The Foreign Service Journal, June 2007

80 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J U N E 2 0 0 7 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT how it all works, go to www.ncaa.org. Keep in mind that while you may be a star on the playing field or court overseas, your skill level may not be competitive with high school players in the States. Your coach should be able to help you determine how you compare. Also, many summer sports camps in the U.S. offer a recruiting angle for serious athletes — this will also give you an idea of how you stack up. If you simply enjoy playing your sport and want a low-pressure envi- ronment, then intramural or club sports might be the best way to go. In any case, because the majority of freshmen varsity athletes are not competing by their senior year for various reasons (injury, being cut from the team, finding participation too demanding, etc.), choose a col- lege for its academics over its athlet- ics. 11. Someone to debate with ... or not? Do political and religious diversity matter to you, or would you feel more comfortable with people, well, just like you? Many FS stu- dents welcome diverse viewpoints and lively debate. But here’s a dif- ferent story. Last year I counseled a high school senior who applied to only one school: a small Bible col- lege where acceptance was more or less guaranteed and that everyone else in her family had attended. I urged her to look at a much wider diversity of schools, but she sat down, looked me in the eye, and (Continued from page 76) Some colleges and universities make internationalism central to their identity.