Post High School Graduation Swimming Opportunities

A pivotal piece of the Long Term Athlete Development Strategy (LTAD) is College/University swimming. Our coaching staff encourage swimmers at Piranhas to consider continuing their swimming careers through to university. Becoming a student-athlete is an experience not to be missed and there are many different opportunities for swimmers of varying levels. The following is a list of resources for the Canadian and American college/university systems which may help you get started. 

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Guide to Canadian University Swimming Programs

Alberta currently offers three quality varsity swimming programs, the location of each University offering varsity swimming is listed below. Swimmers who are interested in attending a varsity program in Alberta can request information about the school by using the varsity connector link below.

Edmonton - University of Alberta 
Calgary - University of Calgary 
Lethbridge - University of Lethbridge

Use the Varsity Connector link to request information directly from each varsity program in Alberta. Other University programs in Canada include:

Canada West (CW)

University of British Columbia- Vancouver BC

University of Lethbridge- Lethbridge AB

University of Manitoba- Winnipeg MB

University of Regina- Regina Sask

Simon Fraser University- Burnaby BC ( NAIA Conference- US)

University of Victoria- Victoria BC

Atlantic University Sport (AUS)

Dalhousie University- Halifax

 Memorial University- St. John’s Newfoundland

University of Moncton- Moncton, NB

Mount Allison University- Sackville NB

University of New Brunswick- Fredericton

Ontario Schools (Ontario University Athletics-OUA)

Brock University- St. Catherines

Carleton University- Ottawa

University of Guelph- Guelph

Laurentian University- Sudbury

McMaster- Hamilton

University of Ottawa- Ottawa

Queen’s University- Kingston

University of Toronto- Toronto

Trent University- Peterborough

University of Waterloo- Waterloo

Western Ontario- London

Wilfrid Laurier University- Waterloo/ Brantford

York University

NCAA Guide for the College Bound Student Athlete

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The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete offers instructional guidelines for high school student-athletes who wish to pursue athletics at the collegiate level.Click here 

The NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete contains information on the following: 

• Amateurism-Eligibility Requirements
• Academic-Eligibility Requirements
• Recruiting Rules for Division I, II, and III
• Core Courses, GPA, Tests, and Special Conditions
• NCAA Eligibility Center
• Questions to Ask as You Consider Colleges
• Information for Parents and Guardians
• Details for High School Counselors and Athletics Administrators
• International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility

Initial-Eligibility Steps for International Students

For international student interested in playing at an NCAA Division I or II school, there are three primary steps to follow.

Step One: Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Start by registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center as early as possible to make sure you stay on track to meet the NCAA’s eligibility standards. Eligibility standards include receiving both an academic and amateurism certification. In order to receive your certifications, the Eligibility Center will request certain documents to assist in the review process through your Eligibility Center account. Click Here

Step Two: Understand Eligibility Requirements

Like all college-bound student-athletes with a goal to play NCAA Division I or II athletics, international students must meet specific academic and amateurism requirements. For more information on academic and amateurism requirements, please review the following resources:

* International Student athlete guide

* Play Division I Sports—refer to the Division I Academic Eligibility section

* Play Division II Sports—refer to the Division II Academic Eligibility section

Step Three: Submit Required Documentation

International college-bound student-athletes must submit the following academic documents:

* Your academic records for years nine and up, in your native language.

* Proof of graduation, including certificates, diplomas or final leaving exams. 

* SAT or ACT scores, sent directly from the testing agencies using code 9999. 

* More information on your country’s acceptable forms of documentation can be found in the NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility.

Failure to include any of these items may delay review of your records. In certain situations, the NCAA Eligibility Center may ask for additional academic documentation to clarify that your academic information is complete, valid and accurate. Check your Eligibility Center frequently for tasks and additional information.

Please note: Processing for your account does not start until the NCAA Eligibility Center receives a request from an NCAA member school for your eligibility status. Be sure to provide your NCAA identification number (located within your Eligibility Center account) to each of the coaches recruiting you.

Recruitment Process

The NCAA supports student-athlete well-being by promoting a fair recruiting environment that limits intrusions into the lives of student-athletes and their families.

Recruiting happens when a college employee or representative invites a high school student-athlete to play sports for their college. Recruiting can occur in many ways, such as face-to-face contact, phone calls or text messaging, through mailed or emailed material or through social media

One of the easiest methods of beginning the recruitment process is to sign up to swimcloud.com this is a free website that many college swim coaches use to start their search for new student-athletes. Registering on this website is quick and easy and will build a profile of your personal information, academic results and swimming performances. Whilst the free option is a great start the varsity account at a fee will provide a greater experience helping you gather more information on how you would fit into universities you may be interested in.

Recruiting terms

A contact happens any time a college coach says more than hello during a face-to-face meeting with a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents off the college’s campus.

An evaluation happens when a college coach observes a student-athlete practicing or competing.

A verbal commitment happens when a college-bound student-athlete verbally agrees to play sports for a college before he or she signs or is eligible to sign a National Letter of Intent. The commitment is not binding on the student-athlete or the school and can be made at any time.

When a student-athlete officially commits to attend a Division I or II college, he or she signs a National Letter of Intent, agreeing to attend that school for one academic year.

Campus visits

Any visit to a college campus by a college-bound student-athlete or his or her parents paid for by the college is an official visit. Visits paid for by student-athletes or their parents are considered unofficial visits.

During an official visit the college can pay for transportation to and from the college for the student-athlete, lodging and three meals per day for the student-athlete and his or her parents or guardians, as well as reasonable entertainment expenses including three tickets to a home sports event.

The only expenses a college-bound student-athlete may receive from a college during an unofficial visit are three tickets to a home sports event.

National Letter of Intent

A National Letter of Intent is signed by a college-bound student-athlete agreeing to attend a Division I or II college for one academic year. Participating colleges agree to provide financial aid for one academic year to the student-athlete as long as the student-athlete is admitted to the school and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules. Other forms of financial aid do not guarantee the student-athlete financial aid.

The National Letter of Intent is voluntary and not required for a student-athlete to receive financial aid or participate in sports.

Signing a National Letter of Intent ends the recruiting process because participating schools are prohibited from recruiting student-athletes who have already signed letters with other participating schools.

A student-athlete who signs a National Letter of Intent but decides to attend another college may request a release from his or her contract with the school. If a student-athlete signs a National Letter of Intent with one school but attends a different school, he or she loses one full year of eligibility and must complete a full academic year at the new school before being eligible to compete.