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Advice Regarding College Swimming
Three pieces of advice going into it:
Expect to do some homework and work on your correspondence. Get
some help, but college coaches want to hear from and about you.
Your parents have a part in this, but it is up to you to compete
for a spot in a college program. Compete!
Take your ego out of the process as much as possible (athlete and
family). The goal is to find the right place for you, with the
correct mix of academics and athletics. Find that place, and then
work out the details.
While in high school, you are not a member of the NCAA, or bound
by any of its’ rules. The colleges and coaches are bound by
rules, and will let you know what they can and cannot do as they
go.
Freshman/Sophomore Year: What you should be thinking/doing
Set up academics
Where do most graduates go?
Get to know your counselor, and let them know your goals
(don’t worry they can change)
PSAT or the ACT equivalent
Consider SAT/Act Prep classes (rule of thumb it is worth 100 pts
on the SAT)
Let your coaches know your goals/map out strategy
Start thinking about colleges, and programs of interest
Whenever possible, take an unofficial visit. Particularly easy if
we attend meets at/near institutions of interest to you, or
accompany a parent on a business trip and make a visit.
If at a national meet, you can approach a college coach as long as
these two items are true:
You have completed your last event for the meet
Your coach has released you to go talk to that college
coach.
What Colleges can do:
Send you a questionnaire or profile in the mail through school or
club. Fill them out, and return them. The school will add you to
their mailing list and you will get information about that School
and Team. You can always let a school know you are no longer
interested later.
Keeps track of swimmers of interest to them, both locally and
nationally.
Can talk to swimmer or parent if you initiate, either by phone or
in-person.
Cannot return a phone message left, you must successfully initiate
contact
Junior Year: What you should be thinking/doing
Should have a list of schools that you have whittled down a little
bit. No magic number, but something you have been working
on.
As part of the process, you have researched the conference results
for each school of interest, and are comfortable you can compete at
that level and above for that school. Results easy to find through
websites. Coaches want athletes who can score at the conference
level. If not the first year, then the second year. You may have to
sell yourself a little if that is not the case.
Make sure academics are set and match up with schools you are
looking at. It is okay to reach for a school you really want to
attend! Compete.
Register with the NCAA Clearinghouse through your High School
Guidance Office. This establishing your academic eligibility for
College Athletics.
You have, to the best of your ability, tried to make an unofficial
visit to your Top Choices. Communicate to the coaches when you are
planning to be on campus, they may be able to meet with you and
tour the facilities, and maybe set you up with an academic
advisor/admissions person for more information.
Check out the applications for your Top Choices a year out. Are
there essays? What are they like?
Take ACT/SAT. Take early in the year, so you can consider retaking
without going into your senior year.
Let club coaches help you by letting the college coaches, your Top
Choices, know of your interest, and act as your advocate.
What Colleges can do
:
Send you a media guide/questionnaire.
Correspond by US Mail and Email (personal and bulk letters), not
limited at all.
Some colleges will arrange a ‘junior’ day unofficial
visit that you may want to attend.
This one is new, tricky and only applies to the top 1-2% of
recruits:
College coach can make one phone call to an athlete in March of
their Junior year, in order to set up
One visit in April of the recruits’ junior year that must be
at the recruits High School. College coaches can meet with Athletes
and Parents, as well as school personnel and coaches.
A lot of college coaches will take advantage of the call in March,
but the visit in April has not become a widespread practice as of
yet.
Senior Year: Most of the work should be done by now! What you
should be thinking/doing
Have your list whittled down to 5+/-.
Work with your parents, counselors, our coaches and your Top
Choices to determine if you are interested in Fall Decision or
Spring Decision.
Most schools will have to offer you Fall Decision for it to be an
option.
Spring Decision (April) may be better situation for most, if you
can wait.
Applications should have been acquired through the summer,
completed and submitted in a timely manner. Most will require your
high school to fill out a section, as well as teachers. Give them
plenty of time to complete, and monitor their progress in relation
to due dates.
Schools may offer you an ‘Official Visit’. Set up a
schedule of visits in the fall. Most visits happen then, regardless
of Fall/Spring Decision, and you are limited to 5 official visits
to 5 separate Universities. Set up any Unofficial Visits.
What Colleges can do:
As of July 1, after junior year, college coaches are allowed to
contact a recruit by phone, one call per week. Not all schools will
call once each week.
Set up their Official Visits.
Walk the athletes through their Applications, and keep apprised of
its progress.
Set up In-Home visits with some of their recruits.
Let the coaches work as your advocate during the process!
Unofficial Visit
:
Visit to campus that is not financed at all by the institution. You
can still see coaches and administrators, and athletes. You may
make an unlimited number of Unofficial Visits, though college
coaches are limited to a certain number of contacts (face to face)
with each recruit.
Official Visit
:
Trip to campus financed by the host school, including
transportation, meals and housing. The trip is limited to 48
consecutive hours. Parents may accompany at their own expense.
Limit of 5 visits to 5 different Universities.
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