We are thrilled to announce that Sport World School student Natalie Cinkova has been accepted to Denver University, where she will join their esteemed tennis team. Natalie, currently completing Grade 12, has been awarded a full NCAA scholarship for her higher education.
Born in the Czech Republic, Natalie has lived in Italy and Switzerland for most of her life. She has had an impressive junior tennis career, achieving a career-high ITA ranking of No. 655 at the end of the 2022 season. Her notable accomplishments include winning doubles titles at the ITF J4 Pescara (Italy) and ITF J5 Horgen (Switzerland) tournaments. Additionally, she excelled at the ITF J5 Limassol (Cyprus) tournament, where she claimed both the singles and doubles titles. Natalie also made doubles finals appearances at the ITF J5 Liverpool (Great Britain) and ITF Livorno (Italy) tournaments.
Natalie joined Sport World School in Grade 10 and has consistently demonstrated academic excellence alongside her outstanding sports achievements. Aspiring to continue her education in the USA with a sports scholarship, Natalie has successfully achieved her goal.
- I will join the Denver University team with a full scholarship this fall, and this is a great accomplishment as they only have 8 of them each year. They finished the season with the following ITA ranking: 57. It is a great level of tennis and many girls to compete against – says Natalie.
Was Denver University your first choice, and what did you like about them the most?
I have contacted many colleges to get an overview of what would be the best place and choice for me as a person and as an athlete. Denver was my first choice when making a list of the top colleges. I have chosen them because since the beginning, I had an amazing feeling talking with both the assistant and head coach. The tennis team level is great, as they play in Division I, so it will be a huge opportunity for me to grow and improve my tennis skills to try to play professionally.
Many high school students wonder if the college application process is rigorous and what steps you have to take. So how was it for you?
I have decided to complete the application process by myself. I would say that the effort was worth it because I could talk to many coaches and then decide where I could fit the best. I had to learn how to do everything, but I’m really proud of myself because I have done it without a recruiting agency. It’s not easy at first because you don’t know exactly what information you will need to know, but as you go through the process, you understand your priorities more and more.
I recommend doing it on your own instead of with the recruiting agency. This way, you can have complete control over everything and learn to be more responsible and organized when it comes to important life decisions.
Since you were an SWS (EduWW) student for the majority of your high school, we have to ask how much our program influenced your path to successful admission to Denver University.
SWS program helped me a lot and influenced my path to go to college. Studying in English is an enormous advantage when it comes to being admitted, as the colleges require proficiency in English exams. I want to emphasize, as well, how excellent the program is, because is well-developed throughout the year, and it’s not overwhelming. The tutors, the administration, and all the other people on the staff are amazing and truly efficient. I could not be more happy to have been part of this program.
As a young athlete who wants to become a professional, how much has the flexibility of online schooling helped you during high school?
In my view as a student-athlete, having the freedom to complete work for school during your free time while still practicing and training more is a huge benefit of being online.
We are incredibly proud of Natalie’s achievements and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. Congratulations, Natalie!