My family focus is on education first and she wanted to go to Tufts based on her grades and also know that she can get in. I suppose she mistakenly thought she could walk on because her sister did the same thing with different college
I understand that she had a mistaken expectation of being able to walk on and choose the school that was her top choice without the swimming piece.
What I donât understand is why you are confident that itâs simply a matter of her wanting to transfer. Getting into Tufts is a great accomplishment but last I checked Amherst was an even tougher admit and in no way means she would have gotten in. Being accepted as a transfer seems even more improbable.
7 Likes
That argument has no merit when you are discussing Amherst vs Tufts.
4 Likes
It has no merit when a student is considering transferring from her first choice, highly selective school for non-academic reasons.
I would just like to say that I am very impressed with your daughterâs resilience and determination. Rehabilitating from what sounds like a major injury and getting back to her pre injury swim level is really commendable. I predict that she will be successful in school and as an athlete however this works out.
6 Likes
I am impressed as well. That must have been a very difficult time for her, physically and mentally. To keep up with her grades and then get back in the pool â just wow. Anyway, another thought I had for you was to hire a private coach. However, I do like the idea of reaching out to the club coach and sharing her goals. Maybe she will come to find this coach has helped other swimmers make the varsity squad and feel reassured.
2 Likes
It is too late now, but a student-athlete should always reach out to the coach if they have any intentions of trying to compete for the team, regardless of whether they hope to be recruited or to walk on. Some teams have a strict no walk on policy, some welcome them if they are fast enough. Note that the requirements to walk on tend to get faster as a student athlete is older, as they will have less time to develop on the team.
Both Tufts and Amherst are excellent schools that are very difficult to be accepted to. However, Amherst is even more selective than Tufts, and doesnât appear to accept many transfer students from other 4-year schools. Attending Tufts with the hope of transferring to Amherst seems like a difficult plan to achieve, and there is no promise that Amherst will be more receptive to your daughter walking on than Tufts.
I donât recommend swimming with Crimson Aquatic (although I have good impressions of that club). Your daughter will only get 4 years in college, and Tufts is a special place. She should be soaking in as much of the college experience as she can during that time. Swimming for the club team will connect her with the Tufts community, whereas swimming for Crimson Aquatic will connect her with high school students and the seniors will graduate and go elsewhere. My opinion is that if she has it in her to improve enough to impress the Tufts coach, she can do that on the club team as well as a USA team. What happens if she swims with Crimson Aquatic and the coach still doesnât let her walk on?
Or, if she wants a varsity experience and is relatively tall, she could consider @TonyGrace 's advice and talk to the crew coach. I know a couple of high school swimmers who smoothly transitioned to crew in college.
7 Likes
Perhaps this has been discussed before, but how about having the OPâs daughterâs current coach (club/HS) talk to the Tufts coach?
Coach to coach communication can be very effective and the current coach can speak to work ethic/potential and other intangibles that the Tuft coach may be looking for. Obviously a discussion of grit in the recovery from two broken legs could be inspirational/eye opening. A new coach could want to be part of a feel good storyâŠ
In both of my kidâs athletic recruitment odysseys (different sports), our club coaches were in regular contact with the college coaches (those clubs had a history of sending kids to elite colleges) and these conversations were invaluable.
4 Likes