Juniors, if you want to play sports at a Division I or II school, then you need to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center! On this site, you will be asked for your basic info and be required to pay a registration fee. You’ll then be able to track your high school progress to make sure you meet the academic requirements of the NCAA. More importantly, this registration will let recruiters know that you are interested in playing sports in college, and can help in finding schools that are interested in YOU! For more information about the NCAA, review The Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete, available on their website. You can also ask your coaches for help getting ready to make the jump to collegiate athletics.

For students looking at smaller schools, the NAIA has its own eligibility center – http://www.playnaia.org. The NAIA will ask for information similar to the NCAA, so you might want to register for both on the same day since you’ll need the same info.

One last thing – you have to pay to register with these websites. However, if you are eligible for SAT or ACT fee waivers, you can also get a waiver for both the NCAA and NAIA. To do this, you MUST contact your school counselor!