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Original poster

Obscure American university for sports scholarship?

77 replies

deno · 06/03/2018 22:34

DD is 15 and is one of the top people in her age group nationally at a particular sport. It's pretty unlikely that she'll "go professional" or make any serious money from it, but she has the opportunity to get a full sports scholarship to a US university, where she would compete at the NCAA level. This would include rent/living costs as well as tuition fees, and would mean that she would graduate debt free (which she certainly wouldn't in the UK!) so it seems like an incredible offer.

My only concern is that the particular universities that are good for her sport, are not well-known in the UK. As it is pretty likely that she'll return to the UK afterwards, I'm wondering if having a degree from an institute no-one here has heard of would affect her job prospects.

She's not Oxbridge material, but she's reasonably bright and I'm pretty sure that she would be able to get into universities of the Exeter/Warwick calibre. If she goes to the US, she's looking at colleges such as Baylor (in Texas) and Louisville (in Kentucky).

OP posts:
5plusMeAndHim · 07/03/2018 17:02

she has the opportunity to get a full sports scholarship to a US university
has she been offered it already - 2.5 years in advance

YouCantGetHereFromThere · 07/03/2018 17:19

I'm looking at US colleges at the moment with DD - we are in the US already and potentially facing huge fees.

We're not at the stage yet of trying to balance scholarship offers from less-wanted colleges with more expensive offers from more-wanted colleges, but I'm sure we'll be in that boat soon.

Although it's tempting to take an offer just because they offer you a free or subsidised ride, you still need to have checked out the university, and feel that it's the right place for you.

I can say with 100% conviction that my DD would not go to Baylor.

Louisville... meh. It's 165th in the US. It's probably OK. Our local state college is lower in the rankings and if DD went there I'd be quite happy.

Original poster
deno · 07/03/2018 17:19

has she been offered it already - 2.5 years in advance

Several girls from the club she plays for have gone to the US on sports scholarships in recent years, so her club is kind of on the radar of a few US colleges, like Louisville and Baylor.

She's been in contact with the athletics departments of a few colleges, and, of course nothing has been formally offered, but they seemed pretty sure that she'd be able to get a scholarship there as long as she continues to improve at her current rate.

We were also advised by her coaches to start thinking about it now, as if she wants to visit any of these colleges before applying, we need to start planning for when we can take her.

OP posts:
Original poster
deno · 07/03/2018 17:21

And it's very interesting to hear all this about Baylor being very Christian, as we're not religious in the slightest.

I can imagine DD getting a bit annoyed if she was expected to pray before games!

OP posts:
YouCantGetHereFromThere · 07/03/2018 17:27

DH went to Georgetown and lived with lots of basketball players. Many of them really did not have the academic ability to get through their courses, but were very very good at the game.

UpSideDownBrain · 07/03/2018 17:57

The university may not be well known but three things will count in her favour:

  1. a scholarship will look very impressive on her CV
  2. studying avoid is also impressive
  3. sports at that high level will also look great. I think it will be great for her.
greenbeansqueen · 07/03/2018 21:15

Re the religion thing, it’s not just Baylor - it’s the south. Kentucky would be the same. People can’t go 5 mins without mentioning god, ‘traditional’ values. You can’t underestimate how conservative both those states are, one is the richest and the other the poorest but their republican values are the same.

greenbeansqueen · 07/03/2018 21:17

Not the end of the world but something you’d need to be aware of. Definitely go and visit both before deciding

RoseRuby26 · 07/03/2018 21:24

It obviously won't be everyone's experience, but I know of someone who had this experience and regretted it. Not because it wasn't good. He said it was amazing although they didn't challenge much in the degree. However he returned to the UK without a friendship group and has struggled socially since. His best friend is from Canada. Something to consider.

Amanduh · 07/03/2018 23:23

Friends DD did this. Returned to UK and degree wasn’t seen favourably. She struggled for work.
She’s now back in the US and does a low wage job whilst saving for a masters. Doesn’t play the sport anymore, a shame.

Snowqueeny75 · 07/03/2018 23:45

Skipping to the end to say y’all need to watch Fixer Upper which is set in Waco, both hosts went to Baylor!

Snowqueeny75 · 07/03/2018 23:46

But yes my impression is that it’s quite (very) Christian. Chip and Joanna Gaines is who I mean.

NewYearNiki · 07/03/2018 23:56

I have some American friends whom I met when they were here on exchange programmes to a UK university for a few months. Many were from.conservative states and they literally never stop with the God talk.

Everything is about God. Everything.
It is irritating to read but living with it something else.

Waco is also the site of that 51 day siege in 1993 with the Branch Davidian sect where they eventually burned down the compound killing 80 members including children.

Christian religious extremism combined with gun culture combined with no drinking until you are 21 makes a very conservative and equally dangerous enviroment.

I'd be happier in the UK with more open minded individuals and a normal social life.

littlemissrain · 08/03/2018 13:34

Previous posters have raised some excellent points about the fact that doing your entire degree abroad leaves you with few friends in the U.K. should you return.

I would also consider the alcohol factor - Americans probably wouldn't get into too much trouble if they were caught drinking underage, but as a foreigner, she could lose her visa.

mikulkin · 09/03/2018 00:23

Let her do that and then do masters in the UK in Warwick or smth similar, then she will easily find job in the UK and get experience of US system

pallisers · 09/03/2018 00:36

It obviously won't be everyone's experience, but I know of someone who had this experience and regretted it. Not because it wasn't good. He said it was amazing although they didn't challenge much in the degree. However he returned to the UK without a friendship group and has struggled socially since. His best friend is from Canada. Something to consider.

This would be my worry too. I wouldn't send my (US) kids to Baylor or the south - too much culture shock and not in a good way but the biggest issue for me is the friendship group. Your child will form her early adult friendships with people who are from Texas or Kentucky with a very few from elsewhere.

YouCantGetHereFromThere · 09/03/2018 00:45

DH didn't lose his UK school friends when he went to an American university. He came back to the UK and already had a circle of friends, who had widened their circle to include some new friends, including me. So that worked out well.

He's still friends with lots of people from Georgetown but they now live all over the US - which was very handy when we spent a few months driving around the US, visiting most of them along the way.

SenecaFalls · 09/03/2018 01:05

Everything is about God. Everything.
It is irritating to read but living with it something else.

No. I really do get tired of this generalization being trotted out on threads about the American South. I have lived in the Southern US for most of my fairly long life and have always been actively involved in the communities I have lived in. It's certainly true that there is a lot of church going, but it is also true that there are many people who don't belong to a church or if they do, attend sporadically. I go for many months at a time and never hear anyone mention God or religion. Of my circle of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances, it's about 50-50 believers and non-believers.

This is anecdotal, of course, based on my own experience but I think you will find that research bears out that the influence of religion in the US, even in the South, is not as pervasive as many people think.

AnathemaPulsifer · 10/03/2018 11:40

I think you will find that research bears out that the influence of religion in the US, even in the South, is not as pervasive as many people think.

@SenecaFalls including at Baylor, a private Christian university? 'Baylor's mission is to educate students for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment in a caring community.' Hmm

VanessaShanessaJenkins · 10/03/2018 11:56

If she definitely doesn't have to pay a penny I'd say go for it! Sounds like an amazing opportunity.

That said I'd be very wary of whether full scholarships for the entire degree are actually available. My brother played football to a very high level a few years ago and was contacted by a few companies who claimed to specialise to us uni scholarships. He was so interested I did quite a bit of research and went to a meeting with one of them with him. Turned out the unis have a certain amount of money for football (soccer) scholarships each year and are not allowed to spend a penny more. That money gets split between the students, most of it going to the final year students and very little going to the first years. There were all sorts of other things he would have had to pay for that even if the scholarship was full it would have cost about £5k a year in other costs. And he would have had to work so many hours a week for the university.

It could be completely in your daughter's sport but please find out if it's actually likely they get ALL costs paid for ALL years there before you get too excited.

mummymeister · 10/03/2018 12:05

I think you need to look at whether or not the sport she is involved in will ever lead to her making a living - either directly by participating in the sport or indirectly as a coach, trainer, physio, selector, judge whatever is appropriate for her sport.

There are lots of universities in the UK offering sport scholarships. have a look at places like Bristol and Exeter who offer a couple of thousand pounds a year. plus if she can get a sportswear endorsement or some sort of advertising/sponsorship this would also pay for her degree.

I know that out there somewhere is a brilliant article on the 99.9% of kids who do a sports scholarship and don't progress in the sport and how difficult this for them as many feel that they sacrificed their academic rigour for nothing in the end.

what about considering a gap year for your DS to pursue her sport full time for that year to see where that takes her and to give her a bit of breathing room. we are in a similar position with one of our children - pm if you want to discuss further as mine is in a niche sport and don't want to out myself by discussing it!

Original poster
deno · 11/03/2018 09:59

@mummymeister

We're not expecting her to have any sort of career in the sport - I suppose she could coach if she wanted to, when she was older, but she's never shown any interest in that.

She would be going to the US for the purpose of getting a free education and having the opportunity to play the sport and compete for a few more years.

OP posts:
YouCantGetHereFromThere · 11/03/2018 20:15

According to DH (who lived with similarly talented basketball players at college in the US) these are really good places to go to play basketball.

She will be expected to spend a LOT of time training and playing which will make achieving her degree a challenge. OTOH she will get extra tutoring and support because she is a basketball player.

He agreed with those above who said that as soon as she is injured and can no longer play she will lose her scholarship.

And that she should visit before she makes her decision. It's a big culture change.

I loved culture changes and I would have loved Kentucky (I lived in West Virginia and Ohio as a British student and had a great time) but it's definitely something to consider.

NotTheQueen · 11/03/2018 20:26

It’s becoming more common for all graduates to do their Masters, and not just US graduates. If she opted to go on to her Masters, admissions teams can easily review her results and degree against U.K. / EU qualifications. The most popular database admissions teams use is NARIC.
Large employers will also have access to NARIC or similar, and PP have said, the independence to travel abroad and study will set her apart from her peers, and any lack of knowledge of a US university will be dispelled quickly by checking worldwide rankings etc.

Bixx · 11/03/2018 20:33

My brother went to a US university for similar reasons in that they offered him a full scholarship (though not for sport). His uni was fairly obscure, in one of the southern states. He had a great time though eventually though it was something of a culture shock. Many of the other students were quite religious and the campus itself was dry meaning that no alcohol was allowed on site (including the dorms).

In terms of his career, it hasn’t held him back at all in the U.K. He got a job in his chosen field and now earns far, far more than me (and I have a degree from a RG uni).