collegeswim

Killer Whale Senior Swimmers,

This page of the website is designed to help you in your search for the right college. I know that
college swimming is not in everyone’s future, but you have worked hard enough to have that door
open to you, and that is something you should be proud of.

High School Graduation presents some big decisions about your future and marks the beginning of a
wonderful journey. I hope that it will include swimming, as I feel that being an athlete can make the
college experience much more fun for you. Being part of a team can help you to become a better
person, a better student, and can give you a fun, safe environment in which to obtain your degree
and start on the path to a successful future.

On the internet you can look up meet results and team top times lists to see where you would fit in
with different teams. You should choose a school depending on things like: school size and
expense, degree programs offered, and location-- then check out the team and see if that is
somewhere you would like to swim. There are great swimming programs all over the country that you
might never even have heard of. Research carefully. Remember-- the education is the important
part, swimming is just a tool that opens doors to bigger and better opportunities.

Most colleges will send out questionnaires and expect you to send them back if you are interested
in their program. That is usually how communication opens up. Don’t be afraid to email or call a
coach to ask for a questionnaire!! Some teams even have internet questionnaires you can fill out at
their team website!

Many schools don’t have a lot of scholarship money to give. Division III schools don’t give athletic
scholarships at all. These are still great programs and their coaches can help you get on track to
earn academic scholarships. Do not let yourself miss deadlines on these important applications!!
Even Division 1 schools have incredible athletes on academic scholarships instead of athletic--
many walk-on. Look up every resource you can !! Also, when you apply to a school you wish to
attend, coaches may have you send the application through their office… this can make your
chances of getting accepted to a good school increase tremendously. (Many of my friends were
rejected when they applied to the University of Washington, but I got in with a lower GPA because of
my swimming!!)

The following are internet links that will help you in your search for the right college: GOOD LUCK!!

http://www.collegeswimming.com
--This is a news site that features college swimming rankings, articles on swimmers' achievements,
results for duals and invitational meets, and even a recruiting resource to help you in your college
search.

http://www.missourivalleyswimming.com/recruiting/index.htm
--This is Missouri Valley’s Recruiting site. It includes a Resume’ area where you can plug in your
stats for coaches to see, a guide telling you what coaches are looking for, how to narrow your list
down to the right schools, how to market yourself to coaches, recruiting tips, about recruiting trips,
and an interview with a coach that gives great advice about how to be a part of a college swim
program.

http://www.ncaa.org
--This site includes a list of every NCAA school that offers swimming, as well as information on the
NCAA Clearing House which you must do before you even speak with a college swim coach. College
coaches have many rules about when and how often they are allowed to speak to athletes. You can
learn about them on this site. Also be sure to check out the NCAA Guide for the College Bound
Student Athlete.
Also, don’t forget about Junior Colleges and NAIA schools!!

These are additional swim recruiting sites where you can register for coaches to see you:
http://www.swimrecruit.com
http://www.berecruited.com
http://www.accrecruits.com

You should also look for tools to build your resume, such as the Missouri Valley All-Academic Team!

If you want to ask a former Killer Whale about their College Swimming experiences, don't hesitate to
e-mail!
Paris Fitzgerald,       Southwest Missouri State University Bears                                pef424s@smsu.edu
Sara Green,               University of Akron Zips                                                      greenearby@hotmail.com
Kyle Kearbey,            Lincoln (Ill.) College Lynx                                                      kakearbey@hotmail.com
Craigypoo Metcalf,   Drury University Panthers                                                            cmetcalf@drury.edu
Bryan Muench,         Southwest Missouri State University Bears               greatestmunch@hotmail.com
Jared Osborne,        University of Washington Huskies                                    jaredo@u.washington.edu

Scholarship FAQ

Check out www.ncaa.org and www.naia.org
There are different rules for each organization.

Q.        What is the NCAA Clearinghouse and do I have to register with them?
A.        Yes!, if you plan on swimming for a NCAA school. This is a must. You can get the brochure from your
school counselor or write to:
The National Collegiate Athletic Asscociation
P. O. Box 6222
Indianapolis, IN 46206-6222
or Phone 317-337-1492
This brochure will have all the NCAA Rules and Requirements in it along with Q&A's on each Division. This is
must to fill out before coaches can get serious about talking to you. You will be required to send in all your test
scores, transcripts, etc, to them.

Q.        When can coaches contact me and how often?
A.        According to NCAA Rules coaches can start contacting you July 1st before your senior year. They can
have an official contact with you once a week. Talking to your parents is considered an official contact if they
say more than "Is Joe there? Okay. When is the best time to call? Thank you. I will call back then."

Q.        How many official visits can I make to a swim college?
A.        According to NCAA Rules you can make five official visits paid for by the school. They will make all the
arrangements for you to go visit. You will usually spend time with the coach, the team and possibly visit class
(es). You will not be able to practice with the team but there is always the possibility of getting in the pool. You
will at least be able to see how the coach interacts with the team.

Q.        What does “Early Sign” mean?
A.        There are two signing periods for swimming. The first one is about November 14th through November
21st of your senior year. The second is April 10th through August 1st of your senior year. If you decide to early
sign then you and the college coach will sign in November and you will be committed to that team. It doesn’t
necessarily mean that you will get more scholarship by early signing or late signing. If you have decided on a
school that fits your academic needs and your swim standards then early signing might be right for you. If you
think there is a possibility you might get faster by the time late signing arrives then it might be good for you to
wait until then.

Q.        May I talk with a college coach on deck at an USS or High School swim meet?
A.        A college coach can only talk with you after you have swum your last event.

Q.        May I contact a coach myself?
A.        You may instigate a conversation on the telephone or by email as many times as you like after July 1
before your senior year

Q.        What is the likelihood of getting a swim scholarship?
A.        There are more swim scholarships available for women than men due to Title IX. But that’s not to say
there aren’t scholarships out there for the men. NCAA allows 14 full scholarships per team and the average is
9.2. Division II allows 8.1 scholarships with and average of 2.5. You can pull up the NCAA website to see what
the qualifications are for Division I and Division II. Division III schools are unable to give athletic scholarships. But
there are a lot of very good Division III schools with very good teams that will come up with “need” scholarships
for academics if they want you bad enough. Division III schools can only pay for one visit so be prepared to
make some visits on your own time to Division III schools.

Q.        What if I want to visit a Division III school and meet with the team and coach?
A.        According to the NCAA Clearinghouse you are allowed one expense-paid (official) visit to a particular
campus; however, there is no limit on the number of campuses that you may visit if you initially enroll in a
Division III college. Check with the individual coach at the college you are interested in.

Q.        What is a walk-on?
A.        A walk-on is a swimmer who tries out for the team and makes it but is not receiving scholarship money.
They are just as much a part of the team as any of the others. So, just because you don’t get any money for
swimming doesn’t mean you can’t swim.

Q.        What if I am interested in a swim college and the coach hasn’t contacted me?
A.        Swim coaches can’t contact everyone. There just isn’t time. They have to pick and choose and
sometimes they get hooked on trying to recruit one or two particular swimmers and miss a lot of the other ones.
Call them and visit with them. Send your name and times to them. Get your name in front of them.

Q.        Is it worthwhile filling out questionnaires on the college websites?
A.        YES. Fill out as many as you have time for. Be honest with your test scores and times. They can check
those. If the team is not listed on the www.swimmingcoach.org/links_college.htm website then go to their website
on line and go to the athletic link and find the swim team. Most of the colleges have questionnaires you can fill
out and email back in or you can print them off and mail them in. Get your name in front of different schools.

Q.        How many phone calls can I expect?
A.        It all depends on your times and whether your best stroke is one they are looking for. Remember, this is
not basketball or football. This is a secondary sport in most colleges and the coaches only have so much money
to “give away”. Like I said, if they don’t contact you contact them. Get your name in front of them. Be prepared to
be disappointed that a team doesn’t “want” you. It may be that your stroke just isn’t needed at that time. They
may have filled all the backstroke positions last year and this year they need butterfliers because they had three
graduate

Q.        How big a team should I look for?
A.        There are very large teams out there. It depends on what you want in a team and what the school is
offering in the way of academics and money. Most teams range around the 20 to 25 for men and the same for
women. There are teams that carry as many as 30 to 35. Remember, they are allowed to only take so many
swimmers to NCAA’s. Also, with that many swimmers on even the smallest team not everyone will have a
scholarship

Q.        Should I look at academics and then swim team or the other way around?
A.        Remember, will I be happy at this school if I am no longer swimming there?
Remember: Swimming is the vehicle for a good education. The academic program is just as important; no, more
important than the swim program. You have to be able to swim for that coach and his program but if for some
reason you are no longer swimming will you be happy at the school you have chosen?

You will find college swimming to be completely different than USS swimming or High School swimming. The
teams are usually very close and bond together. Some teams swim coed and some don’t. If you like swimming
with the other sex then that can be an important decision. You also will want to decide whether you want to be
“top dog” on the team or in the middle or where you want to be in the hierarchy of the team as far as your times.
Some swimmers like to be at the top because then they are pushed to stay there. Some like to be in the middle
because they are pushed by the swimmers who are slower and strive to get up with the faster ones.
Make sure when a college coach calls you, even if you are not interested in their program, listen to what they
have to say and thank them for their interest in you. Be fair to the coach: If you definitely are not interested in
their program tell them right away and thank them and wish them good luck in their program. That way they don’t
waste their time on you and they can move on to the next swimmer. If after a phone call and some research you
decide that you are not interested then let them know. They can move on to someone else.
If you are interested in a certain academic program you can ask the coach about it. He/she may know about the
program but if they don’t they will get with that department at the school and have them send you information
about it.
There is money out there for swimmers. It may not be a full-ride scholarship but along with grants and loans you
can swim and get a great education.
Don’t be afraid to talk to college swimmers about why they picked a certain program. You will find varying
opinions and each swimmer will have a different reason. You will just have to find your own.
You are involved in one of the best sports. Many people who are involved in college admissions have told me
that swimmers tend to be the most organized and disciplined of the athletes. If you can stay focused and
disciplined in high school it will carry on through college. This is your vehicle for a great education. Use it wisely
and you will benefit yourself and your college team.