EXPERIENCED COLLEGE
RECRUITING
ROAD TO COLLEGE GOLF
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.
BGGA and IJGA hosted 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. Whether someone is
well ahead of the process or in their senior year trying to find
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THE GATE | MARCH 2019
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.