International Athletes: Your Guide to Athletic Recruiting in the U.S.

There are thousands of international athletes competing in college sports in the U.S., with more than 25,000 NCAA international students currently enrolled and competing at one of the three NCAA division levels. 

If you’re an international athlete wondering how to get recruited at a U.S. college or university, we have some great news–there are plenty of opportunities for international students to pursue their sport while getting a college education. However, in order to compete at a U.S. school, all international recruits must also go through the college recruiting process. Keep reading to learn more.

Which sports recruit international athletes?

While there are dozens of sports to choose from, some sports recruit international athletes more than others. 

Sports with the highest rates of international athletes include tennis, ice hockey, golf, field hockey, soccer, swimming and water polo. This means college coaches may be more familiar with recruiting international athletes or more likely to offer international students a chance at an open roster spot.

Sports with the lowest rates of international athletes include football, baseball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball and wrestling. This means college coaches may be less familiar with recruiting international athletes. This doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance at getting recruited if you play one of these sports, but it may make your recruiting process more difficult unless you’re an elite recruit. 

When should international athletes start the recruiting process?

It’s never too early to start the recruiting process, especially as an international student-athlete. While college coaches are interested in recruiting the best players they can, worldwide, international recruits should also understand that they’ll need to put extra time, energy and effort into an already time-consuming and complex process. 

Many international athletes delay the process because they don’t feel ready to connect with college coaches, or they assume a coach will reach out to them first. While it’s true that some recruiting rules do prohibit coaches from contacting athletes, athletes are allowed to reach out to a coach or ask for college admissions or athletic materials at any time. Rather than wait for a coach to (maybe) notice you, be proactive and take the first step–coaches will appreciate the effort. 

Even though college recruiting timelines are different depending on the sport, division level and program, athletes should follow a general recruiting timeline that breaks down what they should be doing, and when. Learn more about college sports recruiting timelines.

What do international student-athletes need to know before starting the recruiting process?

International athletes need to be prepared to do plenty of research ahead of and throughout their recruiting journey. There’s a lot that goes into this process, and it can get confusing even for U.S. athletes. 

Watch NCSA recruiting expert–and former D1 and D3 college coach–Danny Koenig break down what international athletes need to know about the recruiting process.

If you’re serious about becoming a college athlete in the U.S., we recommend:

• Expand your vocabulary. Depending on where you’re from, college coaches, student-athletes and college admissions staff in the U.S. may use terms you’re not familiar with. For example, coaches recruit athletes based on their “grad year”. Your grad year is the year you’re graduating high school (typically in the spring) and also the year you want to start in college (typically in the fall). So, if a coach says that a recruit’s grad year or class is 2028, this means that they will be a freshman (first-year student) in 2024–25, a sophomore (second-year) in 2025–26, a junior (third-year) in 2026–27 and a senior (fourth and final year) in 2027–28 when they will be part of the graduating class of 2028.
  
• Do your research. Are you familiar with division levels? What about the best colleges and universities for student-athletes? Do you know about college applications and admissions deadlines? When (and how) should you communicate with college coaches? There’s a ton of information to cover, so it’s a good idea to set aside some time every day or week to learn more about what it takes to be a student athlete in the U.S.
  
• Review your eligibility requirements. If you want to compete at a NCAA or NAIA school, you’ll need to register with the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Center and make sure you meet academic and amateurism requirements. International athletes also need to be prepared to send (and often translate) official documents to verify grades, test scores and academic courses. Learn more about what it takes to become an NCAA international athlete and an NAIA international athlete.
  
• Narrow down your target list of schools based on your preferences. Take some time to learn about what life is like on different campuses. Are you prepared for the weather of different regions? What about the campus size, average class size and setting? Do you prefer big cities or small towns? Have you taken any virtual tours?

The best way to start learning more about the process is by creating an NCSA Recruiting Profile. This will help you keep track of all of your important recruiting information all in one place, so coaches can easily search for athletes like you and evaluate your academic and athletic skills. 

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Why international student-athletes need to have a recruiting video

International athletes need to ensure that their recruiting video stands out and shows off their athletic ability and sport-specific skills to get–and stay–on a coach’s radar. Since it is unlikely that a college coach will be able to see you play in-person, they’ll want to see a recruiting video to evaluate you and see if you’d made a good fit for their team. 

Depending on your sport, coaches typically want to see a highlight or skills video:

• Highlight video. Coaches don’t have time to watch full-length games or competitions for every potential recruit. Instead, compile the best clips of your game footage that highlight your talent and skill. 
• Skills video. Unlike a highlight video, this includes a series of staged sport-specific drills outside of a game or competition setting that showcase your technical abilities and mastery of a key skill. 

To learn more about highlight and skills videos, including when (and how!) to get footage, how to put it together and when to send it to coaches, check out our highlight and skills video guide. 

Contacting college coaches as an international student-athlete

International athletes shouldn’t wait to get noticed by a college coach or for a coach to reach out to them first. Instead, focus on being proactive and contacting a coach first to ensure that you get their attention. 

• Email. The best way for international recruits to connect with a coach is by sending them a personalized email introducing yourself, your athletic/academic skills and including a link to your recruiting profile and recruiting video. Email is also a great way to set up a follow-up phone or video call. 
• Phone Calls and Texts. Talking to a coach on the phone, leaving a voicemail or, once you’ve gotten to know each other, sending a text can be a great way to follow up on an email you’ve already sent or stay in touch with a coach you’ve known for a while. 
• Video Chat. Depending on where you’re from, it can be costly to make and receive international calls. Thankfully, college coaches are also familiar with video chatting on FaceTime, Zoom and Skype, especially with international recruits! 
• Social Media. By now, most coaches (or their staff) are on social media. While not all coaches like to use or communicate via direct messages on Twitter or Instagram, those that do tend to respond quicker to DMs than emails. 

Are international athletes eligible for scholarships and financial aid?

International athletes are eligible to receive athletic and academic scholarships, and even some types of financial aid. However, it’s always a good idea to check with the admissions and financial aid departments, or even ask the college coach if international athletes are eligible or ineligible for certain scholarships and financial aid opportunities.

• Athletic scholarships. Full and partial athletic scholarships are offered at the NCAA D1 and D2, NAIA and NJCAA levels. Keep in mind that most athletic scholarships only cover a portion of the school’s tuition, room and board and fees, but there are plenty of other financial aid and scholarship opportunities available for high-academic students or other specific criteria.
• Academic scholarships. These are typically given to students who have a strong GPA, test scores or a high (grad) class rank. Some schools also look at how challenging your coursework was in high school, or offer scholarships (or credits) for AP or IB classes.
• Non-academic scholarships. If you’re not sure whether your grades will qualify for an academic scholarship, many schools also offer non-academic scholarships for students. International athletes may qualify if they have a robust list of extracurriculars, leadership roles, volunteer work and more! 
• Financial aid. While international athletes aren’t eligible to receive U.S. federal student aid like grants or loans, some colleges and universities also have their own institutional aid they offer to both national and international athletes based on financial need.
• Work study. Since participants must apply for federal aid to qualify for assistance, international athletes typically do not qualify for the Federal Work Study program. 
• Student loans. While international athletes do not qualify for federal student loans, they may qualify for private loans. Depending on the lender, you may need to find a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and/or has good credit. Keep in mind that unlike a scholarship or grant, loans need to be repaid, with interest. 

NCAA academic eligibility requirements for international athletes

The NCAA Eligibility Center is responsible for ensuring student-athletes are academically eligible to compete at its member schools. Keep in mind that the NCAA Eligibility Center does not help or show athletes how to become eligible or how to maintain their eligibility. It’s the athlete’s responsibility to register for the NCAA Eligibility Center, keep track of their academic and amateurism requirements and ensure they’re on track to meet those requirements. 

To compete at a NCAA program, international students must submit the following information:

• Academic records. This may include grades, report cards or transcripts for high school (or years nine and up) in your native language. These documents also need to be translated to English if English is not the native language
• Graduation credentials. This can be a certificate, diploma or a copy of your final leaving exams as long as it proves you graduated. 
• Standardized test scores. Students must have the international testing center send their ACT or SAT scores directly to the NCAA using the code 9999. 

International students need to meet the following academic and amateurism requirements:

• Complete 16 NCAA-approved core-course credits. These include courses in English or your native language, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language or comparative religion/philosophy. The number of credits for each type of course are different for division 1 and division 2 programs. 
• Earn a minimum grade point average (GPA). D1 schools require a minimum GPA of 2.3 while D2 schools require a minimum GPA of 2.2. 
• Amateurism rules. The NCAA will ask you a number of questions about your education background and athletic participation to determine if you qualify for amateurism status. 

Learn more about the NCAA Eligibility Center, including country-specific information and GPA conversions for your country using the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility. 

Click here to register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. 

Questions about the NCAA Eligibility Center? International students can contact the NCAA Eligibility Center using the NCAA Eligibility Center International Contact Form. 

NAIA academic eligibility requirements for international athletes

The NAIA Eligibility Center is responsible for ensuring student-athletes are academically eligible to compete at its member schools. Like the NCAA Eligibility Center, they are not responsible for making sure athletes meet eligibility requirements–it is the athlete’s responsibility to register for the NAIA Eligibility Center and to keep track of their grades, test scores and graduating class rank. 

To compete at a NAIA program, any student-athlete from a high school outside of the U.S. or its territories, even if they are a U.S. citizen, must meet two of the three criteria after graduating high school:

• Test score requirement. International athletes must take a standardized test, the ACT or SAT, on an international test date and achieve a minimum of 18 on the ACT or 970 on the SAT. The minimum SAT must be achieved on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math sections only (the Writing score can’t be used). Athletes must have the testing center send their scores directly to the NAIA using the code 9876. 
• Class rank requirement. International students need to graduate in the top half of their high school class. 
• High school GPA requirement. International students need to achieve a minimum overall high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. 

Click here to learn more about NAIA eligibility requirements for international students.

Learn more about the NAIA Eligibility Center using the NAIA Guide for the International Student-Athlete. 
International athletes can register for the NAIA Eligibility Center at Play.MyNAIA.org.