Recruiting: The Big Trip
Tips
for taking official visits to colleges
Recruiting trips to universities are
one of the best ways for you to find out where you will best fit in, and where
you want to study. The rules regarding official visits differ from division to
division. For Division I, II, and III official visits, the university can pay
for your transportation and 48-hour stay. You are allowed to take official
visits to five (5) different Division I and II universities or schools. There
is no limit to the number of official visits you may take to a Division III
school.
Plan
Your Time Wisely
If you are going to apply early,
make sure you plan your trips as early as possible, to leave yourself enough
time to make an informed decision. You only have 48 hours to visit the campus,
so make the best of every minute. Try to plan your trip so that your official
visit starts on a Friday morning. This allows you to go to some classes and see
what a typical weekend is like. If you plan your visit far enough in advance
you should make sure you can sit in on some of the classes that interest you.
Make sure to inform the coach which classes interest you.
Balance
of School & Swimming
While attending classes, notice the
size of the class. Notice the ability of the professor. Would you feel
comfortable learning in this situation? Don't be afraid to ask lots of
questions. Ask about which classes are interesting or fun. Ask about how
difficult it is to balance academics, swimming, and social life. Ask the
swimmers about the practices and about dryland and
weights. Ask them if they have improved while at this school and whether or not
they have enjoyed themselves. Ask what other schools they applied to and why
they ended up at that particular school. Keep your ears open... you may learn
something important.
Swim
Smarts?
Ask the coach what the average GPA
and SAT is on the team and the university as a whole, and see if you could
handle the academics of the school. Try to see if the coach's style is
compatible with your personality and with your goals. Make sure you see the
pool and try to meet as many people on the team as you can. Look into how your
times would put you on the roster and in the conference championship. Be
sure to talk to your fellow recruits.
Four
Year Commitment
Most importantly make sure you are
happy and you can see yourself living at the college for the next four years.
Ask the coach what percentage of swimmers stay on the team all four years. Look
around you and see if people are enjoying themselves. Some universities have
completely separate men and women's swimming teams. See what the relationship
is between the two and make sure it is appropriate to what you want.
Be
Yourself
Don't fell pressured into to being
someone you're not. Just be yourself and have fun!
Recruiting: What Coaches Want
Traits
most coaches look for in a swimmer
To improve chances as a college
applicant, it is important to consider the recruiting process from a coach's
perspective. In doing so, potential recruits are able to understand a coach's
desires and make themselves more attractive candidates. While not all coaches
seek the same swimmers, talents, and characteristics, they do share common
needs. The following is a list of traits (in no particular order) that NCAA
swimming coaches might find desirable. Assess yourself in each of these
categories and attempt to improve in weaker areas to enhance your appeal and
attractiveness.
Success
Obviously, coaches pay close
attention to a swimmer's past results. Certain coaches only recruit swimmers at
the Senior National level; meanwhile, other programs seek swimmers of varied
success. Past results are indicative of a recruit's talent and ability to
compete and contribute in the NCAA atmosphere. In studying meet results, each
coach attempts to fill the needs of his or her team and will certainly look to
fill team weaknesses first. A team lacking a breaststroker might overlook a
strong freestyler, hoping to build a strong and solid program overall.
Potential
Many coaches are attracted more to a
swimmer's potential than his or her achievements. In addition to looking at a
recruit's best times, coaches also track yearly progress in an attempt to
assess a swimmer's development and potential. Coaches want to see that in the
course of four collegiate years his or her recruits will improve and remain
enthused and dedicated swimmers.
Versatility
Swimmers capable competing and
contributing in several events and strokes are more attractive than one or two
event specialists. Versatility is highly rewarded in the NCAA dual meet format
where athletes are allowed to swim numerous events and relays (depending upon
the meet's format). Additionally, versatility is more highly prized by smaller
teams that struggle to fill lanes during dual meets. Larger teams are able to
be more selective and recruit stroke specialists with greater ease.
Leadership
Coaches seek talented swimmers and
leaders. Leaders are not necessarily the fastest swimmers; they are, however,
important ingredients to a team's success. Team captains, for instance, are
highly regarded for their leadership, dedication, and ability to motivate.
Coaches recruit swimmers who exude such traits.
Work Ethic and Dedication
Similarly, coaches desire swimmers
with strong, consistent work ethics. A dedicated swimmer is not only bound to
improve and contribute, he or she will motivate others to train and compete
with more intensity. Dedication and hard work are necessary ingredients for
swimming success, particularly for distance and middle-distance swimmers.
Academics
Coaches seek recruits that are
motivated both in the pool and in the classroom. Recruits must meet the
academic requirements of a particular college or university. Furthermore, a
coach wants to be sure that each recruit will remain academically eligible
throughout his college-career. Thus, coaches desire recruits who can succeed
both in and out of the pool.
Recruiting: Narrowing the List
Going
from many potential colleges to just a few
Narrowing a field of hundreds of
colleges and universities into a list of five to eight schools can be a tough
process for swimmers. Student-athletes must consider each potential school from
both academic and athletic perspectives. There are few colleges that perfectly
meet all the necessary personal criteria of a college-bound swimmer.
Student-athletes are concerned with more than just academics, as the college
must also provide a compatible swimming and diving program.
Five
to Eight School List
College-bound athletes should
compile a list of five to eight schools by the end of their junior year. All of
the schools on the list should be well researched and meet the athlete's
necessary criteria both academically and athletically. Consider the size,
location, reputation, and cost of each university. Colleges provide statistical
profiles of current students and admissions criteria. Compare your GPA and SAT
scores to assess compatibility with these profiles.
Do
Your Homework
Swimmers must also consider each
program's coaching staff, history, size, and funding. Similarly, research each
team's best swimmers and assess your ability to compete and contribute. Make
note of those colleges that fulfill both your academic and athletic needs.
Focus
This preliminary list should then be
carefully focused and narrowed. The goal is to develop a list of five to eight
colleges placed into two distinct tiers: reaches and safeties. Those schools
that will most likely admit you based upon academic and athletic quality and
skill are considered safeties. Reaches, which may or may not be stronger
academically and athletically, are schools that have lower acceptance rates.
Your list should include three or four safeties and four or five reaches.
Get
Help
Be sure to develop this list in
conjunction with your parents and college or guidance counselor. Remember,
while each school on your list might be markedly different, you should be
content attending and swimming for each one. Developing such a list is
difficult, and perhaps burdensome, but it is a necessary step towards finding
your ideal match.
Recruiting: Marketing Yourself
How to
standout from the competition
College-bound student-athletes often
struggle to effectively market themselves academically and athletically. Even
supremely talented and attractive student-athletes encounter difficulties in
promoting their abilities. Two student-athletes of the same academic and
athletic caliber might be separated by a strong initiative for successful
self-marketing. This article focuses on how to stand out from the other
swimmers.
Athletics
The first ingredient of successful
marketing is an attractive product. Just as an automobile company spends years
perfecting a new model, exert the necessary effort and time to better your
swimming skills and results.
Do college research early and often
and create a tentative list of probable colleges. Gather the email addresses of
these colleges' swimming coaches and inform them of your interest and athletic
and academic ability. Persistence pays off! If a coach does not respond, be
sure to send a follow-up email. Many coaches will then send (via mail) an
inquiry form; be sure to complete and return the form immediately. Start
relationships with these coaches, but be careful to stay within the guidelines
of NCAA regulations.
Inform the coaches of more than just
your best times. Alert them of any progress you have made either in the pool or
in the classroom. Between two comparable swimmers, a coach will find the one
demonstrating marked improvement most appealing. Remember to constantly update
coaches of recent results. When talking to coaches, sound interested and remain
honest.
Having your club coach contact
collegiate coaches is an excellent way to convey your interest and provide him
or her with another useful source of information.
Plan and take recruiting trips. They
are an excellent opportunity for you to learn about a particular school and for
that school and swimming program to learn about you. Be attentive, aware, and
interested. Be sure to interact with the coach and to reiterate your interest
in his school and his program. Ask the coach if he has any questions for you.
Register with beRecruited.com. With over 100
registered college and collegiate coaches from Divisions I, II, and III, beRecruited.com does the marketing for
you!
Academics
Colleges place great importance on
and pay close attention to grades and standardized test scores. Prepare for
standardized tests such as the SAT by hiring a tutor or taking a local course.
You can also buy books and audiocassettes geared towards improving SAT scores.
While training in the water, be careful not to neglect your academics.
Unfortunately, the SAT tends to
overshadow the PSAT. The PSAT, however, is an excellent opportunity for students
to market themselves academically. A high score on the PSAT not only generates
interest and recognition from colleges and universities, it provides
scholarship opportunities.
Many students overlook the
importance of the college application. Take time and care when preparing
applications; fill them out thoroughly. Write essays that admissions officers
will find interesting and insightful. Get recommendations from those teachers
who know you both (as a student and a person) personally and academically.
Recruiting: Tips for Choosing the Right College
Finding
the right fit for you
The process of selecting a college
is both challenging and consequential. When forced to consider swimming as
well, the task becomes even more daunting. While attempting to find the ideal
fit academically and athletically, it is necessary to set certain criteria for
potential colleges and swimming programs. Perhaps overwhelmed by the plethora
of possibilities, high school swimmers must focus their college search by first
assessing their abilities and desires. After reading this article, begin to
formulate your very own college criteria and hopefully even find several
matching colleges and/or universities.
College
Academics/Reputation
The most important aspect of a
college is its academic program and philosophy. Students must find a college or
university that best matches their academic abilities and goals. For instance,
potential architects should seek colleges that provide an architectural program
or the opportunity to explore this discipline. Many schools only offer a
liberal arts education; thus, those pursuing unique degrees (like engineering)
must find schools that cater to such interests. Furthermore, colleges provide
statistical profiles of current students and admissions criteria. Compare your
GPA and SAT scores to assess compatibility with these profiles.
Size
and Location
Size and location are integral
components of a school’s character. State universities, for instance, tend to
be rather large, while liberal arts colleges tend to be much smaller. Class
sizes can range anywhere from a couple of hundred to several thousand students.
Often, smaller colleges offer a more intimate classroom setting and a lower
teacher-to-student ratio. Classes at larger universities are frequently taught
in a lecture style.
A school’s location is as defining
as its size. Many students attend in-state colleges while others travel across
the country each semester. Decide where you are most comfortable
geographically. Furthermore, the potential college student must choose either
an urban, suburban, or rural setting.
Price
Tuitions range from a few thousand
to tens of thousands of dollars. Explore academic as well as outside,
privately-sponsored scholarships. Furthermore, research the possibility of
student employment, as many colleges offer work-study positions. Most
importantly, though, many schools offer financial-aid through both grants and
loans.
Swimming
Coaching
Much of a team’s success relies on
its coaching staff. Because each staff is different, be sure that their
philosophies are compatible with yours. Ask coaches to describe a typical
practice and week. Meanwhile, try to assess each coach’s style and personality.
Furthermore, some teams have the same head coach for both the men’s and women’s
teams; others have completely separate staffs. Be sure that you are comfortable
around and with each coach. After all, you are commencing a four-year
relationship.
Program
All collegiate swimming programs are
markedly different. A program consists not only of swimming but also of weight
and dry land training. Some teams work exclusively with weights, yet others use
various tools such as medicine balls, power racks, and stretch cords. Moreover,
some programs completely separate men and women. Also, pay careful attention to
a school’s facilities. Are the pool and weight room adequate? Is there ample
lane space? Is there a separate diving well? Be sure to comprehensively
research each swimming program before assessing your compatibility.
Scholarship/Division
There are collegiate swimming
programs of varied ability. By comparing best times, develop a list of colleges
with programs that suit your skill level. Many swimmers are content to compete
on the Division III level; others desire Division I competition. Whatever your
ability may be, there is certainly a matching program. Remember, however, that
only Division I and II schools may offer athletic scholarships. If college
appears a financial burden or impossibility, contact programs that provide
scholarships.
Begin to formulate a list of schools
and programs that are compatible with your academic and athletic abilities.
Recruiting: A Coaches' Perspective
An
interview with the Head Coach of American University
Excerpts from a USA Swimming
interview with Mark Davin, the Head Men's and Women's
Swimming and Diving Coach at American University in Washington, DC. Davin was recently named Colonial Athletic Association
"Men's Coach of the Year," his second consecutive honor.
What
is the best advice you would give to a high school swimmer hoping to compete in
college?
The best advice I can give is for
the high school swimmer to search for and find the University that is the best
total fit.
I think that some swimmers and
parents might be looking for a simple answer, and the truth is that there is
not going to be a simple answer because there are a lot of different schools
and each university has it's own unique advantages, athletically and
academically. Along with academics and athletics, I think that students should
also consider the geographic location of the university, the financial costs
involved and certainly if they fit into the philosophy of a program. Finding
the correct university for each individual high school student requires some
work and I think that the earlier and more complete the search is that the
student makes, the better the decision will be.
Part of each swimmers search should
involve discussion with that swimmers club coach / high school coach. A coach
that has worked with an athlete for a number of years is certainly going to be
able to assist in pointing their athlete to a number of schools where that
athlete would be able to be a success athletically. The other areas of
consideration: academic areas of focus that the student is looking towards,
costs, geographic location of the university; those are certainly topics that
others, like guidance counselors and certainly parents, can assist the student
with in narrowing the number of schools to look at.
A good way to start is by getting a
copy of the Swimming in College Directory from the American Swimming Coaches
Association. It contains a solid amount of basic information on each university
in America that offers swimming as a collegiate sport.
It seems as most high school
students look to a Division I university when they begin their search and
certainly within Division I there is great diversity. Even within a specific
conference within Division I, like the Big East and the ACC, for example, there
is a wide range. There is also Division II, III, Junior College, etc. So it
really depends what the student athlete is looking for.
People are drawn to our university
because they want to be affiliated with what all that our university offers
within the city of Washington.
There are other people who want to
be in very different parts of the country. Again, there are a number of things
to consider: the swimming program and the athletic program as a whole, what is
available academically, where it is located within the country, and cost
considerations. There are just so many potential variables.
How
does an NCAA coach know when a recruit is a good fit for his program and
university?
I think that is one of the things
that you hopefully learn through the recruiting process. Most coaches send a
general information form / questionnaire to recruits and most high schoolers will reply. We use that to open the door to start
making phone calls and writing more personal letters to decide if that student
will fit within our University athletically and academically and for the high
school student to learn more about us. I think some of "deciding on the
fit" has to do with talking to other people too. I know other coaches, and
myself, will talk to club coaches at some length, along with people in their
family and high school. People do home visits or talk to their families on the
phone to make sure that there is a real understanding between the coach and the
prospective student-athlete.
How
does a swimmer know when a certain coach or program is an excellent fit?
Hopefully one of the things they get
with the process is not just spending a lot of time with the coach but also to
take visits to the university. We have people that come and visit us as
sophomores and juniors. They will come and visit the school, often without even
talking to the coaching staff. They try to develop a feel for the university.
Then they come on the formal visit to really spend time with the team. I think
that it is extremely important that the high school student feels like they
will fit in. And the same with the team; the team has to feel like that
prospective student-athlete is going to fit in and they will all be able to
work together. Every program is not for every person.
What
should recruits be most aware of during recruit trips?
A lot. You want to see how the coach
acts and how the assistants act with the students and athletes. In a lot of
places it is not the head coach that works as the main coach with a specific
student athlete; they are in a group and the head coach runs one training group
and/or works with certain people more often. The athlete should be aware of
this; will he or she be coached by just the head coach or under one of the
assistants? If so, what are those assistant coaches like and how do they
interact with the entire staff?
How do all of the athletes fit
together? Are there team goals? Is there team purpose? Every team is different,
but the high school student should feel that they fit in with the team's
mission and feel that they will be an integral component.
There are a lot of things to look
at. Are there social activities I will enjoy? Am I going to be able to have a
complete collegiate experience? What is going to be available to me
academically? I think high school students should go to college visits armed
with many questions. Even if they ask the same question to many different
people on the team and to many different coaches on the staff. They need to
interview the program, so to speak, from the coaching staff, the assistants,
and the swimmers; anyone involved with program and anyone they meet
academically.
What
would you tell a student choosing between a Division I, II, and III school?
I think it depends on the athlete's
goals. From an athletic level, the competition in Division I is higher than in
Division II and III. A high school student that is looking to compete at that
higher level should begin by looking at schools in Division I. Also, there is a
wide variety in Division II and even with Division III conferences as I
mentioned before.
However, there are some very fast
Division II and III schools out there. Looking at the results from NCAA
Division II and III championships, you can see that a number of these swimmers
would be very competitive in some Division I conferences. Some of those people
in Division II and III could be getting assistance (grant-in-aid) at certain
Division I schools. So, it really depends on what the student's individual
goals are. Division II and III schools are typically a little smaller and offer
a different environment with a different collegiate experience than a lot of
the larger Division I universities. Again, each school has individual strengths
and weaknesses so the high school student needs to really look at what a
prospective school needs to offer. So I think that choosing between a Division
I, II and III school is another part of the selection.
What
do you as a coach look for in a recruit?
I really look for somebody that is
going to fit in. I have a list of things for us, but again different programs
are different. I would want someone that has a lot of desire and wants to make
a run with it.
So to me it doesn't matter so much
if they are already speedy when they get here. We have some people that aren't
so fast when they get here, but we have talked at some length before they join
us about where they are and where they need to be. I look for those people to
really want to make a run at getting there. I think that is a factor in what
separates the more elite athletes: at some point in a swimmer's career they
really need to make a conscience decision that they want to be great and that
they really want to do this sport, as opposed to "all my friends do
it" or "I've been doing it so long that I don't know how to
stop."
These aren't legit reasons, to me,
to be involved with the sport at the collegiate level. Recreational swimming is
tremendous and the sport itself is absolutely fantastic. But to be a
competitive in Division I as a collegiate athlete requires a commitment to
oneself that he or she really wants to do this. And I feel the same about the
national and world class swimmers that are with us, that personal commitment to
excellence is the key.
I also think that it is very
important that swimmers want to be in an environment that is very open in terms
of supporting each other. That doesn't mean that everyone has to be best
friends, although I do expect some of that. But I expect on a daily and weekly
basis that people are supportive of each other in training. When someone does
something great in training, I expect other people on the team to acknowledge
that. When someone does something great in competition, I expect other people
on the team to acknowledge that. It is not possible for the coaches to do
enough of that by themselves.
Our university is rather taxing
academically. So I look for people that are going to be able to be successful
here academically. I look for people that are going to fit in academically
here, fit in athletically, who will bring things to the table that will help
the team as a whole (not always necessarily athletically), and that they will
really fit in. Every college coach wants his or her athletes to be successful.
You want people to come in and swim well, do well athletically, and have a lot
of fun, be a lot of fun, and be happy alumni. It shouldn't be less than that.