I would take the SAT asap. You can take it multiple times and most schools will superscore. If you wait til the spring, you limit your opportunity to retake. Get a practice book, take a timed test, find out where you need to improve and study those subjects. 10- 15 minutes study a day on th areas you need to work on. Good luck.
@CrewMomofThree, the best advice I can offer (beyond what’s been suggested here already) is to create a page for your rower on BeRecruited. We bought a “lifetime” membership for $100 (what a deal compared to Sparks!!). We put all our son’s academic, racing and erging stats on the page, listed his various honors/awards and test scores, and even included occasional photos from noteworthy regattas. He also wrote a number of essays on the Personal page, which gave coaches a chance to learn about his character, motivation, values, etc.
Whenever he contacted a coach to express interest in a program, he made sure to include a link to his BeRecruited page. And, because of the type of membership we bought, he was able to see which coaches checked his page and how often. That gave him very useful information. In addition, coaches were able to click a button to “follow” his updates, which meant that every new tidbit about his performance at school or on the team not only showed up on his BeRecruited page, it also appeared in interested coaches’ emails. One month, S was featured as one of the 10 Most Viewed Rowers on the site; that spotlight generated interest from even more coaches. And so on, and so on.
Never once did a coach ask, "If you really want to be recruited, why aren’t you working with Sparks?’ I honestly believe they were more impressed by the initiative S showed in creating and updating his BeRecruited page, and ultimately, in managing the ongoing dialogues with each of them.
I hope that helps. Best wishes for great success with your rower(s)!!
@CrewMomofThree, my D walked on as an ivy league coxswain. Is your coxswain more interested in finding the best academics or the most successful coach and/or teams? Or both? Our D chose to pursue the academic rigor she craved and counted on demonstrated skill and commitment to earn a spot on the team. It worked out for her, but there was no guarantee up front.
Many colleges with strong rowing programs offer summer camps for high school students who are interested in being recruited. That includes coxswains. You might want to encourage your D to talk with her coach or local/regional rowing coaches to see if they have information on programs at schools that might interest her. She can also google “college rowing summer camps” just to generate a list of possibilities.
Start early, keep an open mind, and connect with other rowers and their families to learn more about interesting places they’re considering. Most of all, try to enjoy the process.
I hope that’s helpful. Good luck to her!
So you have never got any of your money back? Please do reply! Thank you
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