Choose a College, Not a Division

"I have to run faster by the time I graduate, so I can get a scholarship and go to college."

I overheard a high school student on my team say this the other day after practice. I didn't say anything at the time—what would I say? I live in an area where a guy running a mile in five minutes is fast and many students cannot afford running shoes let alone college tuition. 

Overhearing this comment reaffirmed my decision to join the D3 Glory Days team. Without D3 coverage, many students overlook the division when applying to college. They, along with many others, think that if they do not run for a D1 school, they might as well not run at all. 

While considering what I could say to this student, I realized my response would be more than comparing their times to recruiting standards. 

In high school, I ran a 4:43 in the 1500m. This time would have been good enough to get me into a D1 or D2 program, and yet I did not consider division to be a factor in my decision. 

In my freshman year of college, I ran a 4:55 in the 1500m. By the time I graduated, I ran a 4:13 in the 1500m prelims at nationals. This improvement was the result of many factors, including the program I was running for. 

Emily running 4:13 in the 2021 Outdoor 1500m Prelims

This isn’t my argument for why D3 is better than D1 or D2. I did not choose to run D3; I chose to run for SUNY Geneseo. This is my argument for choosing a college where you will be successful regardless of the division. 

The Reality of Scholarships

One difference between divisions is colleges’ ability to offer athletic scholarships. D1 and D2 schools can offer students money for athletics, but D3 schools cannot. This is a well-known fact, and yet many misconceptions surrounding college athletics and scholarships exist. 

Colleges in each division have recruiting standards. You must be recruited by a coach to join any collegiate running program. You can also “walk-on” to the team, but usually, you must be within the recruiting standards set by the coach. 

D1 and D2 colleges can offer runners scholarships to run for their programs. These scholarships follow the “equivalency model,” which means that coaches distribute money across multiple athletes. This makes receiving a full-ride scholarship rare. 

Additionally, an athletic scholarship is not a guaranteed source of financial aid. Athletes can lose their scholarships if they are injured or ineligible. Their scholarships might also not be renewed after one year. Check out this site to get a better sense of the scholarship stats for each college. 

Since scholarships are partial and competitive, many runners go to D1 programs without receiving much money for athletics. They do this for many reasons, like training and competing at a high level. Some recruits, who are considered lower-level in D1, choose to run for a D2 program to receive more scholarship money and be more competitive with other athletes in the division. 

While D3 schools cannot offer athletic scholarships, they can offer academic scholarships and need-based financial aid packages. These options can help lower the cost of D3 schools. They are more secure and often amount to more money than athletic scholarships. 

In D3, runners can also use athletics as a tool to get into academically challenging colleges. The athletic department can communicate with admissions regarding the potential of a recruit. In this way, athletes can be given preferred acceptance due to their contribution to a team. 

If you do not receive an athletic scholarship, that does not mean you cannot attend or run at college. While scholarship money is a major factor when choosing a college, I do not recommend allowing it to be the only factor. Consider looking into the various forms of aid that colleges at each level can offer.  

You're Choosing a Lifestyle

D3 runners are slow and lack dedication. They run for fun because they aren't fast enough to run for money. They would go D1 if they could. D1 runners are fast. They are dedicated to the sport. They are better than D3 runners. 

Every college team has its own culture and expectations. This makes it difficult to unpack the differences between divisions without making generalizations. As a rule, I dislike generalizations since they often lead to harmful stereotypes and misconceptions like the ones listed above, which I found on a LetsRun.com forum. 

But, generalizations can be used to better understand options before making decisions. With that said, I am going to make some generalizations about the differences between divisions. 

Running for a D1 team can be like having a full-time job. If you have a scholarship, you have to meet certain obligations to receive that money. If you don't have a scholarship, you still have to put in the work or else you can lose your spot on the team. To run on a top D1 team, you must put in an immense amount of time and effort. 

Running on a D3 team can be less demanding than running on a D1 team. Without the scholarship obligations, pressure to perform, and high-level competition, an athlete can choose not to put in the work. But, a D3 athlete can also choose to put in the same time and effort as a D1 athlete. To me, the difference comes down to choice and obligation.

This difference in obligation can result in more emphasis on either athletics or academics. NCAA D3 claims to focus more on academics, priding itself on its student-athletes, not athlete-students. And yet, D1 athletes must also focus on academics, since they are also students. To me, this emphasis depends on the school, rather than the division. It also depends on the student and their priorities. 

The life of a student-athlete is often divided into three sections: academic, athletic, and social. How do these categories rank on your list of priorities? Does your social life come first? Do you sacrifice sleep to study for your tests? Is running in your Instagram handle?

At Geneseo, I did not prioritize running for the first few years. My lack of effort showed in my times, and yet there was no explicit pressure or obligation to work harder. If there was, I probably would have quit long before my senior year. I continued running for fun and eventually, I decided I wanted to put in the work. 

Emily’s college progression

Since I ran for a D3 program, I was not obliged to prioritize running. Instead, I focused on having fun and enjoying the process, which ultimately led to better results. I talk more about this here.

Since lifestyle factors are often determined by the individual program, I believe that finding a college that suits your needs is more important than choosing solely based on division. Look for a team culture and coaches that will help you be successful.

Where Will You Be Successful?

Be honest with yourself—at what level can you compete? It is no secret that D1 has a higher level of competition than D2 or D3, and many runners are drawn to D1 for that reason.

There are also many other reasons to run for a D1 program if you have the opportunity. D3 schools receive 3.18% of NCAA revenue, while D1 schools receive 60%. This means D1 schools have more funding for athletics which results in greater access to resources, gear, coaches, athletic trainers, and meet entries. Other benefits include scholarship money, name recognition, and an environment for success. 

You may not be on the travel team or become an All-American, but even if you aren’t at the top of the national lists, there is enough depth in the division that you will have athletes push you to faster times. 

Some people argue that lower-level D1 runners should go D2 or D3 where they can be competitive with the top runners. That can be a great option for many athletes. But, I believe runners should run for the sake of running, not recognition or titles. If this means running at a D1 school—I respect that. 

It isn't always a choice, though. Maybe you have the potential to hit the recruiting standards for a competitive D1 college, but you haven't run the times. You might want to consider D2 or D3 programs—these are valid options. 

The names of the divisions imply a rank as if D3 is the last option. It also implies that D1 is the best. Many people believe this since the best collegiate athletes are D1. And yet, running D1 does not guarantee your success. Similarly, running D3 does not limit your success. Fast times are fast times. You can be successful at any level depending on your individual needs, motivations, and work ethic.

Due to the idea that D1 is better, there can be social pressure to choose D1 over D2 or D3. Like I have been saying though, each program has strengths and weaknesses. Take a look at SUNY Binghamton’s all-time top marks and compare them to SUNY Geneseo’s. Binghamton, a D1 running program, isn’t soaring past Geneseo, a D3 program.

SUNY Geneseo Women on the 2021 Podium with the 3rd Place Trophy

I chose to run for Geneseo because they had a strong front pack and I knew I could run in the back and enjoy the process. I prefer to have fun without the pressure and obligation to perform at practice or meets. Intentionally avoiding any extrinsic pressure, I was able to look inside myself and embrace the GXCTF motto: “find your why.” 

In what environment do you thrive? This requires some self-reflection on your motivation and values. It also requires some research on the programs you are applying to. Remember, these differences aren't always divisional. 

My advice to the student on my team boils down to this: don’t go D1 because the people around you think it is a better option; go where you will be successful. 

Why D3? 

There are slow D1 runners and there are fast D3 runners. Programs don’t make you faster; you make you faster. 

Some runners go D3 despite getting offers from D1 schools. Other runners are not fast enough in high school to run D1 or D2, and so they go D3 by default. 

D3 programs offer opportunities for growth for these athletes. Sometimes, high school runners not hitting top times end up being high-caliber athletes by the time they graduate. These are my favorite stories because they show how runners at every level can choose to dedicate themselves to the sport. 

There are many inspiring stories of athletes who accomplished great things at the D3 level. It is our mission to celebrate these runners. By telling their stories, we hope to show that running D3 is a valid first choice. 

We are here to serve you. If you have a story to share or a question to ask, let us know.