Country guide · Ireland
US sports scholarships for athletes from Ireland.
Grade conversion, NCAA eligibility, English requirements and the visa route, for student-athletes applying from Ireland.
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01The short version
Five steps from Ireland.
What to do, in order. The last one is where most athletes stall.
- 01
Keep your Leaving Certificate grades up
Higher-level subjects graded H1 down to H8.
- 02
Check the English waiver
Many programs waive the English test for applicants from Ireland. Check each school on your list.
- 03
Register for eligibility
With the NCAA Eligibility Center, or the NAIA or NJCAA centre if that is your route.
- 04
Build a highlight video
Open with your best 20 seconds: a coach decides in the first clip.
- 05
Email coaches directly
The step almost everyone skips, and the one that decides the outcome.
02Grade conversion
Leaving Certificate to US GPA.
Higher-level subjects graded H1 down to H8. This mapping is indicative: the NCAA Eligibility Center uses approved credential evaluators, and their conversion is the official one.
| Ireland grade | Indicative US equivalent |
|---|---|
| H1 | A |
| H2 | B+ |
| H3 | B |
| H4 | C+ |
| H5 | C |
| H6 | D |
03What to get right
The four things that decide it.
Transcripts, English, amateur status and the visa: what athletes applying from Ireland need to have in order.
- 01
Leaving Certificate
US colleges recognise the Leaving Certificate. Send certified transcripts for every year of secondary school, not only the final one.
- 02
English requirement
Usually waived.
- 03
Amateur status
Playing in a club academy is usually fine. Prize money, a professional contract or a signing fee can affect NCAA amateur status, so declare anything you have received rather than leaving it out.
- 04
F-1 student visa
Your college issues a Form I-20 once you are admitted. You then pay the SEVIS fee and book an interview at the nearest US embassy or consulate. Start as soon as the I-20 arrives, since interview waits vary widely by post.
04By sport
An established pathway from Ireland.
Each one opens the coaches recruiting that sport from Ireland.
05Questions
Questions from Ireland.
Can athletes from Ireland get US college sports scholarships?
Yes. US colleges recruit internationally across all three NCAA divisions as well as the NAIA and NJCAA. You need to meet the academic standard of the division you are targeting, register with the relevant eligibility centre, and make direct contact with coaches. Nothing about being based in Ireland disqualifies you.
How is the Leaving Certificate converted to a US GPA?
Higher-level subjects graded H1 down to H8. The table on this page shows the indicative mapping to US letter grades. The official conversion is not done by the college: the NCAA Eligibility Center uses approved credential evaluation services, and their result is the one that counts.
Do I need TOEFL or IELTS?
Usually waived.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
For NCAA Division I and II the SAT and ACT are no longer required for initial eligibility. Individual colleges still set their own admissions policy, so some will ask for a score and some will not. Check the specific programs on your list rather than assuming.
When should I start if I am studying in Ireland?
Two academic years before you intend to enrol is a comfortable runway. That leaves time for eligibility registration, transcript evaluation, any English test, a highlight video, and the coach outreach itself, which is the part that takes longest.
06Start
Start contacting coaches.
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