Hey guys, I a junior right now.
Here are my best times as of now…
200 IM scy: 1:54.11
400IMscy: 4:04.32
100 fly scy: 50.55
100 free scy: 46.94
My SAT I score is 2010 as of now(I might take it again so it could go up) and my GPA is 3.7W (but I’ve been working really hard to raise it).
are these Ivy league caliber? Is it possible for me to be recruited? I was thinking about schools like Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Columbia.
It is possible for you to be recruited at those schools. You should talk to the coaches to get things started. You may get some interest, but it’s possible you’ll just be on the edge for all four of those schools. Talking to the coaches may help you figure out where you stand. If I was you, I would expand the list and talk to some coaches of teams that would definitely be interested. That would include schools in DIII mostly and there are a lot of great possibilities. Good luck.
Your times seem like they are on the edge to get recruited at the Ivies you have listed, however if you show improvement during the spring and summer these may be a possibility. I would contact the coaches now and also consider D3 schools.
I swam in HS many years ago, and I’m amazed at how fast those times are. Good luck!
Then how about D2 schools too? I have already contacted D3 schools already so I have a few safeties just in case in can’t get into Ivies. Also do you know when colleges start recruiting swimmers into their colleges?
Do you know when colleges start recruiting swimmers? Will colleges look at your times even during senior year?
You can also contact D3 schools that would be anything but safeties. It’s hard for me to get a grasp on your list. You have four Ivies that are all great schools, but pretty different from each other. It seems to me that if you really like Dartmouth, then you might want to talk to the Middlebury coach, for example, too. If Cornell is really for you, then MIT or CMU might fit too. If you really love Brown, then you might feel the same way about Tufts. Those are just a few examples, but none of those would be considered safeties. Your swimming, however, would be a big help in getting into schools like that. Is it really Ivy or bust for you or are you looking at something else that is helping you pick those schools?
Coaches are recruiting high schools juniors right now, if by recruiting you mean talking to and not the actual selecting yet. Now is the time to talk and meet with coaches if you can. Now is the time to figure out what you are looking for in a school. Of course coaches will look at your times as long as they have spots to fill. It certainly happens in your senior year. It makes sense to talk now, figure out what you want and what the coaches want. You should strive to be invited to some recruiting trips in the fall and head to those colleges where you think you will fit.
go to swimmingrank.com. you can look up your times and see how they compare to various DIV1,2,3 conferences and even specific schools. This will allow you to see if a certain school is in need of a swimmer with your times. you can also go to college swimming.com and see the names and times for a given school’s recent recruits. You can see what their times were at the same stage of the season (ie. tapered vs non tapered) as you by comparing these times to the same swimmers at the first site I mentinoed. good luck. College coaches can’t contact recruits until Mid summer after their junior year, so you still have plenty of time.
It’s not just your times, it’s your test scores and GPA. The magic number for your SATs for swimming is 2100, and your GPA really needs to be a 4.0 unless you are a contender for the Olympics. Study hard and bring those grades and SATs up. With your current grades and scores, you’d need a full slot, and coaches only get a few a year. I suggest you look at less selective schools like Trinity, Wesleyan, and Colby. You could swim there and would likely get in. I don’t think you have a chance at the Ivies.
Those are very competitive times for NESCAC schools but borderline for the Ivies. OldbatesieDoc is correct that your GPA may be the biggest obstacle. But it’s certainly worth investigating. And, in the meantime, your times may drop, and your test scores may go up.
All Ivy League schools super score right? Lets say if I do reach 2100 but my GPA stays the same. And my times are ranging from top 3-5 in these schools. Would you say I would have even the slightest chance?
Of course you have a chance even though it may be slight with your GPA as it stands. You won’t know for sure unless you talk to the coaches of the schools that you are interested in and tell them your scores and GPA. You may find out there is no chance or what you need to do in order to be considered.
I still recommend opening your mind to other great schools besides those in the Ivy League. Don’t get hung up on a name and its link to prestige.
See Recruiting Time Standards under “More Links.”
http://www.cornellbigred.com/index.aspx?path=mswim
So this seems to establish that you’re in the range for Cornell and probably the others you mention.
I’d also encourage you to run your numbers through an Academic Index Calculator. One Ivy coach (at one of the schools you mention) told our son that the target is a 210. Here’s a link to a good one:
http://www.tier1athletics.org/2012/10/01/academic-index-calculator-2012/
I run the numbers you give and get a 205, so you’re already close.
In quick summation, then, Ivy swimming may well be in your future! Focus on improving your grades and test scores, and work hard in the pool. If you can go under 50 seconds in the 100 Fly and under 46 seconds in the 100 Free, I’d be very surprised if you don’t draw substantial interest.
Good luck and keep us posted!