College Swimming

Over the past 50 years, many FAST swimmers have continued their swimming at the collegiate level, at NCAA Div I, II, III, & NAIA schools. 

If you are interested in swimming in college:

• Sign in to the NCAA Eligibility Center- you will want to create a profile during your 9th or 10th grade year of high school (It may be done later- but it is a good idea to get started early)- and go through the NCAA Clearinghouse. You must create an account to visit NCAA Div I or II schools, or to sign a letter of intent. You can create a free page of interest if you know you want to compete at the NCAA Div III level. For more info on playing sports in college, go HERE.

• It is possible to swim in college- at all levels- without an athletic scholarship. There are roster spots on teams available to many different swimmers. Div I & II schools may also offer a partial scholarship. Div III schools, while they do not offer scholarships, still provide excellent opportunities for training and competition.  

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• Spreadsheet with MANY college programs and links to the schools. 

• Here's a link that goes over the average recruiting swim times for Div I, II, III, & NAIA schools for women. 
• Here's a link that goes over the average recruiting swim times for Div I, II, III, & NAIA schools for men. 

• Many colleges also offer "college club teams"- here's a list. Any swimmers can usually swim for these teams. Francis Marion University has a club team, as do Clemson University & College of Charleston. 

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• Here is a LINK to the NCAA recruiting rules that sometimes change year to year- in terms of what swimmers and coaches can and should do and when. 

• Things to remember during the recruiting process:
  • Keep a notebook, summarizing conversations with college coaches (& dates)
  • Check out the team before you talk to the coach- for up to date college swimming results by team, go Here  
  • Be honest and be yourself!
  • If you have an in person (or on Zoom) interview, dress for success! 
  • ask a FAST coach for your most recent times if you don't have them. ​

• Article, "How to Find a Great College Scholarship", by Shah J. Chaudhry, Your Guide to College Admissions 

• Here are some major factors to consider in determining the right fit in a college for an athlete"
  • Location- the region of the country, closeness to home, climate
  • Academic- workload, majors offered
  • Cost- what will the family be expected to contribute once all scholarships and grants have been awarded
  • Size- is the school considered a large, medium, or small campus and student body
  • Coach & Facilities- will these be a good fit for the swimmer
  • College Atmosphere- does the college and surrounding areas offer what the athlete wants? Big City v. Small College Town
  • Type of Team- is the swim team single gender or do they have a men's and women's team, is it a tight-knit group

• Links to help you on this journey:
  • Article- 5 Things to Consider about Swimming in College
  • List- of all Women's college swim teams
  • List- of all Men's college swim teams
  • NCAA Information- Link
  • College Swimming website- results, teams, rankings, recruitments, and more. 
  • NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Athlete
  • National Letter of Intent- Info