CollegePreparation,RowinginCollege
November13,2019
CollegePreparation
AcademicConsiderations• Freshmanyear:Focusonperformanceinmostrigorousclassespossibleiscritical Fact:atranscriptcannotberevisedinsenioryear Sampleabroadacademiccourseloadanddiscoverinterests/preferencesIfschooloffersPSAT8/9,itshouldbetaken• Sophomoreyear:Increasenumberofhonorsand/orAPcourses(ifpossible)/focusagainonacademicperformancePSATshouldbetakeninOctober.Resultsshouldbeacalltoaction.Ifanyacademicareashowsdeficiency,itistimetobeginaddressingit.GradesserveasanadditionalacademicindicatorBeginthecollegediscussion
AcademicConsiderationsContinued• JuniorYear:Mostimportantacademicyear.Onceagain,strongacademicperformanceinmostrigorousclassesshouldbeprioritized.ECE/AP/Honorscoursesareimportant.PSATisadministeredinOctober(alljuniorsrequired)TryanACT!TheSATisnottheonlytestRegisterandprepareforAPandSATsubjecttestsMost,ifnotall,testprepcanbedoneinfallandwinterThinkrealisticallyaboutcolleges($,%,andotherfactors)GETINVOLVED(notjustcrew)Begincollegevisits(ThinkThreeBears…)CompletestandardizedtestingbyJune(ifpossible)SecureteacherandotherrecommendationsBeginthinkingaboutcollegeessaysAllessay/writingsupplementworkwillbecompletedduringsummer
AcademicConsiderationsFinal• SeniorYear:PrepareforapplicationandscholarshipRemembernoshortcuts,especiallyonforeignlanguage.Takearigorouscourseload;schoolsarewatchingIfneeded,completestandardizedtestingProvideallrecommenders(guidance,teachers,andother)withtimelineforapplication.Keepthemupdated!Allessaysandsupplementsshouldbecompletedasearlyaspossible.Striveforearlyaction(itisbeneficial).Makeearlydecisiondecisions(ifnecessary).Earlyactionapplicationsshouldbecompletedbymid-October,notweekbeforedeadline.“Apply-Send-Respond-React”Deferralisnotadeathsentence…Waitlistis“gameover”…
RowinginCollege
RecentStoningtonCrewAlumni• Sincethe2017graduatingclass,42%ofalumnihaverowedorarerowingincollege.
StoningtonCrewScholarships• Sincetheprogrambeganin1998,anaverageof1.5rowersperyear,earnscholarshipstocollege!
WhyRowinCollege?• Fun!• Fitness,health• Competition• Lifeskills• Teamwork• Dedication• Leadership• Communication
• Collegeadmissions• Friendgroup• Tacklecollege• Timemanagement• BetterGPA!• Networkingaftercollege• Resumebuilding
Visitwww.stoningtoncrew.org/blogtoreadaboutalumnirowingincollege.
CollegeRowingOpportunitiesVarsityWomen
Championship NCAADI,DII,DIIIChampionships
QualifyingRegattas
American,ACC,A10,BigTen,Big12,CAA,Ivy,MAAC,Pac-12,Patriot,WCC
Scholarship,AidOpportunities
• DI,someDII
Walk-onOpportunities
• Yes,but…
Men’srowingisnotsanctionedbyNCAA.Men’srowingislargelyself-funded.
VarsityMen
IRAChampionships
EARC,Pac-12,SIRA,DadVail,NIRC,WesternSprints
• TopIRAprograms
• Yes,but…
ClubWomen,Men
ACRAChampionships
(ACRAmember)
• No,but…
• Yes!
CanIRowinCollege?Betterquestion:“WherecanIrowincollege?”
Men(Open)*
Division #ofPrograms
Recruit2kErgAvg.
DI 35 6:20
DII 6 6:40
DIII 29 6:40
Club(Top)** 73 6:45
Club Yup!
*Lightweightrowinghasdifferenttimestandards,physicalsizeandpotentialisfactored.**TopACRAprogramsoverlapwithTier-2IRAprograms.***Some
schoolsofferbothwomen’svarsityandwomen’sclubprograms.
Women(Open)*
Division #ofPrograms
Recruit2kErgAvg.
DI
88 7:20
7:30DI(2ndTier)
DII 16 7:40
DIII 44 7:40
Club*** 40 Yup!
WhereCanIRowinCollege?• Determinebestfitofathletics&academics• School• Division• Conference/championship
• 2kisrowing’sSAT• Otherfactorsmatter!
• Research,askcoachesabouttimestandardsandacademicrequirements
• Walk-onswelcomed!• Men’s&women’sclub;women’sDII,DIII
• Tryouts×tandardsformen’sIRA&women’sDI
LizYarnall(‘18),UofRochester
Scholarships• Noteveryonereceivesathleticscholarships• Verycompetitive• Sometimesawardedafteronteam
• Meritscholarship,financialaid,and/oradmissionssupport• TypicallynotDII,DIII,orclub
programs• Ivy’sdon’tofferathleticscholarships
• Highexpectationsofrecruitedathletes• Time,travel,performance,
commitment• PerformfromDay1
• Rowingisonlyoneofmanycollegeconsiderations• Wouldyouliketheschoolifyou
didn’trow?
JohnDrago(‘17),UConn
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR SENIOR
HighSchoolTimeline
*NewNCAArulingallowsjuniorstohaveofficialvisits.
• Developrowingskills(scull,port,starboard)• ExtraSSergsessions• StrongGPA,outofthegate
• Researchcolleges
• Improve2kerg• BuildcumulativeGPA
• Startraceportfolio
• Recruitingquestionnaire
• Follow-up,updatecoaches
• Best2k• NCAAEligibilityCenter
• Unofficial,officialvisits(<5)*
• MaxcumulativeGPA
• Buildraceportfolio
• Updatecoaches• Officialvisits(5)• MaintainGPA• Submitcollegeapplications
• NationalLetterofIntent
RecruitingProcess• Studentsshouldinitiate!• Neveraskaboutsupportfirst• Parentscangetinvolvedlater
(application,finances)• Processvaries,askcoachesabouttheirprograms
• Determinegoodfitforyou,team,andschool
• Offerstypicallymadeafterofficialvisit
• ProgramsoftenencourageEarlyDecision,EarlyAction• Getinwriting,ifnotNCAA
• NationalLetterofIntent11/13(ifNCAA,scholarship)
• Askaboutprepprogram
ChadObrey(‘19),TrinityCollege
EngagingCoaches• Recruitingisaformalprocess• Proofreadwork,askforhelp• Doyourhomework,bespecificabouteachschoolandprogram• Differentiateyourself• Talkonlyaboutwhatyouhaveaccomplished• Updatefrequently,showinterest,staytop-of-mind!
Photocredit:RowingNews
UnderstandtheCoach’sPosition• Toppriority:Winningchampionships• It’snotgivingyouascholarship,aid,helpingwithadmissions
• Limitedrecruitingresources• Limitedscholarships,limitedspots• Tryingtorecruithundredsofrowers(whoarealllookingatotherschools)
Howcanyouhelptheirprogramsucceed?
NCAAEligibilityCenter• Academic,amateurcertification• RequiredforDI,DIIschoolstoparticipateinsportsoracceptscholarship
• Men’sprogramsmayuseNCAAasguide• Applyjunioryear• Officialvisits• NationalLetterofIntent
• Sendtestscores,transcriptusingcode“9999”
web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/
Resources• Row2k:https://www.row2k.com/teams/• Sparksrowingdatabase:https://sparksconsult.com/sports/rowing/find-the-right-college/
• ScholarshipStats:http://www.scholarshipstats.com/rowing.html
• Wikipedia:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_rowing_(United_States)
• ResultsofNCAA,IRA,MARC,DadVail,MACRA,ACRA,andotherregattasandconferencechampionships
• Schedulepageonteamsites
AcronymSoup• IRA:IntercollegiateRowingAssociation• NCAA:NationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation• ACRA:AmericanCollegiateRowingAssociation• EARC:EasternAssociationofRowingColleges*• EAWRC:EasternAssociationofWomen'sRowingColleges*• NIRC:NationalInvitationalRowingChampionships• NERC:NewEnglandRowingChampionships• MARC:Mid-AtlanticRowingConference• MACRA:Mid-AmericanCollegiateRowingAssociation• NCRC:NorthwestCollegiateRowingConference• SIRA:SouthernIntercollegiateRowingAssociation• WIRA:WesternIntercollegiateRowingAssociation
*OrganizersoftheEasternSprintsRowingChampionships
ThankYou!
JoshParsons,APIAdvisors,[email protected],StoningtonCrew,[email protected]