One ball away from a dream: How squash helps you get into the world’s best universities

Getting into prestigious world-renowned universities in the USA and England is not as impossible a task as it may seem at first glance. In some cases, it is sports that helps to get into the university of one’s dreams. One of such stories was discussed on the air of the Russian Squash Federation.

A young athlete Yulia Zhukovets thanks to her achievements in squash managed to enter Yale, one of the eight oldest American universities, which is a member of the Ivy League. She is ranked number one in Ukraine’s Under-19 rankings, among the top 4 best women’s squash players in Ukraine and among the top 13 in Europe. Contrary to some stereotypes, sporting achievements not only did not prevent the girl from continuing her education, but also pushed her to new heights.

Although at first glance Yulia’s enrollment may seem like a chain of happy accidents, all the events in her life are the result of perseverance and dedication to sports. The girl learned about the possibility of entering a foreign country with the help of squash only in the 11th grade, because of which she had to take a year’s break in her studies. It took time to find a university willing to accept a foreign student on the basis of athletic performance.

Nadine Arseniev, founder of the American squash club Squash on Fire, notes that different universities in the United States are interested in different sports. For example, the University of Texas has strong American soccer and rowing teams. While squash is of interest to universities such as Yale, which has a solid team of players with a good reputation.

At the same time, only 50 universities offer places for girls squash players, and twice as many for boys.

How are athletes selected for admission?

In search of talented athletes, university recruiters often attend major championships where they select the best. However, this is not the only way. Yulia was able to enter and without their help. Although an important role is played by the applicant’s level of preparation, which is evaluated by the record of the match, sports achievements are not the only criterion for selection.

The applicant’s rating is made up of several indicators: academic grades, regular and successful performances at championships are important, and in addition, playing for the national team is taken into account. Yulia Zhukovets notes that results at big tournaments are often more important than being a member of the national team of one’s native country – its level cannot always be objectively assessed by the university.

According to Yulia, the most difficult thing is to find a university that is ready to offer a sports scholarship to a foreign student. After all, higher education in the United States requires a really big investment: the cost of annual tuition is about $80,000. And in the case of a sports career, money is also needed to participate in tournaments.

Before enrollment, the girl spent about $40,000 on travel and training. Studying at Yale for four years costs $320,000. However, if a junior is in the top of his university, he receives grants and discounts and does not pay the full cost of either court rent or coaching fees.

How do I get an athletic grant for tuition?

There are several ways. The degree of financial support depends on the level of income of the university itself. Some institutions provide grants to international students, in others the amount of financial aid is determined based on the student’s family budget. Financial aid may also be awarded as a reward for academic or athletic achievements. For example, three universities offer scholarships for playing squash: Stanford, Drake University, and George Washington University. Players on teams at these universities receive regular payments as long as they continue to participate in matches. If, however, a student drops out due to injury or other reasons, the scholarship is not paid.

On the University Squash Association website you can check the ranking of the universities and find the contacts of the coaches in order to interact with them directly. In the letter, the applicant should tell about his/her sports ranking and academic achievements, indicate the tournaments he/she has participated in and attach references. Julia advises to start sending letters two years before enrollment.

Of course, this requires a high level of English, confirmed by an international certificate. American universities require ACT (about 1250-1300 points out of 1600), SAT (1250-1400 points) and TOEFL (minimum 100 points out of 120 for Ivy League universities; for other institutions, 85-90 points are usually sufficient).

Can I combine my university studies and professional sports?

The ability to combine studying and playing for the national team depends largely on the dates of the European Championships. Sometimes competitions can coincide with exams – in this case you have to choose, but, in general, you can find time even to play for the national team. And after university it is quite realistic to build a career in professional sport.

It’s really an unforgettable experience: the university is one of the top 5 best universities in the world, and the people who surround you there are something incredible. The team is very close-knit, we always support each other and even off the court we spend a lot of time together.

According to Yulia, athletes are very valued on campus. Being a student at a prestigious university is hard enough as it is, and when mornings and evenings are taken up with training and weekends with traveling to tournaments, students have an extra workload. And playing for the university team is a whole other level of responsibility.

However, even excelling in sports doesn’t change the fact that students need to do well academically, especially at an Ivy League university. Sports are a conscious choice, but not an excuse for indulgence.

Each student athlete’s daily schedule depends on their personal goals – whether they are practicing only with the team or on their own. During her first semester, Yulia’s weekday routine looked like this: get up at 7:00, personal training at 8:00, then breakfast and classes until 2:00 p.m., followed by a second practice, squash class and stretching.

Yulia: “During the competition it was very hard to leave for the weekend, because no one canceled the homework, and you go all day in the bus, you arrive only by Sunday evening, and on Monday you have to go to lessons again. But the away games are a huge inspiration.”

Where to take your child to squash?

A professional coach can help teach squash. The first place to start is a squash club in your town. If there is no such, it will be much more difficult, but for those who want to find a way out in any situation.

If you are a resident of the capital, you can take a shortcut to the best English universities at the British Squash Academy. Children there train under the supervision of not only Russian but also foreign instructors, which means that the chances of continuing their studies abroad are much higher.

Great achievements require great dedication, but there are no unconquerable heights. If your goal is clear, finding the means to achieve it will not be so difficult, the main thing is to really want it.