NCAA Eligibility Center | College Admission

Juniors: Athletes and Artists Take Note -- Your Application Process Starts Earlier!

Posted on Thu, 02/06/2014 - 11:02

For students with talent and interest in athletics or the arts, applying to college requires extra preparation and planning. Your timing will be significantly earlier. Athletes will need to plan well in advance for meetings with college coaches, official visits and the recruitment process. Students with talent in the arts will need to plan for the additional requirements of auditions, portfolio review, and interviews that can necessitate significant additional preparation and attention to scheduling and deadlines.

Athletics: If you hope to play Division I or II sports in college, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center by the end of the year. And if you have not already, download the Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete at ncaa.org.

Arts: If you plan to study one of the arts in college, submission of supplementary materials demonstrating your talent requires thought and planning. You should be working on completing any audition tapes, art portfolios, theatre audition pieces or other special materials that may be required for admission to the programs you are considering.

Palo Alto High School's Sandra Cernobori is our Counselor of the Month

Posted on Wed, 05/01/2013 - 09:46

College Advisor Sandra Cernobori was sitting at her desk in the College and Career Center of Palo Alto High School in Palo Alto, California, when a parent came in to talk to one of her colleagues. She was not a parent at the school, but had some questions about college admission. A few minutes into the conversation, the visitor said to Cernobori’s fellow advisor, “Let me go get my son, I want him to hear this.” Whereupon she brought into the office her 18-month-old child. Yes, you read that correctly, her 18-month-old child.

Welcome to the world of college advising in the heart of Silicon Valley where the college learning curve -- and the pressure -- starts early for some. Founded in 1894, Palo Alto High School, known as Paly, is nationally known for its academically rigorous environment. Its campus, which serves more than 1900 students, sits across the street from Stanford University. “Our students are often from families that are highly educated or highly value education, so expectations are high,” says Cernobori. “But we also have families where the parents have not attended four-year colleges.”

Juniors: Advice for students with talent in the arts and athletics

Posted on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 10:43

For students with talent and interest in athletics or the arts, applying to college requires extra preparation and planning.

For more information about the extra steps students interested in the arts and athletics must take in applying to college, see Chapter 18, “Students with Special Talents” in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step.