I really need help choosing a college!?
Apr.09, 2010 in
College Selection
I am a basketball player who is nationally ranked. I have received scholarships from Duke, NC, GT, USC, Arizona, UCLA, UPenn, Memphis, Florida, kansas, among others. Where should I go and why? Im thinkin Duke, GT, UCLA, or USC. help please.
April 9th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
It will depond on what you want to do. You want to pick a school that knwon for education people well in their feld.
April 9th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
go to the one that offers the best things and compare them all of the them think about transportation or what if u get hurt pick one with more than sports and one that u hear is confusion free
April 9th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
search for them in the internet and where is the best
April 9th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
OMG YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE DUKE IVE HEARS ITS FRIGGIN GREAT..;) also WOW you must be a really good basketball player you have likke 111110000 colleges..to choose from..;)
April 9th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
I would say any are going to be awesome schools that give you a great opportunity, plus education. Duke is doing much better this year, but are still shaky. My idea is go for a school that has just as good academic record as basketball. There is life after b-ball you need to worry about.
April 9th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Florida. Florida is the best by the way and a first year starter is about to win the Heisman. This is for all the peple who say Tim Tebow is overrated.
April 9th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
If your goal is getting into the NBA than look at the school with the best public image. That would probably be a school like Duke or Florida, I’m guessing since they both have good sports programs. As for me? I would pick a school that gives me the best educational opportunity. That’s going to depend on your program. UCLA would be great for me because I’m in Statistics but I would investigate all of the schools to see how they compare in the area where I’m looking to study. You didn’t really mention your academic area. Maybe that would be a starting point.
Also, I hate cold weather so I would probably steer toward South or West.
April 9th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
I’d go with either Duke or NC because I hear more about their basketball teams than any other schools.
I’ve also heard that both are very good colleges academically.
April 9th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
Personally, I recommend Duke.
Leaving sports aside for the moment, Duke is the strongest academically; they are consistently ranked one of the top 10 universities in the nation. Granted, you haven’t said what you plan to study–it may be that one of your other schools has a stronger program for your specific major. But overall? Duke is hard to beat.
As far as basketball goes, you also need to consider what sort of experience you would have playing on the team. If you go to Duke, that’s four years under Coach K, one of the most highly respected basketball coaches in the country (not to mention the ‘winningest’ coach in the NCAA tournament
). It’s a supportive environment, and that is a HUGE opportunity for you to be able to learn from him.
I know a lot of Duke graduates (my boyfriend is one!), and I’ve never heard them say anything but positive things about their experience at Duke. Plus, they were ALL Cameron Crazies–from what I understand, there’s nothing like Cameron on game day.
April 9th, 2010 at 7:53 pm
First of all, congratulations! You must be very good to have gotten scholarships to so many schools that are good strong academically and in basketball. You probably know that the challenge will be getting a meaningful degree while keeping the crazy schedule of a student-athlete, balancing your academics and athletics. I’m a faculty member who at one time was teaching several members of the team at a school that spent the season as #1 in the country at basketball, and I’ve seen the pressures. Even with the best of intentions, several of the strongest players (including an NBA lottery pick) never graduated. In the case of that particular student, he had a long (over 10 years) basketball career, but by his mid-30s, he was out of a job without a degree. Don’t let this happen to you! He had money, but nothing to do, and there was very little for which he was qualified.
First of all, look at the school’s record for graduating basketball players (not just student-athletes – they can inflate these numbers by including the golf team and swim team, who almost always graduate). I believe the schools you mention do have a good record for that.
Secondly, find out what former student-athletes are doing. They can push you through a meaningless major, but that doesn’t mean that you will be qualified for a good job. I know that everyone in your position imagines himself spending his life in the NBA, but things happen. During that season I mentioned, our second-best player sustained a career-ending injury. Even if your basketball career goes well, everyone retires at some point, and you want to go on to a meaningful life. You want to be the Bill Bradley (successful politician) or Magic Johnson (successful businessman), not one of the scores of guys who, after basketball is over, has nothing left but memories.
Thirdly, of course, you do want to be at a place which will maximize your exposure as an athlete. College sports at a high level are not just fun and games. They are, for most people, one long audition for the pros. UPenn, for example, is a great school academically, but you won’t get the TV time you need, no matter how great you are individually. At this point, I would go 1. Duke 2. UCLA 3. GT 4. USC. These are, of course, excellent schools academically, and your ability to do well depends upon your academic qualifications as well. You don’t want to get in so far over your head that you can’t possibly compete, but I’m assuming that since you are on this site, you are also intelligent.
Finally, and this is something probably independent of your school choice, but important for you personally, make sure you hang on to your independence and individual integrity. One of the things I’ve seen with students in elite sports is that others make so many of their decisions for them, that they become almost incapable of growing up. Don’t let the athletic department tell you what your major should be; you have the right to make that decision for yourself. I know that they need to control the team, but you also need to learn to be an adult at this stage of your life. Know when to step up and make your own decisions as a student, as a friend. You have a right to know people outside those the coach chooses to be your friends. You have a right to get help to do your own academic work, rather than letting someone supply you with your term papers or answers to assignments. You need those things in order to become a full human being, and if they are going to provide them with the value of your services as an athlete for four years, they owe it to you to allow you to do that.
Best of luck! Now, for the next four years, every time I watch one of those teams play, I’ll be wondering if I’m watching the person I responded to on Yahoo! Answers!
April 9th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
WOW…that is wicked awesome! Yep, I totally acknowledge the fact that I’m talking to a future NBA star! So many creditable answers already! I’ll just simplify my response then….Duke is absolutely amazing…w/ respect to both its academics and athletics (lol, NOT football, but basketball)…GT is great in academics (unfortunately, they have been inconsistent in both football and basketball), UCLA is great in bball….and USC again, is another great school. All up to you J…wherever you want to go, you’ll succeed at any place. Good luck sweetie. (P.S.–you have a fan club!! look at that!) lol.