Swimming Recruiting for Int’l Jr. Targeting Highly Selective Colleges

Maybe?

Kids only hear what they want to hear.

It is up to the parents to manage expectations and set their kids up for success.

Hopefully the OP will use what has been learned on this disaster to the benefit of his 2nd.

5 Likes

Has your D visited the school(s) where she has support?

If not, it would be worth it to go and take a look. If those schools are not high on your Ds list, it is still valuable to go and see the campus, meet the coach in person, etc- sometime those visits can really excite/engage a student and give a new perspective.

If there is any reluctance to even go visit, then your D should wonder why she would even entertain applying to the school.

As others have said- love the school that loves you back.

3 Likes

There was another phrase used recently about focusing on “academically rigorous” schools. There are many, many schools that have not been considered that would provide academic “challenge” and “rigor”.

One big issue in this process is the notion that academic rigor and challenge are only available at schools that meet a very high prestige bar and/or have very low acceptance rates. This conflation has narrowed the list to a point where there might not be any viable options if varsity swimming is as important as has been stated.

It’s also somewhat ironic, in that the most challenging part of many prestigious schools is known to be securing admission in the first place. Challenge and rigor anywhere is going to depend a lot more on the major, classes taken, and attitude and approach of the student.

6 Likes

Choosing schools where there is an abilities match would be a start. There is no athletic affirmative action.

After experiencing a complete recruiting washout, no consideration of other schools?

I think swimming isn’t as important as you say it is…not sure if I am talking about the OP or his daughter.

3 Likes

To be fair, this isn’t the case. It might turn out that way, but for now, there are some viable options still in play.

3 Likes

OP has mentioned receiving support/an offer but has not said much about that school(s) and has indicated that McGill without swimming may be preferable.
To me, there has always been some ambivalence about swimming and that is why there has been some major resistance to considering the advice given on this thread.

4 Likes

To be fair, it is the middle of July before senior year, and if an athlete does not have some level of positive feedback at this stage, it is quite possible they are not any coaches first choice and a lot of dominos have to fall before anything good can happen.

While the OP is waiting/hoping, why not expand the universe? While his daughter may be tired of looking and all the rejection, isn’t it the parent’s job to help their kid succeed, and to think of ways to make that happen? McGill is likely without swimming.

How is the daughter going to feel with such narrow options in April? The OP has 10 schools they are allowed to apply to. Surely the list of schools with recruiting interest is less than that.

Obviously as an international family they can try to apply unhooked to the original list of highly rejective schools…but isn’t the point of a 1400+ post thread looking for some kind of admissions advantage?

3 Likes

No experience in swimming, but my kids did not get definitive feedback until August prior to senior year after pre-reads and some serious camps. I also think that unless you are shooting for less competitive programs relative to the recruits’ talent level, most recruits are going to be in musical chair land until at least end of September.

While the OP’s path (and on this thread) has been circuitous, it seems clear to me that academics are a higher priority than swimming. Under those circumstances, if McGill is a guarantee, I can understand why the number of reaches in terms of both academics and swimming.

4 Likes

In my opinion, there is a lot of magical thinking on the part of the OP which is contributing to these hundreds of posts and perhaps the futility some of us feel in advising.

A little context for the non swimmer parents/coaches on this thread. My niece is a club swimmer. She just turned 13. She has almost identical times as OPs daughter in the 50/100 free (OPs daughter’s most competitive events) My niece is not the fastest on her 13-14 relay…and that relay came in 5th last weekend in a regular age group invitational amongst other 13-14 year olds.

I applaud the optimism of the OP. I respect the support they are giving their daughter. But it is hard to watch this set up for rejections that is happening. I do hope that McGill is a true safety. Mostly I hope that the daughter is able to enjoy her summer and her swimming, she sounds like an accomplished person. Hopefully also a resilient one.

7 Likes

A reminder, once again, that CC is supposed to be a friendly and welcoming place. Posts edited.

And it is unnecessary for posters to continue to repeat their positions.

4 Likes

This thread has been very helpful with regards to the intricacies of the recruiting process, and essentially guided D24’s strategy, along with couple other swimmers’ from her team now swimming in D1/D3/High School.

Every teenager has a different athletic and academic profile, and indeed opinion and personality. As parents, we hoped and are glad to have an independently minded child, whether it’s when she seeks certain types of schools (coed), location, prestige, academic major focus, or vibe fit. Like many of you, we do not always agree with our children’s choices, but our practice is to continue to support and advise them

** She’s steadfastly chosen her list of schools, and after a lengthy tour they include schools where’s she would swim varsity or club in no particular order, very much following the “broken leg/can’t swim” advice.

** We agree with her that McGill w/ or w/o swimming is a great school for HER.

** Her swim list is very much made of reach schools, and it’s rapidly narrowing down to 1-3 schools where she’s got her chance, and time will tell what coaches decide.

** She’s rational about her choices, and prepared to apply to college without hook if she couldn’t be offered that hook where she wants to go.

3 Likes

And if she has to switch course as this fall goes on, it’s fine. She can apply to other schools (yes, I know she’s limited to 10 by her high school), she can take a gap year, she can find one of the California schools that may not be on the top of her list right now.

She’s very fortunate that she doesn’t have financial restraints. That played a big part in my daughter’s decision making and I wish I could have said “go anywhere you want” but that wasn’t an option for us. My daughter was fine (actually worked out better than I could have hoped) and it will for your daughter too. It just always seems to work out.

5 Likes

97 of the posts are yours. Nobody is forcing you to participate. :woman_shrugging:

11 Likes

As flags and violations of ToS continue, I’m going to be deleting without further comment.

And, now we’re on slow mode until at least tomorrow.

7 Likes

Well, the first event is the 100 free tomorrow at noon EST. 9 a.m pacific. :swimming_woman:

3 Likes

GPAs of college swim teams listed by schools at the link under Division Scholar All-America Team categories.

Y’all can discuss/fight amongst yourselves whether higher team GPAs mean harder-working and smarter student-athletes, or less rigorous coursework and grading (hint: it’s the former for schools you favor and the latter for schools you don’t :wink:).

I believe op has said staying in her home country is an option and there are only a limited number of schools in US/Canada that would be preferable.