I’m a 16m junior in HS. I’ve rowed for 2 years now, and I’m ok, but nowhere near college-recruitment level. My 2k PR is 7:04 @154lbs, and I’m 6’3". I have rigorous courses, around a 3.9 GPA, and 1390 SAT.
So, is it over for me? I love this sport and I would love to row at a high level in college, but I recognize that any prospective college rowers with a real chance should be around 6:40-6:20.
You’ve sort of answered your own question. Your erg time isn’t good enough to be recruited, and your size being in between lightweight and heavyweight doesn’t help. (I’m assuming you’ve been working on the erg time for a while, and so the room for improvement in the next 9 months is pretty limited.)
At less competitive schools, you may be able to walk on - an experienced rower can make up for a less competitive time on teams that take a number of walk-ons - and you have another year to work on your erg time for that purpose.
So yes, you can row in college, at less competitive D1s and D3s - and you can certainly talk to coaches about their policies and processes for walk-ons. Rowing won’t be a hook for a highly selective school, though.
Good luck!
Many colleges have club rowing so that may be a way to continue in the sport. But it won’t be a hook for admissions.
It is not uncommon for male rowers to either take a gap year or PG year to mature and put on more weight and speed or attend college and keep training with the goal to transfer in as sophomore or junior to a more competitive program. Of course, your academics have to be solid too.
Are you training now with a club and can that coach offer you advice on how to keep building up your body and strength to move your ERG scores. What about on the water - how do you move the boat? Your coach would be your best resource. You are only 16 and will continue to grow. It is a great sport and there are wonderful college club teams out there too - but don’t get discouraged until you have really spent time looking into a realistic training plan since you love the sport so much.
Crew is one of those sports where if you just want to keep rowing for love of the sport, and don’t care how competitive of a team you are on, you should be able to find a place to continue. There are plenty of schools where if you are willing to show up at 5:30 am for practice you are on the team. Of course, they may not be competitive (or they may at the level they compete at). But my point is if you just want to keep doing it, you may want to target some schools where walk-ons are welcome.
At Amherst, my daughter got “recruited” at an activity fair the first week of class. She had never dipped an oar in the water and is 5’3". She is pretty athletic, but no one would look at her and think she should be targeted, unless you are just looking for bodies to fill the boat.
They would take anyone who would come to practice, and let the athletes who weren’t very good weed themselves out. I’m pretty sure no one got cut, you just may not get a spot on a boat for competition if you are not one of the top X rowers. Same as any other team probably.
Obviously Amherst is not an easy admit. But I’m pretty sure there are plenty of schools, of all sizes and admission difficulties, where if you have any experience at all they would welcome you, even if your size and speed aren’t really that competitive.
This isn’t really my area, but club teams may be easier to find that are more desperate to take anyone who is willing to join.
My observation echoes the firsthand experience described above. We’ve been visiting very high academic colleges (like Amherst, but not Amherst yet 
). At several of these schools, we encountered someone who walked on to the men’s or women’s crew team! It was a strange coincidence! Athleticism and a willingness to keep showing up was a common thread.
These were students who became college athletes, somewhat unexpectedly. Yet, they were really devoted to the sport and fully involved with their team’s culture! In the midst of a different sport’s recruiting process, one which feels like an all-consuming marathon right now, this crew thing was mind blowing.
Definitely seems like a rower with a little experience would be welcomed on a lot of teams! Stick with it and good luck!