Is Division 3 worth it?

D3 doesn't even give scholarships....why would you even go to those colleges?...

There are some excellent coaches in d3. There are also some terrible coaches in d3.

There are some great schools in d3. There are also some great schools in d3.

"Is it worth looking at d3" depends on your finances (are you hoping for a scholarship?), your focus on running, what major you are pursuing, etc.

At 4:18, you're only likely to get scholarship offers at. Bottom d1 schools, or some d2 schools. So financially, d3 might be no different. Most of the best d1 academic schools are also better athletic schools, so arent likely to offer you any money.

If you're more of a lackluster student, that opens more options.

There are a lot of academic powerhouses in d3, but your time could probably get you in some d1 or d2 schools.

Quit spamming

The great thing about this sport is you can be good anywhere. A 4 minute mile is a 4 minute mile, whether you’re at a D1, D2, D3, NAIA, Juco, or anywhere in the world. But it’s significantly harder to achieve your athletic goals without the right coach and team environment. If you can find the right fit at D3, go for it. There are some D3 schools that are very good.

The lack of athletic scholarships was mentioned. But if you have strong grades and test scores, some of these D3 institutions have deep pockets and you’ll find some significant scholarships that aren’t in athletics.

It's nothing but betas, maybe that's right for you. I, personally, wouldn't have time for.guys who strut over winning baby nationals and then cry because nobody else cares about the Jayvee/basically intramurals level of college competition.

Ex-D1 P5 wrote:

It's nothing but betas, maybe that's right for you. I, personally, wouldn't have time for.guys who strut over winning baby nationals and then cry because nobody else cares about the Jayvee/basically intramurals level of college competition.

funny troll. D3 teams race against the same competition as everyone else except at conference, regionals, and nationals. A good enough d3 guy can run the usatf championship, just like the top d1 guys. The fact is that if you're not getting a scholarship you should go to the school with the best combo of team and academics you can manage. Where those fall on the spectrum depends on you, it could be a team that perennially wins their conference, or it could be a back of the pack d1 team. I'd pick a d3 where sports are secure over a mid major d1 in a conference that has been cutting sports. It would suck if the summer before senior year you find out that instead of going to indoor meets in Boston and Washington, you're going to be watching those meets on your computer.

I had a fantastic time running D3 and would highly recommend it. You're fast enough that you could get admissions help from some really solid schools. Also, for the most part the financial aid at the top D3's is excellent. I went D3 over D1 and I paid less per year at my liberal arts college with an expensive price tag than I would've at an instate D1. I was in a similar position to you where I was fast enough to run for a mid-major D1 or for a top tier D3 program.

If you want to be a big fish in a small pond, go D3.

Hmm. No one likes small ponds, but everyone likes big fish. What a dilemma.

4:18 would make you a pretty strong D3 recruit. I would absolutely reach out to some coaches in your area. Check out some of the teams that competed at nationals last year to find out what schools are worth your time. D3 is a perfect option for those who love competing, but still want to get the most out of their college experience.

Really? Why have I never seen any in my daughter's races at Nuttycomb or Pre nats or Notre Dame? She has never competed against a D3 school in XC or track.

I didn’t start running until walking on at my D3 school In 1990 and I had a fantastic experience.

We had a talented team (an 8:20/14:19 guy, a 4:10 high school miler/14:25 guy, A 4:16 high school miler/8:54 steeples, two other sub 15:00 guys, 3 guys who ran 1:50 +/- :01) full of guys who took it pretty seriously. We were Greer than plenty of teams in higher divisions.

We were in upstate NY but traveled to Penn Relays, Colonial Relays and other quality meets with quality it y competition.

And our coach held no sway over us by way of scholarship control.

Going D1 at the right school would have been great. Going any division at the wrong school would be miserable.

Oshkosh was national champ those years and they weren't as good as your team.

What are your academic goals and interests? What can you afford, and can you get financial aid for academics and/or athletics (latter D2 or D3). Those should be your first questions. The type of school and athletics program are usually secondary.

There is a lot--like a ton--of snobbery here on letsrun. You have to be D1 or Ivy League, or you are a nobody in their book. But they are nothing but a bunch of preening peacocks and pay them no mind.

It's worth your while to look a spectrum of opportunities. As a scholarship athlete you do what the coaches ask and what the program requires. D3 do have some very solid teams and programs, but at those you are more of a student-athlete and your academics generally outweigh what you are doing for your team, like if you have a lab or field trip the coach is going to defer to that, whereas a D1 coach would be more likely to say, my way or the highway.

Obviously the level of competition is much better at D1, but find out what the coach and team at a particular school are like.

And yes, D3 schools do sometimes compete at big time meets in XC and track. It just depends. However, I've seen D3 schools line up at Stanford or Sundodger on the West Coast, and places like UW also have indoor meets with runners from all divisions. Likewise, Drake or Penn Relays take runners from all divisions and entry is based on performance, not prestige of the program.

Nah, I never raced against any D3 dreamers in my 4 years in college, it was almost exclusively fellow D1 P5 competitors in my sections, heats, races. Some non-P5 D1ers might have sneaked in there but they weren't close enough to me to be noticed. Plus D3 schools couldn't afford to get to most of the meets my program went to.

predictors wrote:

Really? Why have I never seen any in my daughter's races at Nuttycomb or Pre nats or Notre Dame? She has never competed against a D3 school in XC or track.

Because your pathetically slow daughter is probably being put only in home meets, and it sounds like she is at an ivy league school, so their home meets are almost only against other ivy schools.

Or you lack eyes, so you just arent noticing that there are a smattering of d3 kids at meets hosted by d1 schools.

The person you're replying to has a basic point: if you're fast, it doesnt matter what division you're in, you'll be put into races with fast people.

Do you know that Nuttycomb is at Wisconsin? Do you know that Pre nats are at places like Terre Haute or Louisville? Do you know where Notre Dame is? Did you even read my question? My daughter runs several meets all over the country. D3 schools are not invited to the meets. Look at the schedules for Stanford and NAU and Iowa State and Wisconsin and Oregon.

You can fact check my if you want. They weren’t all on the same team at the same time - but I ran with them all my 4 years on the team.

Howie Sellers - 1993 800m outdoor national champion (1:52)

Joe McCullen - 1992 800m runner up outdoor 800m (1:50)

Dennis King - 1:51 in 1997 (freshman my junior year)

Todd Orvis - 4:10 high school miler; 14:25 at BU in 1992

Scott Carroll - 1994 national champ steeplechase (8:56)

William Vanos - 1994 national runner up at 10,000m (30:22 at Colonial Relays); 14:19 at 1994 Penn Relays

Todd Rogers - 2 time D3 All America XC; 14:55 in 1993

Jason Dejoy - 14:xx and 31:10

Also on my teams:

Jeoff York - multiple D3 national champion in the high hurdles

Wilfredo Rodrigues - D3 national champion in high hurdles (1989 - the year before I got there)

We finished 4th at outdoor nationals my senior year and finished 3rd at XC nationals twice.