So you want to play college hockey? More understanding

A big focus of this website is helping people learn what the great mystics know.  Revealing the "secrets" on how to get there.  So far we have said some keys repeatedly.  Those being
1. Its not the name of the league that will get you there, so much as being successful with in a league. Example.  Being a healthy scratch in the NAHL did not help Dalton Carter, so much as being in every game, and being highly effective in the EHL did in reaching U Mass Lowell mid season this year.
2. It is important to play where there is a history of NCAA schools watching a league.  Playing in a league your last year of eligibilty, where players are noted for moving on to other JR leagues is not where you want or need to be.  You need to play where schools will see you, and historically go to see you.
3.  School.  You have got be a successful student.  The more sucessful you are from grade 9 to 12 the more doors you open.  Eligibility is determined by the NCAA ELIGIBILITY CENTER
 The image of the two charts below illustrates the NCAA SLIDING SCALE.  THis is the TOOL used to determine your initial eligibility.   It is a correlation of your GPA (A=4, B=3,C=2 D=1)  and your test scores.  ACT  = Sum of all sections scores,  SAT = sum of best math and best english scores, which gives a clear advantage to taking the SAT, and taking it more than once.  It is imperative that students meet with school counselors entering grade 9 to be guided on the path to reaching the core courses. Also note the chart being used for 2016 and beyond, and check you meet those standards if you are graduation in 2016.The USA is very different from Canada, where only grades from grade 12 are used eligibility.

Core GPA SAT ACT 3.550 and above 400 37 3.525 410 38 3.500 420 39 3.475 430 40 3.450 440 41 3.425 450 41 3.400 460 42 3.375 470 42 3.350 480 43 3.325 490 44 3.300 500 44 3.275 510 45 3.250 520 46 3.225 530 46 3.200 540 47 3.175 550 47 3.150 560 48 3.125 570 49 3.100 580 49 3.075 590 50 3.050 600 50 3.025 610 51 3.000 620 52 2.975 630 52 2.950 640 53 2.925 650 53 2.900 660 54 2.875 670 55 2.850 680 56 2.825 690 56 2.800 700 57 2.775 710 58 2.750 720 59 2.725 730 59 2.700 730 60 2.675 740-750 61 2.650 760 62 2.625 770 63 2.600 780 64 2.575 790 65 2.550 800 66 2.525 810 67 2.500 820 68 2.475 830 69 2.450 840-850 70 2.425 860 70 2.400 860 71 2.375 870 72 2.350 880 73 2.325 890 74 2.300 900 75 2.275 910 76 2.250 920 77 2.200 940 79 2.175 950 80 2.150 960 80 2.125 960 81 2.100 970 82 2.075 980 83 2.050 990 84 2.025 1000 85 2.000 1010 86 - See more at: http://www.your-college-hockey.com/ncaa-eligibility-center.html#sthash.CUu2N02r.dpuf

Core GPA SAT ACT 3.550 and above 400 37 3.525 410 38 3.500 420 39 3.475 430 40 3.450 440 41 3.425 450 41 3.400 460 42 3.375 470 42 3.350 480 43 3.325 490 44 3.300 500 44 3.275 510 45 3.250 520 46 3.225 530 46 3.200 540 47 3.175 550 47 3.150 560 48 3.125 570 49 3.100 580 49 3.075 590 50 3.050 600 50 3.025 610 51 3.000 620 52 2.975 630 52 2.950 640 53 2.925 650 53 2.900 660 54 2.875 670 55 2.850 680 56 2.825 690 56 2.800 700 57 2.775 710 58 2.750 720 59 2.725 730 59 2.700 730 60 2.675 740-750 61 2.650 760 62 2.625 770 63 2.600 780 64 2.575 790 65 2.550 800 66 2.525 810 67 2.500 820 68 2.475 830 69 2.450 840-850 70 2.425 860 70 2.400 860 71 2.375 870 72 2.350 880 73 2.325 890 74 2.300 900 75 2.275 910 76 2.250 920 77 2.200 940 79 2.175 950 80 2.150 960 80 2.125 960 81 2.100 970 82 2.075 980 83 2.050 990 84 2.025 1000 85 2.000 1010 86 - See more at: http://www.your-college-hockey.com/ncaa-eligibility-center.html#sthash.CUu2N02r.dpuf

Core GPA SAT ACT 3.550 and above 400 37 3.525 410 38 3.500 420 39 3.475 430 40 3.450 440 41 3.425 450 41 3.400 460 42 3.375 470 42 3.350 480 43 3.325 490 44 3.300 500 44 3.275 510 45 3.250 520 46 3.225 530 46 3.200 540 47 3.175 550 47 3.150 560 48 3.125 570 49 3.100 580 49 3.075 590 50 3.050 600 50 3.025 610 51 3.000 620 52 2.975 630 52 2.950 640 53 2.925 650 53 2.900 660 54 2.875 670 55 2.850 680 56 2.825 690 56 2.800 700 57 2.775 710 58 2.750 720 59 2.725 730 59 2.700 730 60 2.675 740-750 61 2.650 760 62 2.625 770 63 2.600 780 64 2.575 790 65 2.550 800 66 2.525 810 67 2.500 820 68 2.475 830 69 2.450 840-850 70 2.425 860 70 2.400 860 71 2.375 870 72 2.350 880 73 2.325 890 74 2.300 900 75 2.275 910 76 2.250 920 77 2.200 940 79 2.175 950 80 2.150 960 80 2.125 960 81 2.100 970 82 2.075 980 83 2.050 990 84 2.025 1000 85 2.000 1010 86 - See more at: http://www.your-college-hockey.com/ncaa-eligibility-center.html#sthash.CUu2N02r.dpuf

      GPA                         SAT               ACT           2016     GPA    SAT                   ACT

Core GPA SAT ACT 3.550 and above 400 37 3.525 410 38 3.500 420 39 3.475 430 40 3.450 440 41 3.425 450 41 3.400 460 42 3.375 470 42 3.350 480 43 3.325 490 44 3.300 500 44 3.275 510 45 3.250 520 46 3.225 530 46 3.200 540 47 3.175 550 47 3.150 560 48 3.125 570 49 3.100 580 49 3.075 590 50 3.050 600 50 3.025 610 51 3.000 620 52 2.975 630 52 2.950 640 53 2.925 650 53 2.900 660 54 2.875 670 55 2.850 680 56 2.825 690 56 2.800 700 57 2.775 710 58 2.750 720 59 2.725 730 59 2.700 730 60 2.675 740-750 61 2.650 760 62 2.625 770 63 2.600 780 64 2.575 790 65 2.550 800 66 2.525 810 67 2.500 820 68 2.475 830 69 2.450 840-850 70 2.425 860 70 2.400 860 71 2.375 870 72 2.350 880 73 2.325 890 74 2.300 900 75 2.275 910 76 2.250 920 77 2.200 940 79 2.175 950 80 2.150 960 80 2.125 960 81 2.100 970 82 2.075 980 83 2.050 990 84 2.025 1000 85 2.000 1010 86 - See more at: http://www.your-college-hockey.com/ncaa-eligibility-center.html#sthash.CUu2N02r.dpuf

In broad strokes, in looking at overall averages, and I encourage you to do your own research, if you have a GPA of 2.0-2.5 ( NCAA CORE COURSES ONLY) and score over 20 composite ACT a state school is potentially attainable.  Before you get excited, remember that if as a player your ability is just as good and your projected development is the same a student with higher marks, you should expect the school will go with the better student as he is better for the teams overall GPA.  Colleges are places of higher learning and no school wants to make 100k- 400k investment in a player that fails out, or hurts academic standing.   That said if your the second coming of the great one your all right.  But look at how many doors you closed...  your average ECAC school, or IVY league, the most selective schools  GPA of 3.5 and ACT composite score 30 or SAT 2070 to even be considered, even though the sliding scale reads you basically spelled your name right on the test.   All others fall somewhere in-between.  The NCAA has 4 institution which are NCAA Division2 college schools.  Those schools are members of the North East Ten Hockey Conference:  Assumption, Frankline Pierce, Stone Hill,  and Southern New Hampshire.  Simon Frasier University of Canada applied for NCAA d2 membership in 2009, and after a two year Canadian period, were fully accepted as NCAA D2 program and the first none USA.  Simon Frasier has not yet applied for their mens and womens hockey teams to join any North American Conference, dispite what a power house they are on the Canadian Scene.  These D2 school use 14 core courses, for admissions.  These schools are limited to 13.5 mens hockey scholarships and 18 Womens.  They compete with and against NCAA d3 schools but are not allowed to play in post season for the NCAA championship.

Being one of the few of the to reach the ranks of NCAA D1 or D3 college hockey players means that you have excelled in the face of great challenge.  You are a leader and survivor of the most rigorous interview process in college sports.