Dozens of Milton athletes go on to play sports at the collegiate level every year. These programs require more time, intensity, and independence than anything they’ve done before. Though the jump from high school to college sports looks different for each sport and division, Milton prides itself on a rigorous athletic program. But how well does Milton truly prepare athletes for what's next?
Casey Simmons ‘21, a basketball player who started his college career at Northwestern University and then transferred to Yale, said that the biggest change for him was not in his skills but in the structure of playing college sports. Simmons said, "I would say Milton gets you ready for the time management part… knowing that you will have a lot of schoolwork and sports to do at the same time.” He added, "Depending on where you go, the sports may be more intense than in high school, but that could be true everywhere… It's still a big step to go from high school to college."
That sense of escalation appears across sports. For Becca White ‘25, now a member of the Williams College women’s ice hockey team, Milton’s preparation goes beyond just practices and games. “I think Milton did a really good job preparing me to be a Williams student-athlete both academically and athletically,” White said.
She noted that college is "more intense and time-consuming both in and out of the classroom," but Milton gave her "a toolbox of skills" that she could use right away. White also said that division is important. She said, "The athletic commitment is less strict at Williams because it is a D3 school… Even though I've been working out more, it's not nearly as much as other college athletes, which made the athletic part of the transition a lot easier."
For some athletes, the biggest adjustment isn’t physical at all—it’s cultural. Reese Jensen ‘25, who plays golf at Harvard, described how Milton prepared him for a team-oriented version of a sport that had always felt individual. “Golf has always been strictly individual for me,” Jensen said, “but in college it is much more of a team game.”
Those lessons didn’t come from the golf course alone. “Having those experiences even in JV sports was super helpful for working within a team,” he said. Jensen credits Milton’s athletic culture for helping him succeed immediately at the next level, adding that he has already been able “to compete and make the lineup in my first season.”
Nia Phillips ‘25, a current softball player at Wesleyan, summed up the culture of college sports as, “a full-time job” whereas at Milton it’s “something you do because you have to or you like it.” Her comment highlights a shift many college athletes experience: athletics becoming less of an extracurricular and more of a daily obligation, even if you love playing.
Behind the scenes, the road to college sports often starts earlier and requires more than you might think. College Counselor Lauren Kudisch, who is also Milton's Athletic Liaison, explained that the recruiting process is very different for each sport, division, and player. She said, "The college athletic recruitment process can start at different times, from the end of freshman year to the end of junior year."
Kudisch cautioned that students often overlook the most important first step of this process. “A student’s first point of contact should always be their current coach,” she said, noting that coaches are best positioned to assess how a player’s ability may translate to the collegiate level. She also recommends that students familiarize themselves with the NCAA Eligibility Center and recruiting calendars, which govern when and how college coaches are allowed to communicate with prospective athletes.
These perspectives suggest that Milton's preparation for college sports isn't about copying the college experience in a high school setting; it's about making habits that will last through change. The jump may still be steep, but all the alumni interviewed feel like they were ready to take it.