11 Jun 2020

Here in Australia, a lot of local unis don’t place the same emphasis on sport as they do in the US! If you spend more time at training sessions than on TikTok, you could have what it takes to live the dream and become a US college athlete! Better yet, it can end up costing you even less than a degree here in Australia.

With access to state-of-the-art facilities, full-time professional coaching and more than US$3 billion in scholarship funding available annually, the US is the place to be for talented athletes.

That all sounds pretty unreal, right? Keep reading and we’ll show you how to pull it off.

First of all - what is a student athlete?

Student athletes don’t just play sport. They represent their unis/colleges whilst simultaneously earning a degree or qualification.

On the academic side of things, you get private tutors, counsellors and athlete-only study spaces to ensure that you stay on top of your uni work. And if you find yourself travelling around a lot for competition, it’s not uncommon to be granted extended deadlines to help ya finish your assignments.

That all sounds sweet, and there is of course a tonne of athletic perks too. Insane facilities, locker rooms, massive stadiums, top coaches and trainers, physios, medics and nutritionists. You’ll make tonnes of friends through teammates and the other student athletes you train around. You’ll also connect with athletic alumni networks that could help you get a job after university.

Now try to tell me that doesn’t sound like living the dream!

So how can I become a student-athlete?

If you’re keen on playing sport overseas, then our mates over at Crimson Education are your best bet. Their team knows the world of college sports inside out, and they have a 95% success rate in placing their students into at least one of their top five schools.

Essentially, Crimson Education are a support system with a team of US uni experts that can help you find the perfect team fit as well as help you throughout the whole recruitment process. They’ll give you more choices, better offers and less stress! They’ll help you…

  • Choose unis where you'll get game time and an awesome degree depending on your ability, strength, characteristics and preferences
  • Contact coaches
  • Put together highlight reels to send to coaches
  • Get the SAT scores you need with one-on-one standardised test tutoring from their network of world-class tutors
  • Negotiate your best scholarship offers

To be in the running for a US scholarship, you’ll have the best shot at success if you’re playing your sport around a state level but this varies depending on the sport you play or the division you’re aiming for. The team at Crimson will be able to give you all the guidance you need.

What sports are eligible?

With (M) for male athletes being accepted and (W) for female athletes: 

  • Cross​ ​country​ ​(M/W)
  • Field​ ​hockey​ ​(W)
  • American Football ​(M)
  • Soccer​ ​(M/W)
  • Volleyball​ ​(M/W)
  • Water​ ​polo​ ​(M/W)
  • Basketball​ ​(M/W)
  • Bowling​ ​(W)
  • Fencing​ ​(M/W)
  • Gymnastics​ ​(M/W)
  • Ice​ ​hockey​ ​(M/W)
  • Rifle​ ​(M/W)
  • Skiing​ ​(M/W)
  • Swimming​ ​and​ ​diving​ ​(M/W)
  • Indoor​ ​track​ ​and​ ​field​ ​(M/W)
  • Wrestling​ ​(M)
  • Baseball​ ​(M)
  • Golf​ ​(M/W)
  • Lacrosse​ ​(M/W)
  • Rowing​ ​(W)
  • Softball​ ​(S)
  • Tennis​ ​(M/W)
  • Outdoor​ ​track​ ​and​ ​field​ ​(M/W)
  • Beach​ ​volleyball​ ​(W)

Some unis even have scholarships for rugby union as a new emerging sport! So if you’re a fish in the pool or a weapon of a rugby union player, it’s time to suss out how you can use that talent to score you a place in one of the world’s most prestigious unis in the US.

Suss out Crimson’s profile here to learn more and enquire, or check out their webinar on the 16th of June with their Director of Athletics and Harvard’s recent co-president of the Athlete Advisory Committee to learn more about the sport scholarship process, the impacts of COVID-19 and how Crimson can make your sport dreams a reality.