College Becoming A College Cheerleader

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Jun 25, 2015
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I’m really hoping to cheer in college, but I’m terrible at tryouts. I want to go to a school where I can cheer, but where there isn’t a ton of crazy tryout requirements or competition. Does anyone know if there any schools where it’s easier to become a cheerleader?
If not, what steps should I be taking this year to work towards becoming a college cheerleader?
 
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I’m really hoping to cheer in college, but I’m terrible at tryouts. I want to go to a school where I can cheer, but where there isn’t a ton of crazy tryout requirements or competitions. Does anyone know if there any schools where it’s easier to become a cheerleader?
If not, what steps should I be taking this year to work towards becoming a college cheerleader?

There are a lot of schools that don’t have crazy cheer requirements- they’re just the smaller colleges. You definitely want to look for your major first- don’t choose a school solely based on if you can cheer there. There are always open teams if cheering at your college is not an option! I’m in PA and went to a few of these schools and checked out a few. I know Widener University, Delaware Valley University, York College of PA, Neumann University and Gwynedd Mercy, are not super strict on tumbling. They’d love for you to have it but it’s not one of those make or break things for them. But definitely base your decision on the education first!!!!


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Thanks! My main issue is that I’m pretty strong academically, and I looked for schools based on the education part first, but now my list consists of schools like Bama and Duke that have really difficult tryout requirements. My tumbling is good but my stunts are only okay and game day skills aren’t great. I could look into open teams too though! I guess it also really depends where I end up actually applying and getting accepted.
 
Putting on guidance counselor hat.

What is your major or majors? My suggestion is to look at smaller academically solid colleges and U’s-a lot of them have great financial aid for high stat kids, often have good research programs and opportunities beyond what is typically offered to undergraduates at larger schools if you want to do them, and also tend to be a little easier to make competitive teams on, particularly the NCAA division III schools. A few that are on CP’s list, along with Purdue and Auburn (where she likely has no prayer of making a squad) are University of Alabama at Huntsville (NCA cheer) and Tennessee Tech (UCA cheer), as well as Sewanee and Davidson (sideline/game day).
 
Thanks! My major is most likely going to be either early childhood or elementary education. I’ve been looking almost exclusively at top schools with division 1 sports which is making the cheer thing pretty difficult. I know I’ll have a better chance at making a cheer team if I go to a small school, but cheer isn’t exactly my top priority, and I’m only really interested in medium-large schools.
 
I forgot to mention! I care more about being a sideline (football) cheerleader than a competition cheerleader, if that makes any difference.
 
Thanks! My main issue is that I’m pretty strong academically, and I looked for schools based on the education part first, but now my list consists of schools like Bama and Duke that have really difficult tryout requirements. My tumbling is good but my stunts are only okay and game day skills aren’t great. I could look into open teams too though! I guess it also really depends where I end up actually applying and getting accepted.

Not to pimp out my own school but look at GWU in DC. I have a few sorority sisters on the team and they absolutely love it. You can make it with just back handspring or even less if you have stunting experience too and were generally considered to be a pretty rigorous school academically.
 
Not to pimp out my own school but look at GWU in DC. I have a few sorority sisters on the team and they absolutely love it. You can make it with just back handspring or even less if you have stunting experience too and were generally considered to be a pretty rigorous school academically.
You go to GW? That's where I went to grad school!
 
Not to pimp out my own school but look at GWU in DC. I have a few sorority sisters on the team and they absolutely love it. You can make it with just back handspring or even less if you have stunting experience too and were generally considered to be a pretty rigorous school academically.
Thanks I’ll definitely look at it!
 
Thanks! My major is most likely going to be either early childhood or elementary education. I’ve been looking almost exclusively at top schools with division 1 sports which is making the cheer thing pretty difficult. I know I’ll have a better chance at making a cheer team if I go to a small school, but cheer isn’t exactly my top priority, and I’m only really interested in medium-large schools.

Elementary Ed Major and College cheerleader here! ;)
Make sure that you tour all the schools that you think you want to go to before deciding on them! For the longest time I was decided on a school but the second I stepped on campus I decided that it was farrrr too big for me. Other things to consider besides just getting in is scholarships and such. I ended up at a D1 School that even went to the NCAA tourney this year. It isn't a Bama or a Duke but it still has provided me with an awesome game day experience thus far and we have a couple of girls on the team without tucks. The cool thing about being an Elementary Ed major is that your major won't be too hard to find at most schools but also keep in mind that some schools do NOT allow you to student teach and cheer which could keep you from cheering half your senior year!

Best of luck to you and if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM :)
 
Elementary Ed Major and College cheerleader here! ;)
Make sure that you tour all the schools that you think you want to go to before deciding on them! For the longest time I was decided on a school but the second I stepped on campus I decided that it was farrrr too big for me. Other things to consider besides just getting in is scholarships and such. I ended up at a D1 School that even went to the NCAA tourney this year. It isn't a Bama or a Duke but it still has provided me with an awesome game day experience thus far and we have a couple of girls on the team without tucks. The cool thing about being an Elementary Ed major is that your major won't be too hard to find at most schools but also keep in mind that some schools do NOT allow you to student teach and cheer which could keep you from cheering half your senior year!

Best of luck to you and if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a PM :)
Thank you so much!!
 
My 2 or 3 cents worth. Just had my oldest finish 4 years with NCSU cheer. Three of those in middle school education. (Changed her major start of senior year). They do allow cheerleaders to student teach and still cheer. Yes. It was always her dream to cheer there but she fell in love with the school when she went on an official visit in HS. That made all the difference. NCSU has one of the top cheer programs in the nation but if she hated the school-all of that would not have made a difference. Some other schools to look at-App State. They have an eduction program. Good athletics, and their cheer team does not compete. Duke I think might be a ground bound program with restrictions on what they can do. I know UNC does not twist in the air or on the ground. So across the board there are so many different programs with all kinds of skill sets they want in their cheer program. Go to some cheer clinics at the schools. See what the vibe is like. Most offer one in the spring and one in the fall. Good luck!
 
My 2 or 3 cents worth. Just had my oldest finish 4 years with NCSU cheer. Three of those in middle school education. (Changed her major start of senior year). They do allow cheerleaders to student teach and still cheer. Yes. It was always her dream to cheer there but she fell in love with the school when she went on an official visit in HS. That made all the difference. NCSU has one of the top cheer programs in the nation but if she hated the school-all of that would not have made a difference. Some other schools to look at-App State. They have an eduction program. Good athletics, and their cheer team does not compete. Duke I think might be a ground bound program with restrictions on what they can do. I know UNC does not twist in the air or on the ground. So across the board there are so many different programs with all kinds of skill sets they want in their cheer program. Go to some cheer clinics at the schools. See what the vibe is like. Most offer one in the spring and one in the fall. Good luck!
Thanks so much! I really need to find a time to visit some schools, I haven’t visited any yet and I start applying in a couple of months.
 
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