Blog – Sports & Study USA

20Oct 2026 by admin No Comments

Why is everyone talking about these NCAA rules changes?

The NCAA, which is the main governing body for all college sports, has gone through a major transformation these past couple of years. First, there was the NIL ruling, which now allows student athletes to make money through endorsement contracts and with their name, image and likeness (hence the term NIL). This new rule changed the landscape of the college sports ecosystem and has led to the fact that it is sometimes more lucrative for an athlete to come to (or stay in) college than to turn professional. While this change has been more of a factor for the "big money" sports like American football and basketball, it has definitely also affected sports like golf, tennis and soccer as well. About two years later came the next massive rules change,…

25Apr 2026 by admin No Comments

Our advice for someone looking to transfer

Transferring between schools has become more and more common in the last few years during this era of the constantly evolving college sports landscape. Now, as we always say, every situation is different and in some cases transferring might be what is best for you. For example, if you started at a junior college, the plan from the beginning has always been to change schools after two years. Also, for other student athletes, you might have chosen a school where you can further develop as an athlete and take care of all your core classes, before then transferring to another university once you have established yourself in your college sport and once you start diving into your major. So those cases are typically pretty straight forward and those players typically…

12Feb 2026 by admin No Comments

When is it too late to start the recruiting process?

As we like to mention regularly in our blog posts and in our conversations with athletes and parents, you cannot really start the recruiting process early enough. Once you start being interested in college sports in the US, you should immediately look at starting the process. Now, we know that things do not always work out that way and life can get in the way of the "ideal plan". But when is it really too late to even start the process? At what point should you maybe focus on another path or on maybe enrolling one year later? Well, the answer to those questions is not that straight forward and there is no specific deadline after which we cannot help you anymore. However, here are a few important things to…

15Jan 2026 by admin No Comments

Explaining the college golf rankings

Believe it or not, but this might be the most important blog post we have ever written! Granted, this might sound a bit dramatic, but it is crucial for every aspiring college golfer to really understand this information before he or she starts the recruiting process. This will allow you to make the best possible decision for your future college golf career, based on facts, numbers and by fully understanding the different divisions and governing bodies of college golf. There are some big misconceptions that a lot of young golfers have about certain teams and about the different divisions. At Sports & Study USA, we take our job as consultants very serious, so we try to explain the differences (and similarities) to all our golfers either before we start the…

22Dec 2025 by admin No Comments

What should be your New Year’s resolution?

With the year coming to a close, it is time to start looking ahead to the new year and set some goals for the coming twelve months, especially from an athletic standpoint. While there are no wrong or bad goals, it is very important to set attainable goals that you will be able to achieve. This is extremely important because if you do not do that and set goals that are out of reach, chances are that you will quit halfway through the year and get very frustrated along the way. So what are some of the goals that we recommend for this coming year, that should not only be attainable, but that should help you become a better athlete (and person)? Be more structured: This is something that most…

30Sep 2025 by admin No Comments

Our best advice for your first phone call with a college coach

We talk a lot about the importance of phone or video calls that prospective student-athletes will have to have during the recruiting process. Those calls are crucial and can be one of the main reasons why a coach offers you a scholarship or not. As you probably already know, you should always aim to schedule such a call as soon as possible, so that coaches see you are interested and that you are on top of things. Now, once a call has been scheduled, what are some of the things that you should do in that call and what are some that you should avoid at all cost? Things you should do: Show the coach that you have done your research: Before starting your call with a coach, you should…

12Aug 2025 by admin No Comments

What to expect from your first two weeks of college?

It is that time of the year again! The new school year is about to start, which is always a very exciting time for our student-athletes, especially for those who are about to begin their freshman year. So what are the first two weeks of your first year in college like? What should you expect? What should you be afraid of? First of all, you really do not have much to worry about. Everywhere in the US, especially on college campuses, people are extremely welcoming and will help incoming students in every possible way. Plus the universities and colleges typically all organize what they call a "Welcome Week', which takes place the week before the official start of classes. During that week, the school will host numerous events and activities…

28Jul 2025 by admin No Comments

Why doing your own research is so important

The recruiting process can be very overwhelming for young student-athletes, and that could even be an understatement. Because let's face it, it is a very stressful time in a young person's life. Almost everybody will feel some sort of anxiety when it gets to the point where you are looking to pick your future college. Which school should you choose whenever you have narrowed down your search to maybe 3 or 4 colleges that all seem equally great? How do you know that your decision will be the right one? These are all questions that basically every aspiring college athlete faces at some point during the recruiting process, and even more so when you have reached the moment of making your final decision. However, this is totally normal and there…

03Jul 2025 by admin No Comments

To those who don’t believe in college tennis being the right path…

As many of you have probably noticed over the past few years, college tennis has been on the rise! More and more young tennis players, both boys and girls, choose to go down the college route in order to prepare their professional careers. While there are several reasons for this recent development, there are some very obvious reasons for the increase in the number of professionals choosing this path. The level of competition, the coaching, the facilities, and everything that comes with the overall college experience, have proven to be tough to beat. This has lead to the fact that you find more and more former college tennis players among the top 100 of the ATP and WTA rankings. In this year's Championships at Wimbledon, a new record was actually…

18Jun 2025 by admin No Comments

What is the first step when a coach shows interest in you?

As we have mentioned in some of our blog posts before, June 15 in a very important date in the recruiting calendar. The reason is that this date always means that coaches can start having direct conversations with athletes for the recruiting class that is looking to start college in two years. So in this case, that means that coaches are now officially allowed to speak with potential prospects for the class of 2027. As our current athletes have already seen over the past few days, this is a very busy time of the year for us where we always look to connect them with several coaches straight away in order to start those conversations very early so that our athletes have an advantage against their competition. We typically set…

12May 2025 by admin No Comments

NCAA Division 1 roster limits – here is why everything is up in the air at the moment!

If you live in the United States, chances are you have heard about this topic a lot these past few months. It has been all over the news, not only for college sports fans, but across all national TV channels, even the ones who do not typically cover sports. So here is what happened: In the fall of 2024, the NCAA (to the surprise of most people) all of a sudden announced some of the biggest rules changes in college sports history. They implemented what they call the "roster limit rule", which basically means that every roster at the NCAA Division 1 level, will be limited to a certain number of athletes. For example, golf teams will only be allowed to carry a maximum of 9 players, tennis teams will…

25Apr 2025 by admin No Comments

The Sports & Study USA Hot Seat (#4) – 10 questions for University of Tampa golfer Justine Bayle

Our French golfer, Justine Bayle, was kind enough to get on the Sports & Study USA Hot Seat and answer some of our questions about her experience at the University of Tampa and about the recruiting process in general. Justine is a Freshman at UT this year and has had a tremendous first season with the Spartans. Before that, Justine was a very accomplished junior golfer at the international level and was rewarded with a scholarship to play golf at one of the very best schools here in Florida. It was a huge pleasure to work with Justine and her family and to now watch her progress over here in the United States. Check out the video below for some very insightful information about college golf and about Justine's experience!…

13Apr 2025 by admin No Comments

How to earn the biggest possible scholarship?

Almost every athlete's goal is to earn the biggest possible scholarship. While this is not necessarily the best approach, most families simply do not have the funds to spend extra money on a college education. So very often, limiting the cost to the bare minimum is what families are looking for and it is something that we as a college placement agency always try to accomplish for you. Now, in order to attain that goal, there are a ton of things you can do as a student-athlete to help your cause. Since we did not want to bore you guys with a massive list of dos and don'ts, here are five tips, some of them maybe unexpected for some of you, that will maximize your scholarship opportunities: Stay Eligible: Sounds…

11Apr 2025 by admin No Comments

The Sports & Study USA Hot Seat (#3) – 10 questions for our soccer expert Timo Suerstedt

1. Where did you go to college and what sport did you play? I played college soccer at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. 2. What made you come to college in the US? My former coach told me that there is an opportunity to go to the USA and attend a university over there. His best friend was a coach, and he connected us. He introduced me to the world of college sports in the US and ever since then I knew I wanted to come to college and play soccer over here. And it is definitely one of the best decisions I ever made. 3. What do you enjoy the most about helping young athletes with the transition of coming to college? The experience I made was so unforgettable…

04Apr 2025 by admin No Comments

The Sports & Study USA Hot Seat (#2) – 10 questions for our swimming expert Alex Knykhin

Where did you go to college and what sport did you play? I was a swimmer at Drury University in Missouri.What made you want to come to the US? I really wanted to combine my swimming and my college degree and America is the only place where your academic schedule does not interfere with your sports training. Also, American colleges have top notch infrastructure that gave me the opportunity to swim in the best pools, lift in the best gyms, and be coached by some of the best coaches in the sport.What do you enjoy the most about helping young athletes with the transition of coming to college? I enjoy helping athletes come to the United States because it was a dream of mine to come over here and I…

28Mar 2025 by admin No Comments

The Sports & Study USA Hot Seat (#1) – 10 questions for our founder Patrick Hanauer

Where did you go to college and what sport did you play? I played four years of college golf at Abilene Christian University in Texas followed by a couple of years as a college golf coach.What made you come to the college in the US? To be honest, it was a difficult decision. And I feel like most young athletes struggle with the decision and almost everyone is going to have some doubts and concerns. But in the end, after doing one year of university over in Europe, I knew I needed to come to college in the US, as it was impossible to combine university studies and golf in Europe. And when I say impossible, I really mean it. And let’s face it, who is good enough and ready…

10Mar 2025 by admin No Comments

A day in the life of a college golfer

A question we get asked by a lot of athletes and their parents is how the days of college athletes typically are structured? While every sport has slightly different schedules and there might also be some variations depending on the day of the week or the time in the season, here is what a typical day looks like for a college golfer: 5.30am: Wake up 6am-7am: Morning workout (typically 2-3 times a week during the season and up to 5 times a week during the offseason) 7.30am: Breakfast 8am-11am: Classes (this can vary a bit depending on your major, your personal schedule or whether you are a freshman, senior or grad student) 11.30: Lunch 1pm-6pm: Team Practice or 18 holes of team qualifying 6.30pm: Dinner 7.30pm-8.30pm: Howework or Study Hall…

24Feb 2025 by admin No Comments

Our most important piece of advice ever!!!

While every athlete might prioritize different factors when making his or her college choice, we at Sports & Study USA are always there to give you our advice and to help you make the right decision. Very often, the perfect school for one athlete will not be the best possible decision for another. This can be because of the sport you compete in, your playing level, or what your longterm goals are. However, here is one advice that we typically give to all our athletes: If you are not sure which school to pick among several options, maybe consider the one that has the best academics! Chances are, that you will need your college degree at some point in your life when applying for a certain job or when changing…

11Feb 2025 by admin No Comments

Can you compete in more than one sport?

While it is pretty uncommon to compete in more than one sport as a college athlete, it has definitely been done before. It mostly depends on which sports you wish to compete in, as the seasons should not overlap. For example, sports such as tennis and golf have very similar seasons that run basically all year long, so that combining those two is almost impossible. Participating in american football and baseball on the other hand is possible, since the american football season takes place in the fall semester and baseball is mostly played in the spring. So finding out when your sports are played is always going to be the first step if you are interested in competing in multiple sports. In addition to that, you also need to discuss…

25Jan 2025 by admin No Comments

How difficult is it to transfer between universities?

Transferring between universities has gotten a lot easier and also more common over the past few years. Back in the early 2000s, college coaches could literally block transfer requests by any of their athletes. This is no longer allowed so that you are no longer “stuck” at a school if things are not going as planned. However, there are some procedures to follow and it is very important to not break any transfer rules, so that you do not jeopardize any of your eligibility. Each governing body will have slightly different rules to follow, but in general the first step will always be to notify your coach or the athletic department of your school that you are planning to transfer. Before that happens, you are not allowed to contact any…

18Dec 2024 by admin No Comments

The importance of maximizing exposure

The competition for sports scholarships in the United States is extremely high. As a matter of fact, it has grown tremendously over the past decade and will continue to do so. We always talk about the importance of an athlete standing out in the recruiting process and doing all the right things in order to impress coaches and to beat out other athletes of the same level. This is definitely true and an extremely important thing to keep in mind. However, in this blog post we want to talk about the importance of exposure and how you can further improve your chances of getting that dream scholarship that you are seeking. While this does not necessarily apply for team sports as much as it does for individual sports, it still…

04Dec 2024 by admin No Comments

What do college coaches look for in a recruit?

There are three main attributes that college coaches typically look for in a prospective student-athlete. While every sport's recruiting is slightly different and those factors might vary ever so slightly from one sport to the other, three main things typically stand out when coaches are looking to offer a scholarship to a certain athlete. The first one, which is no surprise, is your athletic level. Obviously every coach will be looking for a certain scoring average in golf, certain times in swimming or track and field, and a certain playing style in team sports such as soccer. Depending on their current roster situations, coaches might be looking for slightly different players from one year to another or might mainly be looking for certain positions for a specific recruiting class. However,…

31Oct 2024 by admin No Comments

How to make the most out of your college experience?

We know that the first months of college can be a bit overwhelming for new students. That is totally normal since for most of you it is the first time away from home and the first time that you need to make your own schedule and balance all your daily duties. You will find yourself with a very hectic schedule between classes, homework, practice and trips with your athletic team. However, while the first few weeks might seem like a struggle to fit all these activities into one day, it typically becomes easier once you get used to everything. Once that is the case and you feel more comfortable, we hope that you will get a chance to fully enjoy your college experience and really start embracing the American college…

17Oct 2024 by admin No Comments

The importance of medical insurance

One of the most important topics that needs to be discussed and taken care of before your departure to the US, is your medical insurance. But don't worry, it is something that is mandatory for international students, so it is not something that can be forgotten. Now, obviously, all sports related injuries that happen during practice or competition, will be covered by your team or by the athletic department, so you do not have to worry about that. The same applies for the rehabilitation process after an injury. Universities have great trainers and a very knowledgeable staff who will get you back in shape after surgery or after an injury. As mentioned above, for international students, having a medical insurance is mandatory and actually required to be able to receive…

26Sep 2024 by admin No Comments

Everything you need to know about housing

One question we get asked a lot by athletes and their parents, is how housing works at colleges in the US? One thing that almost all colleges and universities have in common, is that for your freshman year, schools will make it mandatory for you to live in campus. And that is a great thing! First of all, it makes your first few weeks of college much easier as you don’t have to worry about how to get to class in the morning and you do not need to allow for extra time when you are trying to make it to school or to practice. Besides that, it also means that you most likely will not need a car as you can comfortable walk everywhere. On top of that, your…

12Sep 2024 by admin No Comments

The cost of college in the United States put into perspective

Studying in the United States is obviously not cheap. We have talked about the total cost of tuition as well as other college related expenses in previous blog post. Just as a reminder, university costs in the US vary quite a bit, with your cheaper schools starting at $13000-$15000 (everything included) for junior colleges, all the way up to $80000-$90000 per year for your top academic schools. Now, it is very important to use some common sense here to better understand these huge differences in prices. Just like everything is more expensive in certain parts of the country or in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston, this applies to the costs of universities in those cities as well. On the other end of the spectrum, rural…

29Aug 2024 by admin No Comments

Don’t just go for the biggest scholarship, go for the best opportunity!

Picking the right university when you have several offers can be very overwhelming for a young student-athlete. As a matter of fact, it can be one of the hardest decisions you will ever be faced with. Coaches are all great salesmen, as it is a big part of their job to sell their program to recruits and to find the best possible athletes for their teams. So it can get very difficult to figure out which option might be the best one for you. What we see happen a lot, is that athletes tend to go for the cheapest option or for the biggest scholarship. While there is nothing wrong with that approach, it can also lead to you not picking the best opportunity or the best fit for you.…

07Aug 2024 by admin No Comments

Who calls the shots in the recruiting process?

One of the biggest misconceptions about the recruiting process, is when athletes think that they are the ones who dictate the recruiting process and that they are the ones deciding when they can receive an offer or when they can make their decision by. Unfortunately, that is not the case and quite frankly, the exact opposite is the case. Coaches typically recruit several players for one or maybe two scholarship spots, making recruiting extremely competitive. In most cases, coaches will take their time in order to find the best possible athlete for their team. And since they are the ones making the offers, they are the ones in the driver's seat when it comes to when they make their offers or if they make one at all. The same applies…

25Jul 2024 by admin No Comments

Starting early and the importance of June 15

As most of you probably already know, you should always try to start the recruiting process as early as possible. You really cannot start early enough. It gives you more time to do all the necessary steps properly, it allows coaches to follow your progression over a certain period of time, and there are just more scholarships available if you start 2-3 years in advance rather than a few months prior to your college start date. If you are still unsure about when exactly you should start the process, one important date to keep in mind is June 15 of your junior year of high school, so a bit more than two years before you are supposed to start college. So why is that date so important? The answer is…

15Jul 2024 by admin No Comments

Our best advice to aspiring college athletes

One question we get asked a lot by both athletes and their parents, is what important advice we can give them about the recruiting process. While there are many factors that go into a successful process, the two things we always tell people are starting the process early and staying engaged with coaches. Here is some more information about these two crucial recruiting tips: Starting early: This is super important for several reason. First of all, there are just more scholarships available when you start early. Secondly, it gives coaches the chance to follow your progress over a certain period of time. And lastly, it just gives you more time to do all the necessary steps properly. For example, it gives you the chance to take the SAT or TOEFL…

27Jun 2024 by admin No Comments

The importance of being open minded

We know the recruiting process can be very overwhelming for a lot of 16, 17, or 18-year olds. The word "overwhelming" might even be an understatement to be honest as it is a lot of information for someone who has never done it before. Obviously, that is where we come into play to guide and consult you at any point during your college search. Now, one thing that is very important though and that we recommend to everybody that we work with, is being open minded to any options that might be coming your way! What do we mean by that? First and foremost, be careful who you listen to and whose advice you take. Having done this job for a long time, we know that a lot of people…

06Jun 2024 by admin No Comments

Why choose Sports & Study USA?

The recruiting process can be very overwhelming for young teenagers who are looking for a sports scholarship in the USA. On top of that, there are numerous agencies out there promising these young student athletes a lot of great things, however in many cases those promises are far from reality, so it is very important to choose your recruiting agency wisely. At Sports & Study USA, we pride ourselves on being transparent with every athlete. We do not want to promise you things or scholarships that we won't be able to find you. That is the reason that we do not start working with any athletes before having conducted a video call with the athlete and his or her parents. In this video call we will tell you more about…

23May 2024 by admin No Comments

How difficult is it to transfer between universities?

While we always encourage student athletes to complete their entire 4-year college career at the same school, we know that sometimes things just don't work out, making a transfer the only possible solution. Transferring has gotten a lot easier ever since the NCAA introduced the Transfer Portal, but there are still some things to keep in mind when looking to transfer. Again, as mentioned above, transferring should always be the last resort. However, if you do make that decision, the first step will always be to notify your current school. The process for that is slightly different depending on whether you are competing in the NCAA, NAIA or in a junior college, but in terms of the NCAA, you will need to go see your compliance person on campus and…

06May 2024 by admin No Comments

What is the difference between the main governing bodies in college sports?

As you probably know, there are three main governing bodies that run college sports in the United States. The most famous one is obviously the NCAA, with its three divisions. The other two are the NAIA and the NJCAA, which is the organization that runs all sports at the junior college level. Now, all of these leagues have different rules and also have different scholarship amounts that they allow per team (and in every sport), which is something we will go into more detail in a future blog post. However, in this article we want to give you some numbers so you can better understand the size of each division and so you have a better understanding of how competitive each league or division is. So here are the numbers…

18Apr 2024 by admin No Comments

What are the benefits of a US college degree?

There are many benefits of studying in the US and for most student-athletes who complete their bachelor's degree over here, many opportunities will emerge. From great job opportunities both in the US and abroad, to the chance of getting into your dream school for your master's degree, there are definitely options for you once you finish your degree. Also, if you are looking to pursue a career in your sport, for example as a professional, a college degree might help you attract certain companies to sponsor you, which is not necessarily the case for a younger player with no college experience. College golf has gotten so popular in the US that events are televised live across the country and a lot of people pay close attention to the results of…

01Apr 2024 by admin No Comments

What can I do to stand out in the recruiting process?

As you can imagine, college coaches have very busy schedules. Some of a coach's regular duties include running practices, traveling, planning trips, ordering team gear and recruiting. It is almost like running a business for these coaches and as you can see they have a lot on their plate. On top of that, they get contacted by a lot of potential recruits on a daily basis. It is also not uncommon for coaches to recruit several players at the same time, as they know that not every player that they recruit will end up signing with their team. So very often coaches will be speaking to dozens of potential athletes at the same time, which means that you need to stand out from your competition in order to receive an…

05Mar 2024 by admin No Comments

Refer A Friend – Make Some Money

We know that every athlete's high school and college years can be very challenging. Besides trying to find the right balance between academics and sports, most student athletes are constantly on a tight budget. We are therefore very excited to announce our brand new "Refer A Friend" program, which is ideal for current and aspiring college athletes to make some pocket money, or to help them finance certain sports related expenses. So if this applies to you, keep reading carefully as we might have a perfect opportunity for you. So how does this program work? It is actually very simple! If you have a friend, a relative or someone you practice with or play against, refer them to us and once they sign and start working with us, you will…

17Feb 2024 by admin No Comments

Which tests do I need to take and when should I take them?

College admission tests are a very crucial part of the recruiting process and taking them early can really increase your chances of getting your dream scholarship or to get into your favorite university. While things have changed a little bit since the pandemic, we still encourage all our athletes to take the SAT, as well as one of the English tests for athletes from non-English speaking countries. Before the pandemic, the SAT was mandatory and every school required it for admission purposes. However, this is no longer the case and a lot of colleges and universities no longer require it. We still recommend all our athletes to take it though, for several reasons. The first one being that some schools indeed still ask for the SAT, so by not taking…

30Jan 2024 by admin No Comments

Meet our Founder Patrick Hanauer

At Sports & Study USA, we pride ourselves on always providing our clients with top notch service that is based on exceptional expertise as well as experience. Our founder and president, Patrick Hanauer, is no exception to that rule as he has been involved in college sports for almost 20 years now. Patrick came to the United States in 2005 to play college golf at Abilene Christian University in Texas on a golf scholarship. He played all four years for the Wildcats, winning one tournament and recording numerous top 10 finishes, all while receiving a bachelor's degree in business management. Along the way, he also collected several academic awards both from the university and from the NCAA. After his playing career at ACU, Patrick then went on to coach at…

08Jan 2024 by admin No Comments

Where did the top pro golfers play their college golf?

It is well known that most professional golfers on the PGA Tour also played college golf prior to starting their pro careers. While many of them were highly recruited junior golfers, not all current superstars had an easy path into college golf. Some even started at smaller golf programs at the junior college level (such as Bubba Watson or Abraham Ancer) while others played division 2 golf for their entire college career (Eric Cole, Rocco Mediate, Lee Janzen to name a few). So there is definitely not only one way to make it to the top and there are very strong golf programs in every league or division. However, lets focus on the top players in the world at the moment. Here is a list of the top 20 players…

15Dec 2023 by admin No Comments

What do student-athletes do during Christmas break?

With Christmas quickly approaching, one question we get asked by parents a lot, is what happens with their kids during the holiday break? Now, every school and situation is a bit different and we will go into more detail a bit later in this post, but in general you will have three options to choose from as a student athlete. One thing to explain before we start talking about these options, are the dates for Christmas break over here in the US, since they are a bit different to most other countries. The last week of school for colleges is typically either the first or second week of December and the fall semester ends with the final exams. Schools then go on a one month break that usually lasts till…

28Nov 2023 by admin No Comments

How diverse is America? Way more than most people think!

This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about the United States as a country and as a place to live in. Most people from outside of the US still believe to this day that all Americans are cowboys, who eat unhealthy food and who do not know much about the rest of the world. This, however, is far from being the truth and there have been considerable changes to these stereotypes. First of all, the US has always been a country of immigrants and that definitely shows today in terms of diversity. Many different languages are spoken (especially in your bigger cities) and you can find food from all over the world basically anywhere. So the stereotype of having one “typical American” has definitely become more of a myth…

02Nov 2023 by admin No Comments

What does it mean to become “ineligible” as a student-athlete?

Being “ineligible” is something you should for sure try to avoid at all costs, because it probably means that you have done something wrong or that you were not supposed to do. Now you can become ineligible to compete for your college team in a number of ways, but we will describe the three most common ways in this blog post. The first and arguably the most common way to become ineligible, is because of your academics. This can happen to you both as an incoming freshman coming out of high school or when you are currently enrolled in college. As an incoming freshman, there are two ways to be ineligible. This can be simply because your high school GPA was too low or because you did not complete the…

18Oct 2023 by admin No Comments

Is starting in January an option in America?

The short and simple answer to this question is YES! There are no rules that prohibit anyone to start college at the beginning of the spring semester and it does happen. And to be honest, in most cases this can also be the only option because of eligibility issues or maybe because of a family emergency that kept someone from starting in August. So, even though starting in the fall is the more common and “normal” way to start your college career, it can definitely be done. Now, there are some rather significant disadvantages that we need to mention here though, that everyone should consider when they make their decision on when to start college in the US. The biggest issue is arguably the fact that there are just less…

03Oct 2023 by admin No Comments

How much does studying in America cost?

While it is really difficult to give an exact number for the yearly total cost of studying in America, the average cost among all public universities is roughly $27,000, while a full year at a private college will cost students about $50,000. Now, these are averages and those numbers can really go up and down depending on the school, location and of course on the scholarship that you receive. So don't worry, chances are that as a student athlete you will not be paying that much to come to college in the United States. Your cheapest colleges and universities are typically your junior colleges, which are universities that you attend for your first two years of college. These typically cost between $12,000 and $25,000 per year, depending on the location.…

23Aug 2023 by admin No Comments

Why is college football so important in America?

The college football season (yes, we are talking about American football, not European football or soccer) is about to start here in the US this coming weekend and it has people all over the country very excited. But why is college football such a huge deal on this side of the Atlantic, when it is virtually unknown in other parts of the world? There are several reasons for that and this blog post will explain the main factors for the popularity and importance of college football. The first reason, as it is very often the case in every part of society, is money! College football is by far the sport that generates the most income. Top college football programs make millions of dollars each year, which not only helps the…

04Aug 2023 by admin No Comments

What does your daily schedule look like as a student athlete in the United States?

While there are slight differences from school to school, between sports, and sometimes even within athletes on the same team, there is a rough timeline that most athletes will have in common in the US. Going to college in America is very demanding and you will encounter a lot of long days with very little free time. No matter if you are a golfer, a tennis or soccer player, or a swimmer, you will have a lot of responsibilities and a lot of obligations each day. Your days typically start very early and when you are a student athlete, it is crucial to always get a good night’s sleep so you are rested for the next day. So here is what a typical schedule will look like for you as…

13Jul 2023 by admin No Comments

What to expect during your visa interview?

A lot of athletes are currently getting ready to head to the United States for the start of their college career. The last step in the process before taking your flight to America is typically getting your student visa. After having completed all the administrative steps and having booked a visa interview appointment, students then have to go to the US embassy in their respective home country for their visa interview. Now, while this can be a nerve-racking experience for some, you really should not have much to worry about. In almost all cases, the visa interview is just a formality and should not take more than 10-15 minutes. Immigration officers typically have numerous of these student visa appointments each day and getting them done quickly is usually their main…

21Jun 2023 by admin No Comments

Where will I be living during my time in college?

This is a question that a lot of our student-athletes are currently faced with, as they are in the process of registering for their dorm room or apartment for this coming school year. While every school handles housing slightly different and your housing situation might vary depending on your age and school year, there are some similarities that typically apply to all student athletes. First of all, it does most likely make a difference if you come in as a regular 18-year freshman, an older freshman, or if you are a transfer student. Most schools make it mandatory for new students to live in dorms on campus, especially if they are 18. Some universities might have apartments on campus for incoming freshman, but most of the time, it will be…

07Jun 2023 by admin No Comments

Going to College vs Turning Pro, what should I do?

This is the million dollar question that we get asked almost on a daily basis and as always, there is not only one right or wrong answer! Every case is different and while some athletes peak earlier than others, there are definitely some undeniable benefits of going to college. First of all, it gives you the security of having a college degree, in case the professional career does not work out. There have been numerous young athletes who were at the very top in their respective sport at age 15 or 16, but then were never able to breakthrough at the professional level. Secondly, in a lot of sports, past and current examples have shown that college can be the ideal preparation for a future professional career. College will not…

25May 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

11May 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

01May 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

18Apr 2023 by admin No Comments

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.…

31Mar 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

16Mar 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

03Mar 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

24Feb 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

16Feb 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

02Feb 2023 by admin No Comments

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…

20Jan 2023 by admin No Comments

3 things to do during the recruiting process to maximize your chances of a scholarship offer

The recruiting process has gotten more and more competitive over the last few years. So if you are looking to maximize your scholarship and the number of offers that you will receive, you need to present yourself in the best possible way. How do you do that? The answer to that is not as simple as people might think, because every coach might be looking for something slightly different when recruiting a player. However, there are a few things that you should definitely do and some you should definitely avoid during the recruiting process. Here is our top 3:1. Clean up your social media! Believe it or not, one of the very first things that coaches do, is go look for you on social media. Your Facebook or Instagram can…

13Jan 2023 by admin No Comments

How important is college sport in the United States?

The answer to this question is a very easy one! MASSIVE, and in capital letters! For Americans, a sports scholarship is a huge honor and something that young athletes start working towards very early. Even just receiving a walk on spot on a team very often brings athletes and their parents to tears, as you can see from many videos gone viral when these athletes are told by their coaches that they will have a spot on the team. Furthermore, the interest level to follow and watch college sports on TV is something that is unheard of in countries outside of North America. College football or basketball games regularly receive high TV ratings with an audience in the millions. And other sports have started catching up as well. Sports like…

04Jan 2023 by admin No Comments

How do I know whether a school is the right fit for me?

While this might seem like an easy question to answer, it is actually not that simple. The reason for that is that every athlete is different (both academically and athletically) and also might be looking for totally different things. To begin with, every athlete and his or her parents should always be realistic when considering his or her options. For example, if you are a below average student, you should not be looking at Ivy Leagues. Or if you have not at least competed at the very highest level in your country, you also probably won’t receive a massive scholarship to one of the absolute top programs for your respective sport. However, here is the good news! If you do that and look at things from a realistic perspective, there…

23Dec 2022 by admin No Comments

What is the difference between the NCAA, the NAIA, and the NJCAA?

The very simple answer to this questions is that those are three different governing bodies who each run their own divisions. The NCAA is the oldest one of the three and also the one with the most amount of teams. The NCAA has three divisions, each with its own set of rules and its own scholarship limits. While teams are allowed to give out sports scholarships in division 1 and division 2, division 3 colleges are not allowed to give out any type of athletic scholarships. The NCAA also has its own set of rules for amateurism and to be academically eligible. Just like the NCAA, the NAIA also has its own strict rules in order for athletes to be able to compete for one of its teams. Each athlete…