Blog Post

This is the week many of the area's top college prospects have been awaiting for weeks, even months.

Beginning April 15, high school seniors in most sports can sign National Letters of Intent with NCAA Division I and II colleges and universities during the regular signing period.

By signing a National Letter of Intent, a college-bound student-athlete agrees to attend a college or university for one academic year.

Tyrone Lewis sat across the table from Drexel University basketball coach Bruiser Flint expecting to be offered a full athletic scholarship.

Flint asked to see Lewis' transcript from Harry S Truman High School.

Lewis pushed it across the table.

Flint picked it up, looked at it for a moment and pushed it back to Lewis.

"I can't offer you a scholarship,� Flint said dejectedly. "You can't qualify.�

Ever wonder how the college recruiting process starts for coaches and prospects?

Wonder how it progresses -- step by step?

Wonder how it concludes with scholarship offers?

There are four phases of recruiting:

Do you have what it takes to be a college athlete?
Do you know what college coaches are looking for in high school athletes?
You may be surprised.
Obviously, it all starts with talent. However, we're not just talking about athletic talent. We're also talking about academic talent.
But those talents alone aren't enough to earn you a spot on a college roster. You also must possess good character, attitude and other personal characteristics.
While athletic talent may create interest among college coaches, they won't remain interested if you can't complement that with academic talent.

What's more difficult than earning a spot on a college sports team?Earning an athletic scholarship.

Only 2 percent of high school athletes receive athletic scholarships - full or partial. The other 4 percent of high school athletes who go on to play in college can be eligible for academic scholarships or grants. Some receive a combination of scholarships and/or grants. Others must pay to play.

NCAA Division I and II schools offer athletic scholarships. So do NAIA and NJCAA schools. However, NCAA Division III schools do not. Neither do the prestigious Ivy League schools, which don't offer athletic or academic scholarships.

Want to play college sports?

If so, your odds of fulfilling that dream are only slightly better than the odds of a Philadelphia professional sports team winning a championship this year.

Yes, that bad.

I don't mean to burst your collegiate bubble, but let's face facts: Only 6 percent of high school athletes will play in college. That's right, only six out of 100.

National Scouting Report, the world's oldest and largest high school scouting and college recruiting organization, is on the ground in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Directed by Gary Silvers, former Executive Sports Editor of the Bucks County Courier Times, and Phil Andrews, former Action News and Comcast SportsNet sports anchor, NSR of Southeastern PA helps qualified high school student-athletes connect with college coaches on all levels (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and NJCAA) and earn scholarships.