The competition for admission to colleges is fierce, and is getting tougher every passing year. Many students are trying to find other ways to outshine their fellow peers so that their chances of getting admitted to their dream schools are greater. Some students are focusing on their athletics to receive sports scholarship to get them to their dream schools.
Julia Freeman is a sophomore at University High School and is currently in a ice hockey team that is nationally ranked in the top five. She is looking into receiving scholarship through her outstanding athletics. She believes it “may help [her] get into a school [she] would not otherwise be able to get into gradewise”. She also voiced that the sports scholarship can potentially “give [her] extra financial help to go to a school that is expensive but with a good education or hockey team”. Julia has “talked with schools, but being just a sophomore, there has been no talk of scholarships [yet]”.
Jennifer Tseng is a sophomore at University High School and is currently taking girls swim as her sport. She is also looking into receiving scholarship through sports but is hesitant since she is “not good enough to receive any”. She believes that “even if [she] may not be the best swimmer on the team, every [swim] meet [she] always makes sure to push [herself] to do better and to improve for [her] team.” She would be honored “to receive something back for what [she] has put time and practice into.”
Samantha Cabunag is also a sophomore at Uni and is currently in varsity girls golf. Because of her talent in golf, she is definitely looking for sports scholarships. She knows “it will help lessen [her] tuition by a lot and with tuition going up, it would help to have something to bring it down”. She has already been scouted by University of Southern Mississippi, Bradley University, Oklahoma State, Grand Canyon University, and Vassar College.
Patrick Lee, another sophomore at Uni, takes basketball as his sport. He voiced that he “need[s] to receive a basketball scholarship in order to pay for college”. He has already been scouted by Cal Poly, but “UCR is the school [he] want[s] to go to”. If he continues to improve and pursues basketball head on, he may be able to reach his dream school!
In a society where academics are forced down one’s throat, it is relieving to know that academics are not the only way for high school students to get admitted to universities. It is possible to get admitted into your dream school, while pursuing your dream career. Without worrying or getting encumbered by society and the student it forces you to become, you should let your passion shine and pursue what you really want to pursue.
