College Admissions Process for Student-Athletes – Timeline and Steps in the NCAA Eligibility Process
May 29, 2019
Written by: Kim Penney and Danielle Dunn, One-on-One College Consulting
In our latest blog, we covered the process of sending standardized test scores to the NCAA Eligibility Center and how to check your high school’s NCAA-approved courses to ensure you meet the 16-core course requirement necessary to compete in NCAA Division I and II sports.
So when should you register with the NCAA? In this blog, we will review a general timeline of when to begin the process and the steps you can expect to take.
Technically, you become a prospective college recruit the first day of your high school career. However, we counsel student-athletes to use freshman year to adjust to high school life before becoming concerned about their future college athletic experience.
The beginning of sophomore year in high school is a good time to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center:
- Create a Certification Account if you plan on targeting NCAA Division I or II institutions. If you are only looking to play NCAA Division III, there is no need to register with the NCAA.
- Once you receive your 10-digit NCAA ID #, you can include it on your emails to college coaches and list it on your Athletic Profile. This indicates to college coaches of NCAA Division I and II schools that you have begun the process of becoming academically eligible to be recruited by them.
- Check your high school’s NCAA-approved courses to ensure you meet the 16-core course requirements and GPA sliding scale necessary to compete in NCAA Division I and II sports. If the course titles on your high school transcript do not exactly match those listed as NCAA-approved courses for your school, you must go ask your guidance counselor to update your school’s NCAA-approved course listing immediately. You want every course you took to count, if possible.
- At the end of junior year, request that your guidance counselor submit your final transcript (with 6 full semesters of grades) to the NCAA.
- Every time you take a standardized test, send the scores to the NCAA officially through either the SAT or ACT testing agency (NCAA code is: 9999).
- Once you begin senior year, you must log into your NCAA Eligibility Center account to “Request Final Amateurism” to indicate that you did not play your sport for money and that you are indeed still an amateur.
- At the end of senior year, you must request your final high school transcript to be sent by guidance to the NCAA Eligibility Center.
Then you are officially qualified to begin your athletic playing career at an NCAA Division I or II institution. Good luck!
Bay State Winter Games Return to the Berkshires in 2026
Fall edition of the B.A.A. Gives Back Grant Program awards $125,000 to local non-profit organizations
The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2025 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athletes were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of these high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship for their first year of college. “Bay State Games is proud to continue the Future Leaders Scholarship program which since 1989 has provided over $400,000 in aid to support the continuing education of outstanding young leaders." said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “These well deserving student-athletes have excelled in the classroom, on the field and in the community, representing a variety of schools, sports and regions across Massachusetts” This year’s six scholarship recipients are Elyse Bissada, Brooke Blahut, Abigail Howie, Olivia Laaper, Sabina Mackechnie, Molly McIntyre. Elyse Bissada is a senior at Dover-Sherborn High School, where she is a four-year varsity field hockey and track & field athlete, as well as the team captain for both sports. In 2025, Elyse was a member of the Bay State Games Southeast field hockey team where she won a gold medal. Elyse is the founder of the Veterinary Medicine Club at her school and in her free time volunteers at local farms and Animal Rescue Leagues across the state. Elyse has committed to play field hockey and study biology at Hamilton College, where she plans to pursue veterinary medicine and ultimately establish an affordable low-cost clinic that serves her community. Brooke Blahut is a senior at North Quincy High School where she is a 4-year varsity member of the soccer team, and captain of the varsity ice hockey team. Brooke is also a well accomplished figure skater. She began skating at age 2 at Winterland Skating School and is now a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist. Brooke has participated in Bay State Games annually since 2016, medaled 6 times, and is a 4-year Bay State Games High School Ambassador. Brooke is also the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Ambassador for NQHS. Brooke is Vice President of her class, a member of the National Honor Society and Science National Honor Society and academically ranks in the top 5% of her class with a 4.6 GPA. Brooke is a two-time team leader and participant in the FBI Teen Leadership Academy and plans to pursue her master’s in forensic science and criminology and become an FBI Special Agent. Abigail Howie is a senior at Wilmington High School, where she is on the varsity soccer team and is captain of the Winter and Spring Track teams. Abigail serves as President of Student Council and the Wildcat Service Council, where she founded the “Bridging Generations” community initiative. She is a member of the National Honor Society, DECA, and Best Buddies. Abigail coaches a Wilmington fourth-grade team and is a USSF-certified soccer referee. She has most recently created an Alzheimer's Awareness community service project for her senior year. She hopes to continue her athletic career in college while studying sports management and marketing. Olivia Laaper resides in Stow and is a senior at Fusion Academy in Burlington. Laaper has been a captain of multiple high school sports teams including Track & Field and Swimming. Olivia is captain of her archery team at Riverside Archers and has won multiple medals in archery at Bay State Games and state competitions. Beyond athletics, Olivia has gained hands-on experience in emergency medicine as a high school intern with Pro EMS and plans to take her EMT certification this fall. She gives back to her community by lifeguarding and coaching youth swimming at Goldfish Swim School, volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and at local food banks. In college, Olivia plans to pursue a degree in nursing with a minor in emergency medicine and psychology. Sabina Mackechnie is a senior at East Longmeadow High School where she is a three sport athlete and captain in Soccer, Basketball and Lacrosse. She has earned all-league and second-team All-Western Mass honors in soccer and lacrosse. Sabina has been a By State Games Ambassador for two years and is a member of her school's Athletic Leadership Council and Pink Ribbon Club. Sabina participates in canned food drives and fundraisers for her school sports teams. Sabina will continue her lacrosse career at Springfield College while pursuing a degree in Education. Molly McIntyre is a senior at Norton High School where she is a three-sport captain in cross country, basketball, and outdoor track, earning multiple TVL All-Star honors, and MVP awards. Molly serves in key leadership roles on Student Council, DECA, Best Buddies, and five National Honor Societies. She volunteers at local youth sports programs, community events, and the MSG Gregory Trent Foundation. Molly works part-time at a donut shop and local ice cream store. She plans on attending Stonehill College where she will compete in track and study Finance and Marketing. For more information on the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, click here. For a list of past recipients and the colleges and universities they've attended, click here . About the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation/Bay State Games The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host the first sanctioned state games of the Commonwealth. It operates with the mission of promoting personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship to Massachusetts citizens of all ages and abilities. The Foundation is recognized for hosting high quality, Olympic-style events through the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, as well as educational programs, including the Future Leaders Scholarship Program, and the High School Ambassador Program.
Bay State Games Selects 80 MA student-athletes for the 2025-2026 High School Ambassador Class
BSG Executive Director Kevin Cummings Receives The 2025 NCSG Jim Hallihan Legacy Award
Bay State Games Strengthens Ties with MIAA
(L-R) Delaney Ochs (Baton Twirling), Dewey Hathaway (Archery), Ginny Richburg (Track & Field), Wayne Dickenson (Judo & Table Tennis)
Bay State Games Announces 2025 Sportsmanship Award Recipients
Bay State Games Announces 2025 High School Spirit Award Recipients
The 2025 Girls Basketball Showcase took place between July 18th and July 20th at Mount Ida Campus of UMass Amherst in Newton
