Help

[MMokhtar]

Hello,
How are you and how's pole vaulting ?
I'm Egyptian pole vaulter training in Italy with Petrov's pole vaulters, but I have to go back to Egypt for my college and here in Egypt we got very bad pole vaulting conditions, the best one cleared 5.05 from 15 years
I really feel so bad when I think it's impossible to achieve my dream in PV, I'm trying to find a college in USA to continue studying there, I study electronic engineering and I just finished 2 years in it, so I'm doing my best to achieve what I want, I was asking if you can help me in this situation as you sure know about the colleges in US, by the way I'm 19 years old my PB 4.50m, I'm jumping for 3 years without PV pit and no gymnastics hall since I started vaulting, I will be so grateful if you can help me Long live pole vaulting , Thanks anyway.

M.Mokhtar

[rainbowgirl28]

You should focus on what it takes to be admitted to the schools you are interested in. The standards are usually pretty high for foreign students, and you need extra things like the TOEFL.

4.50m will not get you any scholarship money at most schools, especially as a foreign athlete, but I would image that you could walk-on (train and compete but no financial aid) at many schools.

Focus on which schools you want to attend and find out if you have a reasonable chance of being admitted. Begin the application process. Then email the coaches.

Also, it sounds like you have completed several years of university classes, but universities in the US all require lots of general education requirements. So you may have to spend your first year taking unrelated classes like History, English Composition or Literature, etc. Every school is different.

[dj]

hello

i would suggest you look at junior colleges and naia school.. pass your TOFEL..

and if you are the best vaulter in your country talk to your federation AND education department about paying your way for at least two years to come to the states to study and train..

pick a educational area that your country needs for the future... which could be any or all.. medical, physio.. socoial services..etc...

also find out where other Egyptian students are attending school in the US...

if you can get this done i can give you some very good schools to attend.. that you caqn vault and improve..

masha la ma

dj

[MMokhtar]

Thanks for your fast reply, the problem that I know 450 got nothing to do for me in Financial aids, and I heard before studying in US is very expensive specially for foreign guys.
I will continue looking for coaches in schools and colleges, but do you know websites for schools got some athletes near to my record and got electronic engineering ?
and when do you start your semester in US ?

Thanks

MMOKHTAR

[MMokhtar]

dj, I know my Federation well , will never pay for me to study there and train there.
My studying area is Electronic engineering and I will pass TOEFL when I contact the school and starts preparing myself, but do you think they can equate the subjects I took and continue or they will let me from the first.

MMokhtar

[rainbowgirl28]

Thanks for your fast reply, the problem that I know 450 got nothing to do for me in Financial aids, and I heard before studying in US is very expensive specially for foreign guys.
I will continue looking for coaches in schools and colleges, but do you know websites for schools got some athletes near to my record and got electronic engineering ?
and when do you start your semester in US ?

Thanks

MMOKHTAR

Yes, it is usually very expensive for foreign athletes to attend college within the US. I agree with dj that seeking financial support from your country is the best place to start looking for help. Perhaps there are other organizations within your country that assist students and/or athletes who want to study abroad?

I don't know what schools offer electrical engineering. Pretend that you are not an athlete, which schools would you like to attend? Find that out first, then you can research their pole vaulters by looking up the school on this website: http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/College/

Even if their top vaulters are around 4.50, that does not mean you would get financial aid. Some smaller schools may give a small amount of financial aid to a local vaulter of that ability, but it is unlikely they would do the same for a foreign athlete. I agree that the NAIA is the division of school that is most likely to be able to offer you some sort of financial aid. If your goal is to improve, you should seek a school with athletes who are better than you. If a university's best male vaulters are under 4.60, they may not have good coaching.


The indoor track season begins in December and the outdoor season begins in March. Most schools are on quarters or semesters. If a schools is on quarters, their fall quarter usually starts late September, winter quarter January, and spring quarter April. If a school is on semesters, usually the fall semester begins in August and the spring semester in January.

The application deadlines for fall 2010 are usually in the winter, as in the next few months. I think most schools will probably not even talk to you without a TOEFL score, so you really need to take that as soon as possible. Every school has different requirements for admission, so you need to read their website and find out what they need.


Some of the university-level classes you have taken may transfer, it is difficult to say. I definitely agree with DJ that you should find schools where other students from your country attend, especially those who have attended the same university.