Easiest D1 Colleges to walk on?

Kid, I don't want to burst your bubbles. But if you're a senior right now then you have slim to no chance to even walk-on any of those programs you listed. Look for more D2 or D3 schools close to your area that have slower athletes.

I ran way faster than you in high-school and not even the local D2 university sniffed at me.

Keep dreaming my friend.

I know umaine, UNH, UVM, and Umass Lowell all are relatively easy to walk on but you're gonna need to bring down your 5k. 2:07/4:47 are o.k but you would not be anywhere near the top or middle of the programs without solid improvement. 18:22 5k even in xc is not going to be anywhere near the cut.

For example I have a 17:35 pr from xc SOyr of highschool (never ran xc again due to injury) and I wasn't even looked at by UVM which probably the worst xc program I listed. I know Umaine would take you but ehhhh on the academics. Umass Lowell might let you walk on as a MD guy but I don't think you could run xc.

You should seriously consider d2/d3. I don't know why every highschooler thinks that anything not d1 is trash but in reality most d1 schools I looked at had terrible track/xc programs and very average academics. On a side note there is no way in hell you walk onto Michigan state without dropping a minute or two off your 5k. Some d2/d3 schools with good programs/academics are st.lawrence, Stonehill, Bently, susquehanna, AIC, Muhllenburg, Gettysburg, ect.

You already got your answer in the other thread you started. Not sure why you are so obsessed with D1. I can promise the guys we had who just barely were on the team, got run into the ground day after day after day, only to get left home for all of the meets would have had a better experience in d3/club team.

Just to give you an idea: those guys that got left home would drop you on an easy run. Not saying it to knock you because it's not like you suck by any means, but you're trying to bring a baseball glove to a gun fight

What's your trajectory? Meaning, if you ran 4:47 as a jr, what did you run as a soph? I think you'd need to be on a really steep trajectory (e.g., didn't run at all as a frosh, ran 5:15 as a soph with literally zero training) for you to get anything out of D1 running.

If you've been running and training for 3 years or more and soph yr PR is sub 5:00, I think D1's a stretch.

Bottom line is that your sr yr mile time needs to be sub 4:30 to project you as a decent D1 contributor, especially since your XC time is worse than your 1600m time.

D3 schools are some of the academically best schools in the country. The experience could be fun, too. You just won't be seeing your football and b'ball teams on Sportscenter. So what? You'll have a much better running experience at a Haverford than crappy D1 U.

collegebro#1 wrote:

For example I have a 17:35 pr from xc SOyr of highschool (never ran xc again due to injury) and I wasn't even looked at by UVM which probably the worst xc program I listed. I know Umaine would take you but ehhhh on the academics. .

Umaine has the best engineering program of all those schools you listed....Yes in psychology its basically high school, but the engineering school is very tough, and would be difficult to run on the team and do well academically.

Also an 18:22 wouldn't even be the top two on the girl's squad. (not that they are good for a D1 program) but I doubt the OP could even walk on the Maine squad. They do cut and have a time trial at the beginning of the season (for the guys at least).

Bottom line is OP should probably run for a club team, verses a D1 program...It will be much more enjoyable, getting lapped is no fun...

Running in college is an awesome opportunity and I always recommend it to dedicated athletes. Usually, I encourage men who ask about DI on LetsRun to head that direction. But it is not for everyone.

There are a lot of mid-major programs that would let you try out and maybe walk on, although not the ones you listed. If you are set on DI ignore any power 5 conference school. I am not trying to be mean, but you listed some Big 10 programs, and that is just not realistic. You could look at mid majors like America East, Horizon League, or SWAC or MEAC.

But is that what you really want to do? Being on a DI team is not necessarily make you a DI caliber runner. While DI involves travel and equipment and inclusion into competitive invites there are standards to earn those things. Those times just can't compete with most DI programs, you would occasionally run in small local meets, have a very slim shot at real DI competition, like a Conference or a Regional championship, and the varsity members would be contemptuous with you, if they even tolerate you at all.

I know that sounds harsh, and DI running is great, but it is great for those who are ready for it. You would have a more positive experience walking on at a NAIA program or running D3. You would still have a lot improving to do before you could race with mid-pack guys at those levels, but you likely would get more attention from coaches and more racing opportunities.

you would have to define for us what your idea of the "division 1 experience" is.

Academics has nothing to do with Division 1. There are great academic sitations at every level.

If the D1 experience is being able to watch great football and basketball games from the student section, then sure.

But in most situations, the D1 perks for student-athletes aren't equal between the scholarship kids, and the walk-ons.

Add to that the fact you are looking for the "easiest" to walk on to, and you are now outside of the Power 5s. The non-power 5 "D1 experience" is different. Now you are a walk on, on top of that. What you might experience may not classify itself as "D1" at all.

Talk to coaches and athletes until you find a place that wants you and will respect your contribution. Define what constitutes the "experience" you want, and ask those queestions of coaches and athletes.

Good luck

If you have to ask that question, you don't belong in D1.

Just because you want that experience doesn't mean that you get to have it. That is part of what makes it great, not many people get that opportunity. Unfortunately you won't be one of those people. Doesn't mean you can't continue you running and enjoy it. Check out clubs or d3 teams in your area that you like academically.

Vurzaa wrote:

I would like a good training program that will have me improve each year. My times are...

5k: 18:22,

1600m: 4:47

800m: 2:07

I'm hoping to get faster since i'm currently in indoor season.

I know I can't walk on any of the great teams but what about Ohio State, Michigan State, & Rutgers? What are some other good D1 schools I could walk on to. And I don't have a problem with D2 schools like Malone, Ashland, or Grand Valley State but they are the top dogs in their division.

Side note: I prefer D1 because of the academics and experience.

You have to be a troll. No joke, but those times are good for high school GIRLS. There are men's D3 teams that wouldn't be terribly interested in you with an 18:22 5k time.

You have lots to rethink. Let's start with the academics. What about D1 academics makes you think they are better than D3? We can come up with great and horrible academic examples for D1 and D3 schools all day.

D3 is your target, brother. Get that 1600 time into the 4:30s and that 800 down to 2:02 or so, and they actually might be a little happy to see you join their team. D1, unless you want to run for some crappy team, isn't in the cards for you.

Like almost everyone else on here I am not trying to belittle you or make you feel inferior... however, I have been a recruiting coordinator at a very good D3 program (we are known for taking seemingly average kids and making them national level athletes) and several other schools from high level D3 up to D1. At the D3 schools your marks would not even get you on our "encourage them to try out list" and for the D1 schools I've recruited for (pretty low level - like the bottom of bad mid major conferences) they would probably not let you walk on. I can tell you from looking at some pretty mediocre D1 schools' walk on standards that most D1 coaches are not even going to reply to an email with those marks. Take for example Wake Forest. They are not even a top 150 DI, 13th in the ACC... they are looking for a 1:55/4:20 sr year to walk-on. Sam Houston State - maybe a top 125 squad is more reasonable 1:57/4:26. I wouldn't consider either a good program. Someone mentioned lower level DI like SWAC schools. The SWAC outdoor Champ - Grambling (barely a top 200 team) looks for 1:59/4:35/16:20. Bottom line unless you get a lot faster you should consider middle of the pack D3 otherwise you will find your self disappointed when coaches don't let you walk on.

Vurzaa wrote:

I would like a good training program that will have me improve each year. My times are...

5k: 18:22,

1600m: 4:47

800m: 2:07

I'm hoping to get faster since i'm currently in indoor season.

I know I can't walk on any of the great teams but what about Ohio State, Michigan State, & Rutgers? What are some other good D1 schools I could walk on to. And I don't have a problem with D2 schools like Malone, Ashland, or Grand Valley State but they are the top dogs in their division.

Side note: I prefer D1 because of the academics and experience.

The best college program to run for (assuming coaching staff is decent) IMO is one where you can walk in and be top 7-10 right away and with some improvement in 1-3 years be in the top 5. This will challenge you and give you good workout partners but not so fast that you'll always be on the verge of injury/over training. Any program where you'll be basically racing every day to make the cut will probably burn you up, there are notable exceptions to this rule but they are few and far between. You also don't want to be invisible to the coach and if you do happen to make the team at a school and are the last runner you'll probably never have a meaningiful conversation about training with them.

Look at your PR's and look at where you could run for a school TODAY with those times, not what you think you'll hit next year, or with good training, right now. Might mean D3, NAIA, D2 or obscure D1.

If you want to walk on to say you ran D1 go ahead. But any collegiate runner with a brain and who has competed is gonna ask you what you ran for your event in college and saying you ran a 1:58 (purely projected) 800M at a D1 college is going to get you laughed out the door. Right now your times are borderline OK for high school, depending upon your area and level of meet competition, but you will get wasted in almost any competitive D3 track meet with anything less than a sub 2:00/4:30.

I coached at a local high school with a kid who walked at Duke XC. He acted like BMOC around the high school runners and knew it all. After awhile I quizzed him on his D1 experience and times because his training knowledge seemed limited. When I started asking about his times, he hesitated. I knew where it was going. He wouldn't have even be in the top five at a respectable D3 school! It turned out he ran for only one year and I suspect the coach informed him to pursue other endeavors based on his pedestrian times.

Unless you want to walk on to a instate university since you mentioned B1G "14" schools you are going to pay out of state tuition to any state funded university. That puts you in private school prices without the private school financial aid. So you're better off looking at smaller private schools, i.e liberal arts if you want to run track/XC, have rigorous academics, and not owe 100K+.

If you want the power conference experience like nationally televised basketball/football games and massive parties then you should go there. Look into a D3 school if you want to run track, have excellent academics, and receive generous financial aid. Most top 25 national liberal arts colleges in US News have excellent financial aid.

Check out the thread about D1 and D3.

hahaha this just made my day... In high school I ran 1:53-800 4:20's-mile 16:04-5k and all I could get was a walk on... they wouldnt even mention a scholarship... You might fit in better on the back end teams of D3!!!

you prefer D1 "because of the academics and experience"?? WTF does that mean? Do you even know?

Your times suck because you didn't get off your ass for 4 years in HS - but now you're searching for a DI program worthy of your mediocrity? Good luck. Bro'..

i'll take this in a bit of a different direction. do you think a sophomore with these PRs would have a chance at D1?

You'd have to run AT LEAST 4:20/1:56 to walk onto Ohio State and Michigan State. Rutgers is garbage, but even they would be looking for like 4:26/1:57.

poor college student wrote:

hahaha this just made my day... In high school I ran 1:53-800 4:20's-mile 16:04-5k and all I could get was a walk on... they wouldnt even mention a scholarship... You might fit in better on the back end teams of D3!!!

How is that possible? It sounds like you were better than Cam Levins in HS (the guy that went to SUU and won the Bowerman)...

Vurzaa wrote:

I would like a good training program that will have me improve each year. My times are...

5k: 18:22,

1600m: 4:47

800m: 2:07

I'm hoping to get faster since i'm currently in indoor season.

I know I can't walk on any of the great teams but what about Ohio State, Michigan State, & Rutgers? What are some other good D1 schools I could walk on to. And I don't have a problem with D2 schools like Malone, Ashland, or Grand Valley State but they are the top dogs in their division.

Side note: I prefer D1 because of the academics and experience.

I go to a D3 school where based on your PRs you wouldn't even be recruited. There is one girl on my team who has the same 5K PR you do....

You could definitely walk on to Wofford College in SC. They're the worst "D1" school in the nation.