<p>What's it like? How are the coaches? Being on the team? Facilities? Schedule? Is the team competitive within the league? How does it integrate with student life, studies, etc.? All you can tell re swimming at Wesleyan and academics and student life there in general, please!</p>
<p>I can’t give you any first hand information about what it’s like to be a member of the team @Wesleyan, but, I find it fascinating that the amount of traffic your post has generated at each college site, in the 24 hours that it has been up seems almost inversely related to the strength of the individual team (Williams and Colgate being the obvious outliers). It makes me wonder whether it is one of those sports (similar to cross-country) where people still go out for the sheer passion of it? :)</p>
<p>Williams - 205
Wesleyan - 161
Vassar - 157
Colgate - 155
Colby - 148
Bates - 143
Bowdoin - 35
Middlebury - 33
Swarthmore - 27
Hamilton - 15
Amherst - 14</p>
<p>In answer to some of the other questions in your post, I think it’s generally recognized that Wesleyan has the best facilities in NESCAC. Also, in common with swim teams generally, the men’s gpa is pretty good:<a href=“Wesleyan’s Blog System”>Wesleyan’s Blog System;
<p>Also, the coaching staff seems to be in transition as the head coach transferred to a DI university last year and was replaced by a retired, interim coach this year.</p>
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<p>I’m not so sure about that…</p>
<p>[Natatorium</a> | Middlebury](<a href=“http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/facilities/natatorium]Natatorium”>http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics/facilities/natatorium)</p>
<p>“one of the best facitlities in NESCAC”:
[Natatorium</a>, Athletics - Wesleyan University](<a href=“Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website”>Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website)</p>
<p>Forty-eight hours out of the blocks and Bates is passing Colby, Middlebury has moved up two places (you’re welcome, Arcadia) and Amherst has advanced over Hamilton, but, still drinking the other’s chlorine:</p>
<p>Williams - 325
Wesleyan - 253
Vassar - 208
Colgate - 204
Bates - 189
Middlebury - 172
Colby - 171
Bowdoin - 76
Swarthmore - 68
Amherst - 50
Hamilton - 42</p>
<p>I would suggest going to d3swimming.com and reading through the NESCAC forum. There is a lot of specific information on there about many of the coaches and teams about whom you are asking. Past swimmers of these coaches comment on those forums and there is a lot of good inside information. There tends to be a pretty high satisfaction rate in this conference for the swimmers and their overall experiences. Going to the NESCAC website and reading news stories, looking at top 24 times, and conference championship results will help also. </p>
<p>To run through the NESCAC more specifically:
Williams is the perennial top team. Kuster wins NESCAC coach of year often, it’s very competitive so a swimmer has to be a high contributor to be recruited. Williams has a beautiful facility. Team seems tight. Academics are excellent, the town is limited. (1st place this year)</p>
<p>Amherst has a talented team, don’t know much about them specifically. Like Williams, a swimmer needs to be a top potential contributor to be recruited. Pool and facility are not great but they are very successful (they almost beat Williams this year). Academics are great and the town and region are really nice. Team seems highly motivated. (2nd place this year)</p>
<p>Tufts has a very successful program and rosters a big team. The coach has a lot of swimmers to choose from and there is a great deal of team spirit. The swimmers who don’t make the conference team are a big fan presence at NESCACS every year. Big school with well respected and wide choice of academic programs. Pool is terrible but they are hoping for a new one eventually. (3rd place this year)</p>
<p>Connecticut College has a very strong men’s team and Marc Benvenuti is very respected and gets great results. They almost upset Tufts from their third place spot with a significantly smaller roster. The pool is nice and the facilities are very good. Young and tight team so future looks good. The campus is very pretty and the academics are strong. (4th place this year)</p>
<p>Bowdoin did very well this year at NESCACs, Brad Burnham is a great technical coach and is very well respected and loved by his swimmers. He is not high pressure. The pool is beautiful and fast. Brunswick is probably the best college town out of your list (and Amherst). Academics are excellent and the team is close. (5th place this year)</p>
<p>Bates has Peter Casares and his swimmers seem to love him. He has brought the team up from the bottom of the NESCAC to the middle (he is losing a lot of seniors so will be rebuilding). The team is close. The pool is very dark without a separate diving well. Lewiston isn’t the greatest town but the campus is nice and the academics are strong. (6th place this year)</p>
<p>Middlebury is also rebuilding after the unexpected loss of their coach last year. The women seemed to bounce back fast with the new coach and hopefully the men will next season. It is a beautiful (fast) pool and facility. Academics are very strong and the campus and town are very pretty. Team seems to have a lot of team spirit. (7th place this year)</p>
<p>Colby has a smallish team but their coach, Tom Burton, helps his swimmers get faster. Not a very competitive team overall but good personal results and a school where the happiness rating is very high. The pool at Colby is older and shallow so not the best pool but a nice athletic center. No information about team unity. The town is okay and the academics are very good. (8th place this year)</p>
<p>Hamilton …no real knowledge of the team and coach but the school is beautiful with strong academics. (Ninth place)</p>
<p>Trinity …also no inside knowledge. (Tenth place)</p>
<p>Wesleyan has an interim coach at the moment. The men’s team seemed to fall apart in 2010-2011 but if you go to d3 swimming you will see a discussion about the search for a new coach and it looks like the Wesleyan president and AD are very committed to rebuilding the program fast. Peter Solomon is rumored to be in the running for the job (if he gets the job expect them to move up the rankings). The facility is great, academics are great, town is mixed. (11th place)</p>
<p>Nothing to offer for Colgate, Swarthmore and Vassar.</p>
<p>To choose among these schools is to choose between “good” and “good” so it comes down to individual fit. Every NESCAC school has unique and wonderful things that set them apart from one another a bit. The best way to make the decision is to go and visit and talk to the coaches. Good luck!</p>
<p>Lots of good advice here. Attydad, you might also want to post your questions on CC’s Athletic Recruits forum. There are tons of knowledgeable folk weighing in on swim topics. They’ll give a bird’s eye view of NESCAC (and other) teams.</p>
<p>MGSMO4 wrote:
[Peter</a> Solomon Named Faculty Head Coach of Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving at Wesleyan, Athletics - Wesleyan University](<a href=“Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website”>Wesleyan University - Official Athletics Website)</p>