<p>They can if they want. The PE requirement is a total of 8 points; a normal PE (twice a week for half a term, or IAP) gets you 2 points, a full season of a varsity sport gets you 4 points.</p>
<p>And yes, while teams have tryouts and such, MIT athletics wouldn't survive if they only allowed recruited athletes (which we really can't do, of course) or even folks who've had past experience. Tho i suppose sports like swimming are somewhat more common among incoming students :) So yes, if you're willing to commit to it, joining a varsity team is eminently doable.</p>
<p>Swimming four lengths may seem impossible if you don't know how to swim or float, but it's not actually that bad. But 10 laps? I'd probably be dead tired and crawl right into bed after I finished.</p>
<p>It's so funny to hear people talk about how hard swimming a few lengths is. Other competitive swimmers know what I'm talking about. We swim something like 240 pool lengths a day and some of you are complaining about 4.</p>
<p>Well, feuler, how much practice did it take you before you can swim 240 laps a day? Months and months of training and workout. Most people who don't swim everyday do not have the stamina to swim 10 laps, or even 4.</p>
<p>Can someone tell me what water treading is? :)</p>
<p>Oh, I know. It just sounds funny to those of us who swim all the time (I'm sure I sound just as ridiculous complaining about running to people who run often).</p>
<p>Treading water is where you basically stay in one place and keep your head out of the water, generally by "treading" it below you, using some combination of your arms and legs.</p>
<p>a-bomb, getting in is definately not the hardest part.</p>
<p>How much total time did you spend on your application. on the entire process. Did require much brain power? Much effort? Of course not, it was a here's my application now I'll cross my fingers.</p>
<p>My times aren't all that great, but I've only been swimming seriously for about two years, so I think if I improve at the same pace I have been, I should get good enough to swim for MIT by next fall (or at least walk on, train for awhile, and make the team sophomore year).</p>
<p>Okay, I see. People in my country informally call water treading when-a-puppy-falls-into-the-water swim. But, of course, it's much shorter when expressed in my language.</p>
<p>I've been swimming "seriously" for three years now, and did a lot of age group when I was younger (not "seriously"). My 50 free time set a new school record, and both my free events were fourth in the state. You would probably win states here. For an island state, our swimmers are slow, I guess. I hear indiana is insane for swimming..
the fastest 50 freestyling girl in the state here (23 high 24 low?) in Hawaii wouldn't've qualified for theirs.</p>
<p>Meh. <em>I</em> can do this (including the optional 10 minute treading water at the end), and not only do I not swim regularly, but I use a wheelchair whenever I'm not at home. Deal with it, folks.</p>