WAG Div I NCAA Walk-On Offer Info

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Stormy

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My daughter received an offer to walk on to a NCAA Div I team in 2017. She is interested in the school but wants to continue to explore other schools. A major concern with this school is that is about $45,000 grand per year so the amount of debt she will have upon graduation really scares her! She knows that she could possibly get a scholarship after a year of being a walk-on but she also knows she may never get one as a walk-on. Does anyone know how these offers work? Does she have to formerly accept or reject the offer? Or can she consider this available to her if she wants it in 2017 and continue to look for a scholarship offer? Is like a verbal offer that she should accept knowing that both parties can change their mind at a later day. If she tells the school she wants o walk-on in 2017 does that she mean she is committed? We just have so many questions pertaining to this we will be grateful for any help or experience people are willing to share. Thank you!
 
I know nothing about how walk-on sports works. But I do know something about colleges in general. Do not, ever, assume that you will be paying "sticker price". There are other scholarships and grants besides those tied to the athletics department. Even if you think that you are outside of the realm of need-based aid (and you would be surprised at how high that can go), there are other sources of funding to explore. They may take a bit of work (essays, interviews, applications and such) but there are a ton of sources out there if you look. Especially if this if a private school. But even state schools have gobs of private scholarships available -- I know because I help write them.
 
I know nothing about how walk-on sports works. But I do know something about colleges in general. Do not, ever, assume that you will be paying "sticker price". There are other scholarships and grants besides those tied to the athletics department. Even if you think that you are outside of the realm of need-based aid (and you would be surprised at how high that can go), there are other sources of funding to explore. They may take a bit of work (essays, interviews, applications and such) but there are a ton of sources out there if you look. Especially if this if a private school. But even state schools have gobs of private scholarships available -- I know because I help write them.
Thank you. I am glad you pointed that out. It will be very helpful to keep that in mind.
 
I know nothing about how walk-on sports works. But I do know something about colleges in general. Do not, ever, assume that you will be paying "sticker price". There are other scholarships and grants besides those tied to the athletics department. Even if you think that you are outside of the realm of need-based aid (and you would be surprised at how high that can go), there are other sources of funding to explore. They may take a bit of work (essays, interviews, applications and such) but there are a ton of sources out there if you look. Especially if this if a private school. But even state schools have gobs of private scholarships available -- I know because I help write them.
I have several cousins that recently played or are still playing college soccer. That sport is less likely to dole out full ride athletic scholarships (at least on the women's side), but the coaches all manage to find other scholarship money to cover costs for the players. They were all on partial athletic scholarships, but all had money pulled from elsewhere to round out the full costs.
 
I have several cousins that recently played or are still playing college soccer. That sport is less likely to dole out full ride athletic scholarships (at least on the women's side), but the coaches all manage to find other scholarship money to cover costs for the players. They were all on partial athletic scholarships, but all had money pulled from elsewhere to round out the full costs.
wow...that's awesome.
 
First, that is phenomenal news. But in another thread, you are asking about how unofficial v. Official visits work. Has your dad never been on a visit? I'm surprised that a college is offering a walk on and she has never visited the campus or talked to the coaches there.
 
First, that is phenomenal news. But in another thread, you are asking about how unofficial v. Official visits work. Has your dad never been on a visit? I'm surprised that a college is offering a walk on and she has never visited the campus or talked to the coaches there.
She visited the school for a few hours while she was in the state for a meet. They saw her compete, and her coach keeps them up to date. When I think of an official or unofficial visit I think of staying over night and spending time with the team, going to a sporting or other campus event, and getting a feel for the campus from other gymnasts and students perspective.
 
She visited the school for a few hours while she was in the state for a meet. They saw her compete, and her coach keeps them up to date. When I think of an official or unofficial visit I think of staying over night and spending time with the team, going to a sporting or other campus event, and getting a feel for the campus from other gymnasts and students perspective.

I would recommend that you discuss this with her coach and plan a visit, be it official or unofficial, before making any decisions
 
Just looking at the three threads you just put up, you should have a sit down meeting with the club coach. It appears from what info you give that your coach has been in touch with the college coaches, and presumably has been through this process before. It is in the best interest of the club coach to help your DD as much as possible because 1. College scholarships and college participation by their gymnasts by a Div 1 school looks good for the gym and 2. they care about your DD. The coaches should be your best resource for all of your questions, and I wouldn't hesitate to ask the college coach some reasonable questions as well. Most of your questions are appropriate, and the college coach should not hesitate to answer them. I am sure they have been asked them all.
 
I hope you'll keep us updated. I know nothing about this sort of thing, so this is very educational.

45K...man, I am old, because you could have done four years at a fancy school for that back when I was in college.
 
My daughter received an offer to walk on to a NCAA Div I team in 2017. She is interested ...

I have first-hand experience with this process. An "offer" to walk-on to a team received prior to the spring of her senior year is, for all intents and purposes, useless. I am being blunt here for a reason; DO NOT stop other college search activities based on this "offer". Most (if not all) D1 gymnastics teams make their walk-on offers only after they know how much room will be left on the team after the scholarship athletes accept or decline enrollment; this doesn't happen until the spring of the senior year. You also need to be aware that a walk-on athlete is responsible for paying (or securing payment outside the athletic department) 100% of the cost of attendance at that school. You also need to be aware that the ability of a walk-on athlete to secure an athletic scholarship in later years is not something that you should bank on.

My recommendation is that she find a school that she really wants to attend because they have the academic environment and program that she can thrive in; if they have gymnastics that is a bonus. Remember, being an outstanding gymnast won't get a student admitted to a college; they have to meet the academic requirements first. Being a walk-on athlete can be a very costly undertaking so the school had better have the undergraduate program that she really wants before you pay the bill.

Good luck.
 
I have first-hand experience with this process. An "offer" to walk-on to a team received prior to the spring of her senior year is, for all intents and purposes, useless. I am being blunt here for a reason; DO NOT stop other college search activities based on this "offer". Most (if not all) D1 gymnastics teams make their walk-on offers only after they know how much room will be left on the team after the scholarship athletes accept or decline enrollment; this doesn't happen until the spring of the senior year. You also need to be aware that a walk-on athlete is responsible for paying (or securing payment outside the athletic department) 100% of the cost of attendance at that school. You also need to be aware that the ability of a walk-on athlete to secure an athletic scholarship in later years is not something that you should bank on.

Good luck.

This post is spot on, especially the last highlighted statement...bingo!
 
For those of you starting down the road of college athletics, please take my advice and the advice of others (@bookworm) in the spirit intended - information that you might not get anywhere else. I had no clue about some things before we started down that road and now that dd is retired and in college on a full academic scholarship (and then some), I am happy to share some of what I learned. My biggest caution is just be wary; if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. While athletic scholarships are fabulous and recognize an athlete's amazing abilities, there is still the academic side of college that has to be considered. I cannot stress enough to get out and visit prospective colleges; there is no better way to experience it than to actually be on campus. You can take as many unofficial visits as you care to pay for; get out there and see what different schools have to offer.

Good Luck.
 
For those of you starting down the road of college athletics, please take my advice and the advice of others (@bookworm) in the spirit intended - information that you might not get anywhere else. I had no clue about some things before we started down that road and now that dd is retired and in college on a full academic scholarship (and then some), I am happy to share some of what I learned. My biggest caution is just be wary; if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. While athletic scholarships are fabulous and recognize an athlete's amazing abilities, there is still the academic side of college that has to be considered. I cannot stress enough to get out and visit prospective colleges; there is no better way to experience it than to actually be on campus. You can take as many unofficial visits as you care to pay for; get out there and see what different schools have to offer.

Good Luck.
Thanks for sharing your insights! My daughter just started her junior year, is a Level 10 gymnast and is starting the college process.

She's looking at schools both with and without teams as she recognizes that she needs to keep all options open. She is an above average gymnast (makes it to Easterns) and is an honors student.

In my opinion, there aren't that many schools out there when you look at fit....location, academics and type of team. She's not a kid who could be on one of the top 10 schools, skill wise, but academically will do well at a school that is the right fit for her!

Should be interesting startign down this road!
 
For those of you starting down the road of college athletics, please take my advice and the advice of others (@bookworm) in the spirit intended - information that you might not get anywhere else. I had no clue about some things before we started down that road and now that dd is retired and in college on a full academic scholarship (and then some), I am happy to share some of what I learned. My biggest caution is just be wary; if something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. While athletic scholarships are fabulous and recognize an athlete's amazing abilities, there is still the academic side of college that has to be considered. I cannot stress enough to get out and visit prospective colleges; there is no better way to experience it than to actually be on campus. You can take as many unofficial visits as you care to pay for; get out there and see what different schools have to offer.

Good Luck.

Seriously: You should write an e-book and self-publish it on Amazon. You'd make lots of money, and people would have a source of badly needed information. I'd buy that book in a heartbeat.
 
Seriously: You should write an e-book and self-publish it on Amazon. You'd make lots of money, and people would have a source of badly needed information. I'd buy that book in a heartbeat.

It could be called College Gym Confidential...and you are correct, a source of badly needed information....if we had known one tenth of what we now know about the school my daughter committed to, I never would have ever let her even look at the place, never mind go there....the fact is, there was no way to route out the info back then...even when we went there, talked to people ( and make no mistake, you need to talk to people who are no longer at the school and have been through that program to get the real skinny), they all spouted the party line.....as did the other schools we visited. Sadly, after being there , we realized how truly awful these people are, and there's not much you can do then as it's tough to get them out with all the regs on transfers and such. That I didn't figure this out until too late is one of my biggest parental regrets....
 

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