I'm a good student with a 3.9 GPA and an alright runner(1653 5k), but due to my times I'm looking at D3 hoping to get in with an academic scholarship and then running xc and track there. So, what are NAIA schools as compared to D3 schools? Are NAIA schools worth looking at?
Forget making broad generalizations like this. Find a handful of schools that interest you and apply to them. Look specifically at running and academic programs, regardless of Division. NAIA/DIII/DII/DI has some great running schools, some lousy running schools, some good academic schools, and some schools that are beneath you, and every single combination of all of those things.
I was quite a bit faster in high school than a teammate of mine and he went DI and didn't really like it and I went DIII and excelled. Each of our schools was a good fit for us academically, and I know neither of us regrets our decision, despite the fact that I would have probably run faster in his program and he would have run faster in mine.
SCIENCE! wrote:
Forget making broad generalizations like this. Find a handful of schools that interest you and apply to them. Look specifically at running and academic programs, regardless of Division. NAIA/DIII/DII/DI has some great running schools, some lousy running schools, some good academic schools, and some schools that are beneath you, and every single combination of all of those things.
I was quite a bit faster in high school than a teammate of mine and he went DI and didn't really like it and I went DIII and excelled. Each of our schools was a good fit for us academically, and I know neither of us regrets our decision, despite the fact that I would have probably run faster in his program and he would have run faster in mine.
+1000
This. Choose the school first, academics second.
In the NAIA, there are scholarships which you would definitely receive at many institutions. The downside is most NAIA schools don't have an established academic reputation. For academics DIII is usually way better, and the running is usually better as well.
Some NAIA colleges have excellent regional reputations and rank high in some regions of the country, just like any category. So academically, it depends.
You should look at NAIA options, many will regard you as a student first(+scholarship) and the coach will likely throw you a bone (+scholarship) to help raise the academic reputation of his team.
You could get a great private college education at a discount and maybe you will be able to participate as an important member of the team.