Yes. That!!!
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I would only add that Route A may fizzle out and have become one of the others options at any point.
Regardless of route, a college counselor would encourage you to pick an ED school. This is true for any student but probably even more so for an international applicant given how much more competitive it is for them.
While we are on the topic of advice for future applicants, in an ideal world, op’s dd probably should have come to the US to swim the summer before her junior year. As I said upthread, my dd has friends that committed for swimming to academic T20s (class of 2023) that we done with the matching part of the process mostly by the fall of their junior year, none later than this time last year, all D1 schools. A 2024 announced her commitment to a top school early last fall. NESACs are a little slower but they usually have girls lined up prior to the summer.
Better late than never, and I am sure some spots go later, but unsure if that would include highly selective schools op is seeking.
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Agree.
Because things have been a bit pointed on the posts of the last few days, it seems like a good time to reiterate that everyone here supports OP’s D and is rooting for her as she continues on her recruiting journey. We have all been there, and know it can be stressful and full of uncertainty. Good luck to her.
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Remember that Route A is not really controlled by the recruit. All of those steps listed in route A really are dependent on the coach. If a swimmer is not of interest to the coach, he/she may not get the preread offer. The student may get the preread and it’s not a good one. The preread may be good, but the coach offers no OV or support.
Good luck and please give us the final outcome next year!
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My son was told due to NCAA rules for his sport, division 1 coaches can’t talk to him directly until June 15th after his sophomore year. It sounds like for swimming you are talking to coaches starting freshman year? Does the NCAA determine dates based on te sport or is it by division?
OP’s D is a junior.
NCAA sets the engagement rules for NCAA schools. In many sports, coaches can’t contact students before X date (often in mid soph year). BUT students younger than that, in some sports, can always call a coach, who can pick up the phone and talk to the student. These calls are often scheduled by a HS or club coach, and is how freshman and sophs can verbally commit.
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it’s understood that all this process rests with D24 chasing coaches and assistant coaches she doesn’t know, and hope they find her times of interest. if they don’t because there are many others that are committed earlier/faster/better fit/preferred by coach, then it just means D24’s not meant to be a swimming recruit, and applies ED/RD like the majority of other normal applicants. Our assessment is that it’s only worth investing $400,000+ in a college education that’s academically selective, otherwise the cost isn’t justified because local universities at her place of residence cost $40,000 which is 10% of the cost of US college education
That makes total sense and that’s the way I thought you were approaching it. It seems like recruiting timelines always sneak earlier and earlier until governing bodies step in.
one recent feedback from a HS coach was that the majority of college coaches get paid 60-80k, and indeed many parents would sign a 40k check to double their annual income to get their child recruited… economics food for thought.
Just important to realize that coaches interest will dictate when/if/how often phone calls happen and coaches will initiate pre read discussions and options. The athlete doesn’t initiate or sustain these
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Many parents paid a lot more than that (Varsity Blues) and spent some time in jail.
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what the HS coach meant was that there are many coaches who are quite happy to take positive referrals from HS coaches they know well, and it helps them make their own recruiting workload much more efficient. can only trust that word from a person whose placed 250+ m/f swimmers across D1/2/3. As said earlier, it’s a process full of surprises
This statement is troubling on a few levels. First, you are disparaging many (most) decent, hardworking college coaches who are not taking any sort of bribe and are doing their jobs because they love the sport and are trying to create the most competitive, cohesive team that they can each season. Secondly, you are insulting all the hardworking students who did the work academically and in the pool and were recruited on their merit. I just don’t believe this talk adds any value to a thread about swim recruiting.
Also, a high school coach can speak with a college coach and give names and recommendations, but that in no way guarantees placement on a team. It serves only as an introduction; a college coach is not going to take swimmers just as a favor to a friend. The swimmers that were “placed” had the stats that the college coach found to be an asset to his team.
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I don’t doubt their are certain HS and swim club coaches who have influence with some college coaches. But for the vast majority of their recommendations the student-athlete has to have the times and fit with the team to be recruited.
The reality is there are thousands of college swimmers who were recruited because the coach answered the student’s email or saw their recruiting profile.
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@Mwfan1921 your observation about the efficiency of the email process leading to recruiting is very true, but there are also tons of swimmers whose qualified emails go in the dumpster because coaches just receive tons of them, which is the very reason most successful recruits have sent repeated emails to a long list of coaches.
in fact a good question would be what is the favorite email format which will succeed in attracting a coache’s attention in his email box. Indeed, every coach will have his/her own preference, so there is no format that does it all.
Yes many coaches receive a huge volume of emails, some get thousands per month from potential recruits.
That’s why a strong subject line with stats and grad year is an important component of the email, as are multiple emails if the recruit is confident their profile may be desirable. Then a personalized email that shows the student knows the school and program. For example, I am looking to be X major because…, or I see that you have two senior backstrokers and that’s my best stroke with a recent time of X, etc.
There are other ways to reach coaches too….Twitter DMs and phone calls can be effective.
Stop!! The bottom line is that a strong recruit will get attention, no matter what format their email is. Especially in a timed sport like swimming.
All the things you are mentioning are window dressing. It is not the email format that will grab a coach’s attention, it’s the times!
The bottom line is, as my husband who played college sports told me, cream rises to the top. If you’ve got the talent – and you are pursuing recruiting – you will be found. Coaches want to win.
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whilst swimming is clear cut times, there are still dozens of swimmers that are faster and not taken.
D24 has a friend with faster times across than another swimmer whose already publicly declared Y24 commitment for an Ivy School, whilst the friend didn’t get a single email response to 4+ emails to that Ivy coach/Asst Coach. it does very much happen, and we accept that reality.
D24 has repeatedly emailed a coach in a conference where her PBs would qualify her for 2 T16 final cut events at that school’s 2022 conference championship, and she’s still sending them emails, so far without response.
Taking @Mwfan1921 's advice, maybe the phone call route will be better luck
Since you can’t know what’s going on in a particular coach’s head, or the details of other recruits (academics/overbearing parents/personality/fit with a particular program) you can really only focus on your own family/athlete.
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