Sport at Universities and Colleges in the USA in general:
The amateur sport in may countries is characterised by the division of sport clubs in club leagues. Competitive athletes usually practise their sport as members of traditional clubs and compete with other clubs in leagues according to the level of their competitiveness.
In the USA, these traditional sport clubs do hardly exist. Competitive sports are almost exclusively practised at colleges or universities or the professional level. While athletes also compete in various leagues, the classification of teams within these leagues is not solely based on the level of their competitiveness, but rather on the size of the individual college or university.
The following categories of divisions are distinguished: the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) I, II and III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).
The NCAA I comprises of the biggest colleges and universities in the country. In general, it is fair to say that the level of sports practised in this division is the highest. However, the athletic strength of the individual teams varies greatly, and a strong team in one of the other divisions may well play at a higher level than a weaker team within the NCAA I.
The NCAA II contains smaller universities and consequently a wide scope of teams on various competitive levels. The NCAA III is generally viewed as the weakest division. However, this league does not offer scholarships.
The fourth league, the NAIA, can be compared to the level of the NCAA II in terms of the level of its teams, but it does not comprise as many sports.

The best timing for a fencing scholarship:

The best time to go to the USA with a sport scholarship is right after graduation from high-school or up to two years after. As a rule, only athletes ages 18 - 24 can compete within the college leagues.
Consequently, coaches are increasingly committing to younger athletes as this gives them the opportunity to work with the athletes for a longer period of time. Of course, it is also possible to go to the USA for one year only. However, with every season of sports practised in a club league after high-school, the athlete will lose one year of eligibility to play in the college leagues. The rule is: the earlier you go, the better!!

Fencing scholarships in general:

Fencing is a very popular sport for both men and women at American colleges and universities. Round about 1000 universities and colleges award one or more scholarships to very talented fencing players which enables them to participate in collegiate and intercollegiate matches and possibly also national championships of the respective division.

Competitive level among holders of fencing scholarships:

Athletes, who would like to compete in the NCAA I should compete at the highest amateur level in their respective countries. To compete in the NCAA II or NAIA, one should start in the 2nd or 3rd highest amateur league. Of course, this estimate can only be seen as a rough guideline an varies from country to country.

Requirements for a fencing scholarship:

Athletic scholarships for fencing can be arranged very well. For strong fencing players on the level of the First Division the chances to receive a full scholarship are relatively good.
In order to further raise the attractiveness of your profile and thus receive higher scholarship offers, it is important that you try to participate more in ranking tournaments in the time prior to your studies abroad. This will enable you to further improve your ranking.
An athlete’s position in the national or regional ranking is not, of course, an aspect that can be relied on 100 %, as other factors may influence the level at which the individual athlete will compete. These factors include recent injuries and the length of time that the sport has been practised. Often the athlete’s potential is a vital aspect, as coaches know from experience that even moderate athletic performance can be boosted immensely with their intensive training methods. In these cases, detailed explanations, compelling photographs of the athlete in action and, most importantly, an excellent video according to our advice are even more important.

Fencing training on a fencing scholarship:

Naturally, fencing practice is not conducted in the same way at every university. In general, five practice sessions a week of 2 to 3 hours each are held on the fencing court alone, and additional strength and conditioning training is required as well.
As fencing coaches are sometimes paid according to the success or performance of their teams, fencing practice can seem tough compared to German standards and therefore also takes up a significant amount of the time spent at college. Because of the challenging training, fencing players often reach previously unattained levels of fitness and performance while playing at college, and several go on to be professional athletes after they leave university.

School Fencing season:

Fencing season always begins in winter (Fall Term/ August). Generally, it makes sense to apply for a fencing scholarship beginning in autumn (Fall Term/ August), as you will already be part of the team during the training phase. However, it is vitally important to remember that the application process requires a certain amount of handling time, and applicants should therefore have themselves be evaluated at least three-quarters of a year in advance, or better, even earlier.
It is also possible to arrange fencing scholarships half a year after the season has begun, in spring, for instance if a player of the collegiate team has been injured and the coach needs to recruit backing athletes. At this point in the year, though the number of scholarships offered is rather limited, the chances to be placed immediately prior to the beginning of the season are not bad in fencing.

List of Schools Sponsoring Fencing.

Boston College
Brandeis University
Brown University
California Institute of Technology
City College of New York
Cleveland State University
Columbia University/Barnard College
Cornell University Men's Team
Cornell University Women's Team
Drew University
Duke University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Harvard University
Haverford College
Hunter College
John Hopkins University Men's Fencing
John Hopkins University Women's Fencing
Lafayette College
Lawrence University
MIT Fencing
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New York University
Northwestern University
Ohio State University
Penn State University
Princeton University
Queens College
Sacred Heart University
St. Francis College
St. Johns University
Stanford Fencing Club
Steven Institute of Technology
Temple University Women's Fencing Team
Tufts University
U. of California- San Diego
U. of Detroit Mercy
U. of North Carolina Chapel Hill
U. of Notre Dame
U. of Pennsylvania
U.S. Air Force Academy (Falcon FC)
Vassar College
Wayne State University
Wellesley College
Yale University
Yeshiva University
List of Colleges with Fencing Programs.

Allegheny College Fencing Club
Amarillo College Fencing Association
American University Fencing Club
Amherst College Fencing Club
Appalachian State University Fencing Club
Arizona State University Fencing Club- Salle Diablo
Augustana College Fencing Club
Ball State Fencing Club
Bates College Fencing Club
Baylor University Fencing Club
Beloit Fencing Club
Bernard M. Baruch College
Binghamton University Fencing Club
Boston University Fencing Club
Bowdoin College
Brazosport Fencing Extravaganza
Brevard College Fencing Club
Bryn Mawr College
California State University- Chico
California State University- Fullerton
California State University- LB
California Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo
Carnegie Mellon University Fencing Club
Catholic University of America
Centenary College Fencers Club
Central Michigan University
Central Missouri State Fencing
Central Washington University Fencing
Clemson University
Colby College Fncing
College of Charleston Fencing Club
College of the Desert
College of William and Mary
Cornell University Mens Fencing Club
Corsairs, Shelton State C.C.
Dartmouth College
Daytona State College FC
Denison University Swashbucklers
Eastern Kentucky University Fencing Club
Emory University Fencing Club
F & M Fencing Club
Fencing Association at Central Michigan State
Fencing Club at Portland State
Fencing Club at the University of Houston
Fencing Club UGA
Florida State University Fencing Club
Fulton-Montgomery CC Fencing Club
Furman University Fencing Club
Georgia College & State University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Goucher Fencing Club
GWU FEncing
Hampden-Sydney College Fencing Club
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hollins University
Humboldt State University Fencing
Idaho State University Fencing Club
Indiana University Fencing Club
Indiana University NW Fencing
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Fencing Club
Iowa State University Fencing
James Madison University
Johnson County CC Fencing Club
Kansas University Fencing Club
Kent Fencing Club
Kings College Fencing
KSU Fencing Club
Las Positas Fencing Center
Lees-McRae College Fencing Club
Lehigh University
LSU Fencing Club
Macalester College
Marist College Fencing Club
Miami University Fencing Club (OH)
Michigan State University
Middle Tennessee University Fencing Club
Millersville University Fencing Guild
Milwaukee School of Engineering FC
Montana State University Fencing
MTU Fencing Club
Mt. Holyoke College
Murray State University Fencing Club
National Intercollegiate Womens Fencing Association
New Mexico Tech Fencing Club
North Carolina State
Northern Illinois University Fencing Club
Oakland Community College Fencing
Oakland University Fencing Society
Oberlin College Fencing Club
Oneonta State Fencing Club
Purdue University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhodes College Fencing
Rutgers University
Santa Fe College Fencing Team
Smith Collegev SUNY Stony Brook
Swarthmore College Fencing Team
Temple University Fencing Club
Texas A & M
Texas State University- San Marcos
Texas Tech University
Tulane University
UCLA
United States Military Academy
United States Naval Academy
University of California- Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Colorado
University of Idaho
University of Illinois
University of Iowa
University of Florida Fencing Club
University of Maryland
University of Massachusetts- Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Nevada- Reno
University of New Hampshire
University of Northern Colorado Fencing Club
University of Pittsburgh
University of Southern California
University of Tennessee
University of Texas- Austin
University of Toledo
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin
University of Wyoming
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Tech
Washington State University
West Virginia University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University