that might be a bit tricky to combine with the very demanding daily life of a student-athlete. Especially those degree options with labs in the afternoon are typically difficult for athletes as they interfere with your daily practice schedule. Then there are also some degree options…
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The importance of Social Media during the recruiting process

The importance of Social Media during the recruiting process

Social media is one of the most underestimated components in the recruiting process. Most athletes believe that all that matters to college coaches are titles, results and what you have accomplished as an athlete. Unfortunately, this could not be further from the truth, as coaches do not only try recruit good athletes, but they also want good students and more importantly good people, who will represent the university in the best possible manner. Now, as we have mentioned before, being a scholarship athlete comes with a lot of responsibilities and expectations, with one of the biggest ones being how you portray yourself to your fellow students on campus and to people outside the university. As you can probably imagine, in nowadays age of smart phones and social media, what you…
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I am looking for a sports scholarship in America, how do I get started?

I am looking for a sports scholarship in America, how do I get started?

As we always like to say, every athlete is different and not every process is exactly the same. So it is sometimes a bit difficult to give an exact blueprint of how the scholarship process will unfold from start to finish. However, here is a rough outline of the first steps to give everyone an approximate idea on how to get things started as efficiently as possible. First and foremost, we recommend reaching out to us as soon as you are even considering the option of coming to college in America. We will then arrange a call with you and your parents to give you our free evaluation of your chances and options. In that call we will also tell you more about the process and what we will need…
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What is a junior college?

What is a junior college?

A junior college, or community college as it is more commonly called, is a school that you attend for your first two years of college. You take the same classes there as you would at any 4-year institution and you then have the opportunity to transfer to a 4-year school for your third and fourth year. The degree you complete at a junior college is called an associate’s degree, and it is basically your ticket to a bigger school, where you will then finish up your bachelor’s degree. Your courses from junior college will transfer over to your second school, so that you will still be on track to graduate in fours years like everyone else. There are several advantages to starting off your college career at a junior college.…
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How can I get a student visa?

How can I get a student visa?

Getting your student visa in one of the very last steps in the process. You won’t be able to do this on your own as you will need help from the university or college that you have chosen. Now, without going into too much detail, the university will basically act as your “visa sponsor”, meaning that they are the ones who need to prove to the US government that you will be a student at their institution. To be able to do that, the university will be asking you for several documents, such as the university application, your transcripts, your test scores, bank statements, and possibly even certain vaccines. Every university will ask for slightly different documents, but once they have received those from you, they will then be able…
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Are my sports related expenses in the US paid for or do I have to pay for tournaments, practice lessons and my sports gear?

Are my sports related expenses in the US paid for or do I have to pay for tournaments, practice lessons and my sports gear?

This is a question we get asked very often, as it is something that most international athletes and their parents have not experienced to this magnitude in their home country. However, here is the good news! Once you are part of a college team in the US, basically every sports-related expense will be paid for by the university or college. This starts with all the expenses related to your actual tournaments and games. So all your travel, food and entry fees while competing for your college team will be taken care of. On top of that, you will receive a bunch of team gear, not only for tournaments and games, but also for practice and even to run around campus. This is also the case for specific equipment that is…
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Can I go visit a college before making my final decision?

Can I go visit a college before making my final decision?

While the answer to this question technically is yes, it is not always that simple to set up a visit and sometimes there just is not enough time. First of all, when talking about campus visits, it is important to differentiate between an official and unofficial visit. Unofficial visits are typically fairly easy to set up as it simply means that you fly over to the US at your own expense and whenever it is convenient to you. The downside of an unofficial visit is that there are restrictions on what you are allowed to do when you are on campus and how much you can actually interact and do with the coaches and team members. Also, when considering an unofficial visit, make sure that it does not slow down…
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What makes a good student-athlete?

What makes a good student-athlete?

Once you arrive on campus with your sports scholarship, you have already accomplished something amazing. You are one of the few student-athletes competing in the US college system, which is something to be very proud of. While you are about to embark on an amazing 4-year journey, you still need to take care of what your coach and university expect from you. So what are these expectations and what should you avoid doing so you do not jeopardize this great opportunity? First and foremost, do what brought you here. Be yourself and treat everyone with respect. This does not only apply to your coaches, but also to the professors, your tutors, the trainers, and basically everyone that you will encounter on campus. Secondly, take care of your academics. While you…
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When is the ideal time to start the recruiting process?

When is the ideal time to start the recruiting process?

While it is difficult to give an exact answer to this question in terms of a specific date by which you should start the process by, you really can never begin early enough. Ideally, you want to take your time with every single step of the process and prepare certain tasks such as the SAT test thoroughly. However, we understand that things do not always work according to plan and that sometimes athletes start the process late. But don’t worry, that is ok! Starting early definitely makes the process smoother and in most cases will generate more scholarship offers. Since coaches have a certain scholarship amount available each year, the more you advance in the calendar, the more scholarship money they will have given out. So if you look at…
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What are the biggest benefits of being a student-athlete in the United States?

What are the biggest benefits of being a student-athlete in the United States?

First and foremost, the United States is arguably the only country in the world that allows athletes to combine their academic careers and their sport. Because of the unique setup and schedule that the universities have over here, student-athletes do not have to choose between one or the other and they can continue to follow both career paths with the exact same intensity. This is not the case in most other countries, as athletes find themselves at a cross road when they finish high school, and they have to choose between university studies or continuing the sport they love. Besides this very important benefit, there are numerous other advantages that you have when you are a student-athlete in the American college system. For example, you will find some of the…
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