The quality of a center is highly dependent on the people who coach there and the people who row there. As an example, Steve Gladstone, now the H/W coach at Yale, was previously coaching at the California Rowing Club.
Thanks for replying. I don't want to hijack this site with a non-college-related discussion but I love reading the advice you give. My son, a lightweight rower, spent the summer rowing out of Riverside in Boston in a pair- he and his rowing partner won the US trails and went to Amsterdam for the U23Worlds- two coaches from Riverside accompanied them to Worlds- I can't get over the dedication shown by people in this sport.
He is living until March in Hanover NH. Then he's planning to go to Oklahoma City to train at the Devon High Performance Training Center there- the lightweight men train there, while the heavyweights are in Chula Vista, CA and the women are in Princeton, NJ. He thinks that it is better to train with the rest of the US team in Oklahoma even though he will have to work while he trains and job opportunities in his field (biomedical engineering) are much greater in Boston and other places with satellite training centers such as Philly or Seattle than in Oklahoma City (where they are just about non-existent).
I realize that this is not an appropriate topic for this forum, but I appreciate your interest.
Hey, everyone. I apologize for dropping off the face of the earth. My OV at Penn went very well; I enjoyed myself without overdoing it, made some friends on the team, and got an excellent sense of what the school and Philly were like. Everything since has run smoothly - the coaches are supporting me and the admissions office gave me a "verbal likely" based on my transcript and SAT scores. The coaches say that once I submit my application, I can get an actual letter. The deadline is November 1st, and I'm planning on submitting it within 2-3 days. Thanks again for all the advice and support.
Nice work, thehistorian! Keep in touch. We love to hear how these things unfold, we care about how this turns out for you, and your story will be very helpful to future applicants.
Hi. I have another question. I submitted my application a few days ago, despite the power outage, and today I got an email from an alumnus offering an interview. Is this a good sign? Bad sign? How does the alumni interview process work? I was under the impression that the applicant had to initiate them, and that they were generally used if the applicant thought he needed an extra push to get in. Please correct me if my notions about alumni interviews are false.
Alumni interviews are given on a "first come first served" basis. Alumni sign up to be interviewers and cover a certain geographical area based on where they live or work. For Early Decision candidates - the names are given to whichever alumnus covers the area closest to the candidate. They then contact that candidate for an appt. These primarily are informative, not truly evaluative, however you should answer the email within 48 hrs. and make sure you come presentable, bright eyed and bushy tailed. After the interview, the alumnus files a report that includes usually answers to some standard questions as well as a written summary of their impression of you. Generally this must take place fairly quickly based on the ED schedule. Its in your best interest to respond quickly and have the interview.
Alumni interviews are standard for those who have applied in good time They don't have much clout with admissions (they can hurt, if you come across very badly; but they rarely help/make a difference). Do be sure to email your interviewer a thank you after the meeting.
Our student did an alumni interview after getting the LL...
That said kiddo did let the alumni know the LL status etc so that if the alumni had lots of candidates to attend to--the interviewer would understand that kiddo was already one and done/committed--and felt "released" to move on to other applicants if time was short.
The interview was a breakfast mtg where they chatted and while kiddo hoped to come away with insight into the U, the alumni was many years out. Still it was a good connection to make.
The alumni interviewer for the college my DD received a LL from emailed my DD, introduced herself and said she knew DD had a LL but if she had any questions to please feel free to contact her by email or phone. I thought it was a nice gesture.
^ Similarly GS received request to do an interview with an alumna after receiving his LL. As she is a recent graduate, GS will likely do it as an informational interview.
Getting an interview is neither good nor bad. If you have a LL, they are irrelevant. If you don't have a LL, they're an input to the admission decision, albeit a small one.
Today I got my official likely letter on paper from Penn. What a day! It seems my recruiting journey is over. Once again, thank you all for your advice and support, and I hope future rowers can use this thread in the future. OldScarecrow - my stats have not changed since then. I got recruited with those.
Congrats on your LL and Ivy recruiting journey. It has been interesting to watch (from the sidelines) your recruiting journey and learn more about the how another Ivy sport gets its talent. It is vastly different in Ivy baseball. ;-) You did a great job of seeking advice and following through on that advice. Remember to pay it back some day.
oldscarecrow,
Give yourself a big pat on the back. Very well done.
I have a question about official visits. I am interested in swimming D3/low D1 (senior this year) and the recruiting director at my top choice said that he ran out of official visits to give out during the ED/EA period. Does this actually happen, or have I thrown my ED to a school that doesn't want me enough?
Replies to: When Do Coaches Offer Official Visits?
I don't track this, but there are some wonderful training centers. Here's a list:
USRowing Training Center Partner Program
The quality of a center is highly dependent on the people who coach there and the people who row there. As an example, Steve Gladstone, now the H/W coach at Yale, was previously coaching at the California Rowing Club.
Where does your son live?
Thanks!
Thanks for replying. I don't want to hijack this site with a non-college-related discussion but I love reading the advice you give. My son, a lightweight rower, spent the summer rowing out of Riverside in Boston in a pair- he and his rowing partner won the US trails and went to Amsterdam for the U23Worlds- two coaches from Riverside accompanied them to Worlds- I can't get over the dedication shown by people in this sport.
He is living until March in Hanover NH. Then he's planning to go to Oklahoma City to train at the Devon High Performance Training Center there- the lightweight men train there, while the heavyweights are in Chula Vista, CA and the women are in Princeton, NJ. He thinks that it is better to train with the rest of the US team in Oklahoma even though he will have to work while he trains and job opportunities in his field (biomedical engineering) are much greater in Boston and other places with satellite training centers such as Philly or Seattle than in Oklahoma City (where they are just about non-existent).
I realize that this is not an appropriate topic for this forum, but I appreciate your interest.
Has anyone heard how he made out at Penn?
He was very keen on Penn and thought he had a good shot there.
Wonder if he did any other OVs.
That said kiddo did let the alumni know the LL status etc so that if the alumni had lots of candidates to attend to--the interviewer would understand that kiddo was already one and done/committed--and felt "released" to move on to other applicants if time was short.
The interview was a breakfast mtg where they chatted and while kiddo hoped to come away with insight into the U, the alumni was many years out. Still it was a good connection to make.
Getting an interview is neither good nor bad. If you have a LL, they are irrelevant. If you don't have a LL, they're an input to the admission decision, albeit a small one.
I am curious as to the final nunbers that secured your LL. Last summer you posted these:
6'1 and 185lbs with a 6:34.0 2k ERG
GPA: 3.38 unweighted
SAT I: 720 CR 710 M 710 W
SAT II: 800 World History;760 U.S.History; 660 Literature
Were these your final numbers? It would be helpful to the community to know the kinds of numbers that can secure an LL at an Ivy for H/W rowing.
Thanks and best.
Congrats on your LL and Ivy recruiting journey. It has been interesting to watch (from the sidelines) your recruiting journey and learn more about the how another Ivy sport gets its talent. It is vastly different in Ivy baseball. ;-) You did a great job of seeking advice and following through on that advice. Remember to pay it back some day.
oldscarecrow,
Give yourself a big pat on the back. Very well done.
It is a testament to your grit and determination -- well done. Relish and take advantage of this opportunity. It is rare.
Best to you,
OS