The information on this page was borrowed from several programs who have successfully helped hundreds of athletes reach their goal of swimming at the collegiate level and beyond.
Enjoy!
WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING BEFORE COLLEGE?
This High School check list was created by DC Wave Coach Douglas Carrington along with Nation's Capital Aquatic Club Coach Miriam Lynch. It provides a basic timeline of steps that should be taken during the high school years to prepare a student athlete for college recruitment and selection.
The information below was compiled by the KING Aquatic Club.
Interested in Swimming in College?
Splash magazine had an article which pointed out that serious swimmers usually have two dreams: to swim in the Olympics and to swim in college. The first dream will come true for two out of every 10,000 swimmers in members of USA Swimming. The second can true for 100% of all members of USA Swimming. The key is finding a program that’s right for you, no matter what your ability. Not everyone will be able to swim for a NCAA Division I powerhouse like Auburn or Texas , but there’s no shame in swimming for a smaller Division I, II, III , or NAIA school. If you find one where your teammates share similar values and goals, one that will foster your growth as a student athlete, your experience will be a rewarding one.
There is often a misconception in the college search process that if you are not recruited or have not been offered a scholarship you must not be very good. That view is completely false. The fact is that most colleges just do not have the finances available to offer every good swimmer a scholarship. Another fact is that most colleges do not find out a student-athlete is interested in their program until that student has made "First Contact."
Many families assume that colleges are going to call them first. The reality is that most collegiate swimming programs do not have the manpower to search for athletes. Most coaches rely on meet results from large meets such as Sectionals or High School State, prospective student questionnaires, and through professional recruiters (not sports agents) whom a student-athletes pay a fee to have them send information to schools about them.
With the scholarship limits that are imposed by the NCAA, most college coaches are going to be looking at a students academic ability. The vast majority of swimming student athletes receive financial aid through academic related scholarships, grants and student loans, not through athletic scholarships.
Athletic Scholarships:
An athletic scholarship is a one-year contract between you and a Division I or Division II institution. A school can reduce or cancel a scholarship of you become ineligible for competition, fraudulently misrepresent yourself, quit the team or engage in serious misconduct. During the contract year, a coach cannot reduce or cancel your scholarship on the basis of your athletic ability, performance, or injury. An institution may choose to not renew a scholarship at the end of the academic term provided they notify you in writing and provide you an opportunity for a hearing.
Remember a coach cannot offer you a "four year full-ride scholarship." They do not exist. Each student athlete award is reviewed annually. It is important to ask current collegiate swimmers if they are still on scholarship. Parents, it is not uncommon for a college program to offer and renew an athletic scholarship for the first 2-3 years of college and then ask the student to pay full tuition for the remainder of their college career.
National Letter of Intent:
The National Letter of Intent is administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association (not the NCAA). When you sign the National Letter of Intent you agree to attend the institution with which you signed for one academic year in exchange for the institution awarding financial aid, including athletics aid, for one academic year.
College Recruiting Links
- beRecruited
- College Swimming 101
- Five most important college recruiting considerations
- NCAA Prospective Student Athlete - Eligibility Center
- NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete
- NAIA - Eligibility Center
General Collegiate Swimming Information
- NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Organization
- NAIA - National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
- NJCAA - National Junior College Athletic Association
- CollegeSwimming.com
General College, Scholarship, and Financial Aid Information
- College MatchMaker
- CampusTours - Virtual College Tours
- Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)
- FinAid! - Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans
- Savingforcollege.com - Funding College and 529 Plans
- CollegeApps.com - Get In To The College of Your Choice
- FastWeb - Scholarships, Financial Aid and Colleges
- GoCollege
- Degree Directory - Colleges, Universities, Career Schools and Online Degree Programs
- Vault School Reviews & Rankings
- National Association for College Admission Counseling
- National Association of Higher Education Loan Programs
- National College Finance Center
- National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
- US Department of Education
- FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid
ACT, SAT, PSAT National Merit Scholar Testing
Achievement Testing Study and Preparation Links
- ACT - Student Site for ACT Test
- 4Tests - Free Online Practice Exams
- Number2 - Free Online Test Prep
- Barron’s Test Prep
- College Power Prep
- Kaplan Test Prep
- Varsity Tutors
- Test Prep Review
- Princeton Review
- How to Study - Study Skills
Miscellaneous Information
- Free Tuition for Smart Kids
- Guide to Finding the College That Fits
- Hidden College Cost: Rising Fees
- How I Did on the SAT
- Pre-Pay Your Way to College
- The Incredible Climbing Cost Of College
- The New Battle Over Financial Aid
- Who Needs Harvard?
College Search Sites
The following information is courtesy of SwimMAC Carolina with KING Aquatic Club edits.
What Does Swimming in College Look Like? Varsity Team:
Timeline for Swimming in College Division I:
Junior Year
Senior Year
Division II:
Senior Year:
Division III:
Junior Year:
Senior Year:
Picking a School for You Does the school have a swim team? KING wants every swimmer on the team to swim in college. The club understands the benefits of being part of a team. If the school has a team, start to show interest in the program. If the school does not, it is important to write letters to the school president and director of athletics encouraging them to start a program.Involvement Level: Evaluate what your desire is to be involved not only in your swim team, but around campus and other activities. Will the team commitments allow you time to be involved in say Greek life or student government? Can you get accepted? It is very important to review the acceptance standards of any and all schools that you are interested in attending. If you are unable to meet these standards, it can make your desire to swim on that school's swim team a tougher road. Academic Offerings: If you know your intended major, or even if you don't, it is important to review all of the academic offerings each school has. If you are undecided, do you have plenty of options to explore at the school or are your options limited? Public vs. Private: Public schools are funded heavily by state and government monies while private institutions are funded by tuition, endowments and donations. Public institutions normally have an "in-state" cost for those students who are residents of the state and an "out-of-state" cost for those who attended from a different state. These prices differences can make schools become more reasonably priced for your budget or put them out of reach. Private schools most often have the same pricing for all types of students, in-state and out-of-state. Expense: Review the different types and all options each school has in terms of scholarships and financial aid. While some schools do not offer athletic scholarships, they could have more academic offerings than others. Schools have academic based scholarships; need based scholarships and private scholarships that students must apply for. Location: Where is the school located? Is it located in a part of the country that experiences all four seasons and maybe you are only used to mild seasons? Are you going to want to visit your hometown often to see friends and family? If so, is this a car ride away or maybe a flight? Additionally, does the location of this school require long travel trips for team activities? When making team trips, do you travel by bus or plane and how much time will you spend making these trips? Size: For some people, attending a large college is just what they are looking for. Classes with 300 people and a campus with tens of thousands. For others, a small intimate campus is more ideal. Conference Competition: It is possible to gauge the level of a swim team based on how they perform within their conference. Conference championships play an important part of all athletic departments. A good check for your ability to swim at a given school is to check your times against the times posted at the conference championship. Would you be able to swim and score points for your school? Before starting a college search it may be helpful to create a list of the most important aspects to YOU of attending a college. It is important to note that any college experience is what each individual makes of it! NCAA Eligibility Center/General Eligibility College bound student-athletes are encouraged to register at the beginning of their junior year of high school.
For Division I student-athletes who will enroll in August 2015 and later, the requirements to compete in the first year will change. In addition to the above standards, prospects must:
Division III college and universities set their own admission standards. The NCAA does not set initial eligibility requirements in Division III. Sliding Scale and Eligibility Requirements SwimSwam article on NCAA Eligibility Center Recruiting NCAA member schools have adopted rules to create an equitable recruiting environment that promotes student-athlete well-being. The rules define who may be involved in the recruiting process, when recruiting may occur and the conditions under which recruiting may be conducted. Recruiting rules seek, as much as possible, to control intrusions into the lives of student-athletes.
Recruiting Trips What is the difference between an official visit and an unofficial visit? Committing A National Letter of Intent is signed by a college-bound student-athlete when the student-athlete agrees to attend a Division I or II college or university for one academic year. Participating institutions 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. Verbal Commitments Verbal commitment is the phrase used to describe a college-bound student-athlete’s commitment to a school before he or she is able to sign a National Letter of Intent (“NLI”). A college-bound student athlete can announce a verbal commitment at any time. While verbal commitments have become popular, they are NOT binding on either the college-bound student-athlete or the school. Only the signing of the NLI accompanied by a financial aid agreement is binding on both parties. Walk On/Non-Scholarship Athletes Any athlete who does not receive athletic monies is considered a "walk-on" athlete. These non-athletic scholarship athletes may receive academic monies or other grant and aid from the school or private donors. Financial Aid There are many options out there to help students pay for college. It is important for students to look at all possible options to help them pay for college, if needed. |