ROAD TO COLLEGE GOLF
Whether someone is well ahead of the process or in their
senior year trying to find a university, there is a school for
everyone who has the grades, the interest and motivation to
play college golf.
Q: How can I get into Duke and play golf?
A: Great question and a wonderful aspiration. Duke is a
top ranked selective university with a very competitive golf
team. Their academic requirements are high, with a 1550
average SAT score. The golf team is consistently in the top
10 and is currently ranked #2 of NCAA Division I colleges.
So if you want to play for the Duke golf team, work hard on
your academics and your golf development because Duke
attracts the very best students, on and off the course.
IJGA and BGGA hosted an information-sharing session,
“The Road to U.S. College Golf” at Princeton’s Cherry Valley
Country Club, February 16. The event provided junior golfers
and their parents with insight into college golf programs and
the requirements to build a college golf resume.
The event was attended by 30+ residents from the Princeton
area. Lee-Anne Misseldine, a senior executive at BGGA and
IJGA provided insight, shared her
24 years of experience in the junior
golf industry — and included many
interesting anecdotes.
The Academies host information-
sharing sessions on college golf
programs on a regular basis, at no
charge. Please contact marketing
if you are interested in hosting an
event in your area.
Sample Q&A from the families:
Q: How early should we start the
college process?
A: It is never too early to start the process of learning and
being curious about college golf. Middle school students
can attend college events and visit campuses to watch
sporting events or support their siblings and friends. At our
Academies, we try to start the process in the 9th grade to
help students identify which colleges they may be interested
in and begin thinking about what they want from their college
career. This is one of the most important decisions a young
person can make. We want to give them as much information
and support to make the best possible choice for their future.
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Q: How important are academics?
A: We can’t stress enough how critical the role of academics
play in the college process. In college you are a student-
athlete, a student first and foremost, and you cannot lose
sight of that fact. We have known a number of players
who could not attend their dream school because they did
not stay on pace from 9th grade with their
academics, and focused only on golf. Some
tips … remember that every grade counts from
your freshman year so work hard on all your
assignments, homework and tests because it
all counts. Whether you take the SAT or ACT,
prepare well and do your best to give yourself
the best opportunity. If English is your second
language, make sure you plan and prepare
to take the TOEFL as early as your freshman
year to make sure your english proficiency
is improving. Most schools require 70-80 so
keep working until you achieve your goal
score.
Q: What is the most important part of the process?
A: There are so many things that are important in this
sometimes overwhelming process. However, ownership,
accountability and focusing on the action steps and process
are critical success factors. Many students are overly reliant
on coaches, parents or advisors, to the detriment of their
college journey. Parents, we want to do our best for our
children, but the more they can step up to the plate and own
the process for themselves, the more rewarding it will be for
your child — yielding better results.