Can a prospective student-athlete achieve a minimum required SAT or ACT score during their first term to satisfy eligibility requirements?

A prospective student-athlete cannot achieve a minimum required SAT or ACT score during their first term to satisfy eligibility requirements because the NCAA has specific rules regarding when a student-athlete must complete standardized testing in relation to their eligibility for collegiate athletics. Typically, the NCAA requires that the SAT or ACT scores be attained prior to the student-athlete's graduation from high school, and these scores must meet the minimum requirements established for NCAA Division I or II eligibility.

The timing of when these standardized tests must be completed is crucial as it ties directly into the initial eligibility standards that prospective student-athletes must meet before they can participate in intercollegiate athletics. Thus, while a student may take the SAT or ACT during their first term in college, those scores would not retroactively satisfy the eligibility requirements needed to participate in NCAA sports.