College Challenge: Online College Prep for High School Student-Athletes

Even hard-working, talented high school students with a desire to attend college can fall short of reaching that goal without proper support. The best resource for helping many of those students realize their dreams may be their athletics programs; sports are a powerful tool for both motivating students and providing them with opportunities to continue their education. High school teams provide an environment where students are expected to work together, attend consistently, and give their best effort – all of which are also necessary for them to complete their college applications. Delivering a college prep resource that sports coaches can use with their teams is a project well suited to online learning, where students can trade the constraints of a classroom for the freedom and flexibility to explore their options, the ability to work at their own pace, and the speed of instant communication.

This presentation covers the development of strategies and designs for using online resources to help student-athletes navigate the college admissions and athletic recruiting processes. By using online course delivery and document management systems, this “College Challenge” system facilitates collaboration and organization for students, and provides a comprehensive resource for individuals and teams. Students will prepare material for their college applications, formulate and narrow down a college list based on their preferences, and complete the recruiting process from start to finish. The lessons learned in developing this online course can apply to even non-athlete college prep, or other self-directed classes.