Prior to entering a Division I athletic program, students are required to have completed 16 core courses during their high school education. Students must complete four years of English, three years of math, two years of natural or physical science, one extra year of English, math or science, two years of social science and four additional courses in either English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, religion or philosophy.
Students are also required to graduate high school with a minimum of a 2.0 grade-point average. GPAs are calculated at the end of each semester during high school and place a weighted average on the grade a student received in each of their classes. Most high schools reward a 4.0 for an A, a 3.0 for a B, a 2.0 for a C, a 1.0 for a D and a 0.0 for an F. For example, if you had four classes in a semester and received two As and two Bs, you would receive 14 total points, which, divided by the amount of courses you completed, average out to a grade point average of 3.5.
The SAT and ACT are two standardized tests that students take prior to applying for college. These scores are then sent to the colleges and universities the student applies to as a measuring stick for the academic capabilities of that specific student. To play a sport at a Division I school, students are required to receive an SAT score of 1010 or a sum ACT score of 86.
Fulfilling the admission requirements for Division I athletes does not guarantee a student's acceptance into a college or university, but rather guarantees that a student is eligible to play a Division I sport if admitted into a college or university. In order to get accepted into a Division I college or university, students must also meet the requirements of the school they are applying to.