dunxiah

I am a USC and have a child in the UK who is in his final year of GCSE's. He has to make a decision very soon about post 16 education. He is a good student and is expected to do OK and in normal circumstances would almost certainly do 3 A'levels and then apply to university in 2 years when he is 18. The issue I have is that he is quite talented at football (Soccer) and has a potential chance to progress. He is currently in the U16 development squad for one of the professional teams in England (not premier league but Div 1). He has an opportunity to take a BTEC course with his football club next year that keeps him in their system and potentially leads to a professional contract via the academy system, similar to the old YTS schemes. The problem is of course that very few kids actually make it and although he has a chance I don't want to limit his options at 18. I have a real interest in him coming to the US for university/college and of course there would be a potential for him to at least attempt to get some soccer scholarship. I know that these are hard to come by and are getting more challenging but it may be a good way for him to continue to play at a high level and also get a great education. I don't want to crush his dreams of a pro career by encouraging him to do A-levels instead of the football BTEC but I really don't know if a BTEC will be recognized in any US college worth applying to. Does anyone have any advice? Specific question is would a BTEC be recognized here or is it safer for him to do A'levels with a view to applying to a US college if he does not make it as a pro at 18?

Owen778

Not sure if this will be helpful for you, but there was an interesting article on the BBC last month about Danny Collinge's move to VfB Stuttgart in Germany, specifically talking about part of his motivation being so he could take the more academic International Baccalaureate (IB) rather than a BTEC in England.

Stuttgart may not be a likely destination for someone training with team below the top divisions, but the article might open his eyes to alternatives.

Danny Collinge: VfB Stuttgart's Englishman 'never questions' move to Germany - BBC Sport

dunxiah

Thank you. This is a great article. Certainly helps. Really appreciate you finding this.

petitefrancaise

sorry, I don't have time to read through all this but I think this gives you the information you need.
NCAA Publications - International Standards 2015-2016 - Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility - UPDATED October 2015

dunxiah

Thank you. This is very useful.

Lion in Winter

He can also take the SAT tests as an international student. It is one of the main university entrance considerations in the US.

https://collegereadiness.collegeboar.../international

And he can take AP exams, too.

https://professionals.collegeboard.o...ternational/ap

I don't know how these will weigh up here vs A levels, but asking some individual US universities might help. Their admissions offices are generally helpful.

My son is going the other way, US to UK, and UK universities accept SAT, ACT (another SAT-like exam) and APs as qualifications.

petitefrancaise

I'm never totally sure about doing these as an international applicant, or at least non US educated.

The US kids get literally trained to do these types of test for years. Certainly the SAT almost everyone around here gets extra private tuition. International kids never do as well and although they are supposed to be given a bit of leeway because of their lack of prep, at the end of the day, the admissions people will see a particular score that may not be as high as they would expect and make a decision. My daughter did an SAT from outside the USA and did really well. The following year, she did it from her US high school, she'd had a bit of prep but got an almost perfect score. These tests are supposed to be about "intelligence" but actually, they really are about how well you prep for them.

Lion in Winter

I don't know how US colleges view them really. In my son's high school, the people with money buy private tutors for their kids not only for these tests, but for school classes as well. They spend large sums of money. I'm not in a position to do that, even if I wanted to or thought it was a good idea. My son, born and schooled entirely in the US, did fine in his SATs - not top rank, but fine, and certainly high enough to meet the requirements of many British universities. He used some free online resources and did practice tests. He wasn't trained for it for years at all. He rather wished he had been in some ways.

As to the quality of the test as a measure of intelligence, or aptitude, etc. they are probably highly unsatisfactory but I provided the info not as a recommendation of the test as a test, but as a means to get into a US university if the BTEC is not accepted.

petitefrancaise

For the OP, I would contact the international admissions department of any of the colleges that might of interest and ask them directly. BTEC from the UK, is covered extensively in the NCAA guidelines that I linked to above.