Hi everyone,
I applied to several US schools this past year but was ultimately rejected. I’m a competitive swimmer and I’m thinking of either taking a gap year, training over the next few months to improve my times, and applying in the fall as a recruit OR going to college this fall, swimming with the team there and trying to transfer with my fall & winter times after my first year.
The US schools I’m looking at are some Ivies and D3 schools like Johns Hopkins.
For anyone who has been in this position or who has knowledge about this type of scenario, which path would give me a better chance of admission (gap year, freshman applicant vs. transfer athlete)? Even though I was rejected once by these schools, would they look past that if I was reapplying as a recruited / transfer athlete?
Thank you!
You are international, right?
You were academically not accepted? If so, then your chances are not good at being admitted unless something changes for the next application cycle. If the swim coach supported your application and you still weren’t accepted, it is very unlikely that bringing up your times will help.
Make your decision based on whether you want to go to the school(s) where you were accepted. If the swim team is a match, that’s good. I wouldn’t go someone just to transfer next. That’s too big a chance.
@Sybylla I’m Canadian
@twoinanddone Yes, I think my grades were not high enough considering I’m international. I did not have swim coach support when I applied to all the schools because my times weren’t fast enough. I do think I may be able to shave enough time off this summer to be considered an actual recruit.
@CCThunderfin have you looked at the conference times for the schools where you were hoping to be recruited? I’ve read that you really would need to be in an A final to be considered recruiting “material.” A number of students from my daughter’s school are taking gap years but I think in every case they are actually deferring a year after being accepted (most of them will go to an Ivy in the fall of 2018). I don’t have an experience in this area but thought I’d give you this info as a point of reference. Good luck!