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&timestandardsformen’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,josh@apiadvisors.comJohnThornell,StoningtonCrew,jthornell@stoningtoncrew.org