With college decisions coming out these past couple of weeks and the seniors talking about their next couple years of school, many younger students have had college plans brought to the front of their minds.
College isn’t for everyone, but if you are someone who wants to continue their education, don’t worry, you have plenty of options. In just Montana alone we have public universities (University of Montana), public two-year colleges (Missoula College), private colleges (Carroll College), and tech schools (Montana Tech).
If you are interested in continuing your athletic endeavors into college, then your application process and decision becomes even more complicated. There are three levels of play in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association); Division I, Division II, or Division III. The way schools are divided is by the size of the university and the resources of its athletic program. Divisions I and II can offer athletic scholarships (but not all of them do), while Division III cannot.
If you are a competitive high school athlete, but none of those divisions sound right for you, the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) might be the right fit for you. The NAIA has similar competition levels as Division III, though they can offer scholarships and are often a good choice for student athletes looking to play competitively but not at a super high level.
There are colleges of all levels across the country. When picking a school not only do you have to decide how big or small you want your future home to be, you also have to think about where it is located and if you want to be near or far from home.
Your college decision (if you make one) is an important moment in your life, so take time to think about all the places you might want to go and, if possible, try to visit them so you can see if you can envision yourself attending that university. If you are looking to play a sport, make sure to do some research and try to be in contact with the coach of your dream school before you make your decision.
