<p>Here goes:
Does Caltech do any sort of recruiting for sports, or value sports in any way whatsoever in the admission process? My son is a high school junior. He's smart, and his GPA and standardized test scores will be competitive for Caltech, but he's not National Intel Prize smart. Or, put another way, even though his stats will be in Caltech's range, so will hundreds and hundreds of other kids' stats. He's a swimmer and would certainly be the fastest swimmer on the Caltech men's swimming team in a number of events. Would that help him at all?</p>
<p>Caltech is a D3 school and definitely values its Athletics. If your son is faster than any swimmer on the Caltech, he should contact the swim coach. They would most likely invite him down for a visit. And yes, it does help differentiate him from the 3000 other applicants that may be applying Early Action, for example.</p>
<p>I would suggest also contacting MIT coach and U Chicago coach. Both schools lately have been suggesting giving weight to coaches’ recommendations. Caltech has far fewer seats as a college to be able to say that a swimmer can get a seat over a basketball player or a sprinter or a fencer for that matter.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses.<br>
@texaspg – Those schools are sort of on the radar, but right now he’s not fast enough to swim for either of them!!</p>
<p>@texaspg, you make me happy, for I am a fencer looking at Caltech.</p>
<p>@blobman1234 Caltech did have a fencer who competed nationally (internationally?) without ever fencing in high school.</p>
<p><a href=“Caltech Magazine”>Caltech Magazine;