UC Davis Student-Athlete Guidance Services - Frequently Asked Questions from prospective Student-Athletes

I'll be a new freshman student-athlete at UC Davis.
How do I know if I'll be eligible to practice and compete?

All students who plan to be intercollegiate student-athletes at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I or Division II school must meet the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 14.3, sometimes called the "freshman eligibility rule". The requirements for Division I eligibility are different from the requirements for eligibility at the Division II level.

Students who plan to be Division I or II student-athletes must take the SAT or ACT on a national testing date and achieve a minimum qualifying score; they must also complete a specified number of core courses in certain subjects in high school. Please see your high school counselor to discuss what academic requirements you will need for college eligibility.

Prospective student-athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse, preferably early during their senior year in high school. NCAA freshman eligibility is determined exclusively by the Clearinghouse, not by the college or university you hope to attend. The NCAA Clearinghouse determines eligibility for practice and competition as well as eligibility to receive an athletic scholarship that has been offered to you by a college coach.

If there is any possibility that you might be a college student-athlete, see your high school guidance counselor immediately for the NCAA Clearinghouse registration materials. You must send a student release form, processing fee, and official transcript to the Clearinghouse to register. After you graduate from high school you must send a second official high school transcript to the Clearinghouse which verifies your final grades and date of graduation. To maximize your collegiate eligibility, send your final official transcript to the Clearinghouse immediately following graduation.

It is important to register with the Clearinghouse early to make sure that you can practice, try out, and/or compete with your team when you report to campus. The Clearinghouse typically receives registration materials and evaluates transcripts for approximately 160,000 students across the U.S. This is a time-consuming process that cannot be completed quickly. Recruited student-athletes who are not cleared by the Clearinghouse may practice for only 14 days when they report to college (and cannot compete); nonrecruited student-athletes may practice for 45 days but not compete.

If your high school counselor does not have information on the NCAA Clearinghouse, you may wish to contact the web site for the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete at:

http://www.ncaa.org/cbsa

This site includes information on academic eligibility, the NCAA Clearinghouse, athletic scholarships, recruiting (including limits on telephone calls, contact periods, evaluations, official visits, printed materials), the National Letter of Intent, professionalism, agents, drug testing, and frequently asked questions. Prospective student-athletes, parents, and high school counselors are encouraged to become familiar with this information. The Clearinghouse can also be reached at:

NCAA Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 4044
Iowa City, IA 52243-4044
(319) 337-1492

I'm planning to try out for an intercollegiate athletic team and/or I've been recruited by a coach to join a team at UC Davis. What kind of medical clearance do I need?

All new student-athletes must have a physical, have their UC Davis physical form signed by an M.D., and submit the physical form by their sport’s due date. The physical must occur within a 60-day period prior to the sport's first practice or tryout. The completed physical form may be mailed to the UC Davis athletic trainers or dropped off in person; all physical forms must be turned in by the sport’s due date. New student-athletes who have not turned in their physical form are not allowed to report to practice or tryouts.

The physical form must be downloaded off the UC Davis online eligibility web site. Your head coach will share this web site with you. Only student-athletes who are listed on a team roster at UC Davis will have access to the online eligibility web site. The physical form due dates for each sport may also be accessed at the same web site. The due dates for each sport are established in early June; most due dates are 2-4 weeks prior to the first day of practice. If you have questions about the physical form, the online eligibility web site, or whether you appear on a team roster, please contact the head coach for your sport(s) at UC Davis.

I've been admitted for fall quarter. How do I register?

All incoming freshmen and transfers at UC Davis are invited to attend "summer advising", the orientation/registration program. The summer advising program for transfers is generally one day long; freshman attend a three-day summer advising program. There is a cost associated with the summer advising program. The summer advising program usually runs from late June through the third week in August. Invitations to the program are mailed to students who have returned their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) and deposit after they have been admitted to UC Davis. If you have questions about summer advising, visit their web site at http://why.ucdavis.edu/summeradvising/index.cfm or e-mail the summer advising office at summeradvising@ucdavis.edu.

Although summer advising is not mandatory, the Student-Athlete Guidance Services office highly recommends that new students attend. During summer advising, students meet with college and major advisors, take placement exams, and register for their classes. Transfer students discuss how their previous college coursework transfers into their major and degree program at UC Davis. Students who choose not to attend summer advising must select classes by themselves, register online at the end of summer, and take placement exams when they arrive on campus in September. It is recommended that all student-athletes attend the earliest possible summer advising program from the choices they’re given.

I'll be a new student-athlete at UC Davis. How many classes should I take in my first quarter?

A bachelor's degree at UCD generally takes 180 units to complete. Students who plan to graduate in four years would need to take 45 units per year or an average of 15 units per quarter. Units or credits that the student brings in (from advanced placement exams, college courses taken while in high school, etc.) may count toward the graduation total.

Although individual cases vary, the Student-Athlete Guidance Services office recommends that new freshmen or transfers carry three academic courses (of 4-5 units each) in the first quarter. Some student-athletes may choose to add a 1-2 unit elective to boost their total units. Since UC Davis is on a 10-week quarter system, the pace is extremely fast for students who are used to the longer semester system.

Please consult with the athletic academic advisor who works with your sport at UC Davis if you have questions about course load, time management, and making a successful adjustment to UC Davis.

I've heard that I can get college credit for participating in intercollegiate athletics at UC Davis. How do I do that?

Through the physical education department, student-athletes can register for a 1-unit course. The course is listed in the quarterly class schedule under Physical Education (PHE) 6 with separate sections for each intercollegiate athletics (ICA) sport. Students at UC Davis can use a maximum of 6 total units of PHE activity courses (either PHE 6 or the PHE 1 courses which offer 1/2 unit for badminton, rock climbing, weight training, etc.) toward graduation. Some College of Engineering majors cannot take any units of physical education and count them for eligibility or graduation. If you have been admitted to the College of Engineering and have questions about how physical education units count in your major/degree program, please contact the athletic academic advisor who works with you sport. Note that students who are allowed to count physical education units may only use the first six units of physical education courses toward eligibility or a degree. If you have completed four semester units or six quarter units of physical education at a college prior to entering UC Davis, you may not take any units of physical education toward eligibility or toward graduation.

If you are trying out for a team, it is recommended that you wait to register for the PHE 6 for that sport until after you know whether you have made the team.

There is a special section of PHE 6 taught in fall quarter by Michelle Roppeau, the director of athletic academic advising. The course is titled "Life Skills for Student-Athletes" and includes information on study skills, time management, campus resources, finances, stress management, goal-setting, interpersonal communication, and other topics which may be especially useful for freshman student-athletes. Like the other PHE 6 classes, the "Life Skills" section is 1 unit graded on a pass/no pass basis.




			Last Updated: November 5, 2003



			I'll be a new freshman student-athlete at UC Davis. How do I know if I'll be eligible to practice and compete? All students who plan to be intercollegiate student-athletes at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I or Division II school must meet the provisions of NCAA Bylaw 14.3, sometimes called the "freshman eligibility rule". The requirements for Division I eligibility are different from the requirements for eligibility at the Division II level. Students who plan to be Division I or II student-athletes must take the SAT or ACT on a national testing date and achieve a minimum qualifying score; they must also complete a specified number of core courses in certain subjects in high school. Please see your high school counselor to discuss what academic requirements you will need for college eligibility. Prospective student-athletes must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse, preferably early during their senior year in high school. NCAA freshman eligibility is determined exclusively by the Clearinghouse, not by the college or university you hope to attend. The NCAA Clearinghouse determines eligibility for practice and competition as well as eligibility to receive an athletic scholarship that has been offered to you by a college coach. If there is any possibility that you might be a college student-athlete, see your high school guidance counselor immediately for the NCAA Clearinghouse registration materials. You must send a student release form, processing fee, and official transcript to the Clearinghouse to register. After you graduate from high school you must send a second official high school transcript to the Clearinghouse which verifies your final grades and date of graduation. To maximize your collegiate eligibility, send your final official transcript to the Clearinghouse immediately following graduation. It is important to register with the Clearinghouse early to make sure that you can practice, try out, and/or compete with your team when you report to campus. The Clearinghouse typically receives registration materials and evaluates transcripts for approximately 160,000 students across the U.S. This is a time-consuming process that cannot be completed quickly. Recruited student-athletes who are not cleared by the Clearinghouse may practice for only 14 days when they report to college (and cannot compete); nonrecruited student-athletes may practice for 45 days but not compete. If your high school counselor does not have information on the NCAA Clearinghouse, you may wish to contact the web site for the NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete at: http://www.ncaa.org/cbsa This site includes information on academic eligibility, the NCAA Clearinghouse, athletic scholarships, recruiting (including limits on telephone calls, contact periods, evaluations, official visits, printed materials), the National Letter of Intent, professionalism, agents, drug testing, and frequently asked questions. Prospective student-athletes, parents, and high school counselors are encouraged to become familiar with this information. The Clearinghouse can also be reached at: NCAA Clearinghouse P.O. Box 4044 Iowa City, IA 52243-4044 (319) 337-1492 I'm planning to try out for an intercollegiate athletic team and/or I've been recruited by a coach to join a team at UC Davis. What kind of medical clearance do I need? All new student-athletes must have a physical, have their UC Davis physical form signed by an M.D., and submit the physical form by their sport’s due date. The physical must occur within a 60-day period prior to the sport's first practice or tryout. The completed physical form may be mailed to the UC Davis athletic trainers or dropped off in person; all physical forms must be turned in by the sport’s due date. New student-athletes who have not turned in their physical form are not allowed to report to practice or tryouts. The physical form must be downloaded off the UC Davis online eligibility web site. Your head coach will share this web site with you. Only student-athletes who are listed on a team roster at UC Davis will have access to the online eligibility web site. The physical form due dates for each sport may also be accessed at the same web site. The due dates for each sport are established in early June; most due dates are 2-4 weeks prior to the first day of practice. If you have questions about the physical form, the online eligibility web site, or whether you appear on a team roster, please contact the head coach for your sport(s) at UC Davis. I've been admitted for fall quarter. How do I register? All incoming freshmen and transfers at UC Davis are invited to attend "summer advising", the orientation/registration program. The summer advising program for transfers is generally one day long; freshman attend a three-day summer advising program. There is a cost associated with the summer advising program. The summer advising program usually runs from late June through the third week in August. Invitations to the program are mailed to students who have returned their Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) and deposit after they have been admitted to UC Davis. If you have questions about summer advising, visit their web site at http://why.ucdavis.edu/summeradvising/index.cfm or e-mail the summer advising office at summeradvising@ucdavis.edu. Although summer advising is not mandatory, the Student-Athlete Guidance Services office highly recommends that new students attend. During summer advising, students meet with college and major advisors, take placement exams, and register for their classes. Transfer students discuss how their previous college coursework transfers into their major and degree program at UC Davis. Students who choose not to attend summer advising must select classes by themselves, register online at the end of summer, and take placement exams when they arrive on campus in September. It is recommended that all student-athletes attend the earliest possible summer advising program from the choices they’re given. I'll be a new student-athlete at UC Davis. How many classes should I take in my first quarter? A bachelor's degree at UCD generally takes 180 units to complete. Students who plan to graduate in four years would need to take 45 units per year or an average of 15 units per quarter. Units or credits that the student brings in (from advanced placement exams, college courses taken while in high school, etc.) may count toward the graduation total. Although individual cases vary, the Student-Athlete Guidance Services office recommends that new freshmen or transfers carry three academic courses (of 4-5 units each) in the first quarter. Some student-athletes may choose to add a 1-2 unit elective to boost their total units. Since UC Davis is on a 10-week quarter system, the pace is extremely fast for students who are used to the longer semester system. Please consult with the athletic academic advisor who works with your sport at UC Davis if you have questions about course load, time management, and making a successful adjustment to UC Davis. I've heard that I can get college credit for participating in intercollegiate athletics at UC Davis. How do I do that? Through the physical education department, student-athletes can register for a 1-unit course. The course is listed in the quarterly class schedule under Physical Education (PHE) 6 with separate sections for each intercollegiate athletics (ICA) sport. Students at UC Davis can use a maximum of 6 total units of PHE activity courses (either PHE 6 or the PHE 1 courses which offer 1/2 unit for badminton, rock climbing, weight training, etc.) toward graduation. Some College of Engineering majors cannot take any units of physical education and count them for eligibility or graduation. If you have been admitted to the College of Engineering and have questions about how physical education units count in your major/degree program, please contact the athletic academic advisor who works with you sport. Note that students who are allowed to count physical education units may only use the first six units of physical education courses toward eligibility or a degree. If you have completed four semester units or six quarter units of physical education at a college prior to entering UC Davis, you may not take any units of physical education toward eligibility or toward graduation. If you are trying out for a team, it is recommended that you wait to register for the PHE 6 for that sport until after you know whether you have made the team. There is a special section of PHE 6 taught in fall quarter by Michelle Roppeau, the director of athletic academic advising. The course is titled "Life Skills for Student-Athletes" and includes information on study skills, time management, campus resources, finances, stress management, goal-setting, interpersonal communication, and other topics which may be especially useful for freshman student-athletes. Like the other PHE 6 classes, the "Life Skills" section is 1 unit graded on a pass/no pass basis.