Recruited from overseas Here's what nobody told me
An honest guide for international athletes heading to US college sport, from someone who made the move, swam Division II, transferred to Division I and came out the other side with two degrees, a bachelor's and a master's.
The guide launches on 1 November 2026, and 5 people on the launch list, picked at random, get it free.
Join the launch list
The guide launches on 1 November 2026. Sign up and you'll be the first to know.
5 people on the launch list will get the guide free.
Winners are picked at random and emailed a code when the guide goes live on 1 November.
Free to enter, one entry per email address. Sign up by 31 October to be in the draw. Read the draw terms.
Your details
You're on the list
Thanks for signing up. You'll get an email when the guide launches on 1 November, and if you're one of the 5 picked at random, your free code will be in it.
31days until launch
Who this is for
Anyone outside the US weighing up college sport there, in any sport, and the families helping them decide.
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You're still at school and wondering if it's realistic
You've heard about sports scholarships in America and want to know whether it's worth pursuing, and what it really involves for someone from outside the US.
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You're talking to coaches or weighing up offers
You want to know what to ask, what your offer covers and doesn't, and what life on that team will be like before you commit.
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You're already in the US
You're finding the first year harder than expected, thinking about transferring, or planning what comes after your last season.
The side you don't usually hear about
The highlights are easy to find. What's harder to find is what it's actually like to arrive alone, train twice a day and keep your visa, your grades and your head in order. This is my account of it, start to finish. Not just the tip of the iceberg.
What gets posted
What it's actually like
Written from experience
Every part comes from going through it as an international athlete, including the parts that didn't go to plan.
No promises
I can't promise you a scholarship, and the guide doesn't try to. It's what to expect, what to ask and what to watch out for, so you can make your own call.
Built for internationals
Visas, eligibility, homesickness, budget and transfers, as I experienced them as someone who isn't from there.
The guide
An International Athlete's Honest Guide to US College Sports
A practical playbook, based on my own experience, that walks you through the whole journey, from deciding whether to go at all to what comes after your last race.
Instant PDF download.
Out on 1 November 2026.
Six parts, in the order you'll live them
Read it front to back before you go, or jump to the part you're in right now.
Before you apply
Whether US college sport is right for you, and what to sort out at home first.
Getting recruited
Finding realistic programmes, contacting coaches and weighing up offers.
Arriving in America
What the visa process was like for me, the first weeks on campus and the culture shock nobody warns you about.
Surviving and thriving
Training load, classes, budget and looking after yourself far from home.
The transfer portal
When moving makes sense, how the process works and how to do it well.
Life after sport
Degrees, work options and building a life once competing ends.
Who's behind this
I'm an international swimmer who made the move to the US for college sport. I started at a Division II programme, where I completed my bachelor's degree. I then used the transfer portal to swim at a Division I school, where I completed my master's degree. I miss the world of sport and everything it gave me. This is my way of staying part of it, and of helping the next athlete from overseas chase the same dream with fewer surprises.
- Leaving homeRecruited from overseas
- Division IIBachelor's degree
- Transfer portalMoved up to Division I
- Division IMaster's degree, four years in total
Free times check for swimmers
Not sure which universities to target? Send your times over and I'll give you an honest read on which divisions and programmes look realistic for you, with five schools to start with. It's free until the guide launches, and there's no obligation.
Email your times by 31 October 2026. The free check closes when the guide launches on 1 November.
- Your name and countryAlex Taylor, England
- Male or femaleMale
- Your events and best times, saying whether each is SCY, SCM or LCM200 IM 2:08.41 LCM
400 IM 4:31.02 LCM - The year you'd start college2028
- Your grades or GPA, if you know them3.7 GPA
- Any divisions or schools you're already consideringDivision I, open to all
The email button fills in these headings for you.
Questions
Is the guide only for swimmers?
No. The guide is written for international athletes in any sport. The free times check, open until the guide launches, is the one part that's just for swimmers, because swimming is the sport I know well enough to judge times honestly.
Can you guarantee me a scholarship?
No. Scholarships are decided by college coaches and programmes. What the guide gives you is an honest account of how the process went for me, so you can make better decisions.
Do you give immigration or visa advice?
No. I'm not an immigration adviser or lawyer. Anything about visas in the guide is based on my own experience as an international student-athlete. For advice on your situation, speak to your college's international student office or a qualified immigration adviser.
Is Offshore Athlete connected to the NCAA or any college?
No. Offshore Athlete is independent and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the NCAA or any college or university.