Lightweight rowing recruitment. 169 lbs 6:44 2kerg raising junior [international student, 3.75 GPA]

Right now i am a rising junior this year. i am 5’10 169 and my erg score is 6:44 at april, i would say it is sub 6:40 right now cause i have spend tons of training after that for regional championships. (didn’t get medal unfortunately) I only start rowing for 1.5 years and i have do both sculling and sweep. i also have a good achdamic scores, 3.8 unweighted in first 3 semester, kind of bad this semester cause of transfer to another high school in the middle of the semester. I also get couple national award on academic, like bet the top 5 percent of amc 12. I really want to get recruited by penn, however i don’t can i make it or what do i need to improve right now, i will probably started to contacted with coaches this august, but i don’t know whether will it be too early.

It’s not too early to contact coaches. Are you an international student?

What is your college budget per year? Will you qualify for need based financial aid?

What is your 4 semester unweighted GPA, including the lower semester?

Do you have an ACT/SAT score? If not, you should make that a priority this summer/fall.

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Rowing folks can correct me but I believe the lightweight limit is 72.5kg (159.8lbs). You are likely still growing and adding muscle mass which will add to your weight. Also, a top lightweight team is probably looking at sub 6:30 times.

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our school don’t count about weighted gpa, also i was transfer from a british education system. but this semester, every subject is honor, and 1 of them is ap physic. and i am a international student. for financial add, i don’t think i will need that, cause i make some money by myself through stock market, my whole 4 semester right now is around 3.75. and i will take sat this august, i have do some mock in the pest, get 1300+ already

i think that doesn’t matter me so much, first my fat rate right now is quite high around 18, so i can just decrease my fat rate this summer by a bunch of cardio and a healthy diet. also the requirement for weight is quite flexible, i know a guy get recruited by yale this year have a 165 and 6:29 2k

Not to early - you should get a test score soon and the Ivys will want to see a strong score. You need to improve your erg score and weight ratio - lightweight coaches will be expecting you to include height, weight and erg score in all communication - this needs to show improvement with each update.

If you get improvement on your ERG - you may want to also explore D3 options for Open weight.

Also, well written clear concise communication will be important.

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For the most part (from what I am hearing) take this to mean in the high 1400s and above.

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From my experience - at least that score unless a major impact rower/national team member. The kids I know had high scores and are equally academic as they are strong at the sport. Not easy and a big recruit pool :slight_smile: The IRA released the list of rowers last week that had honor status at their respective schools this year - it is long.

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FISA - World Rowing says that “The Olympic rowing programme introduced lightweight event categories for the first time at the 1996 Atlanta Games. The weight limits vary for men and women: individual women must not weigh more than 59kg; the average crew weight can be no more than 57kg. Individual men must not weigh more than 72.5kg; the average crew weight can be no more than 70kg.”

In pounds, the male lightweight limit is 159.8 for each individual, and 154.3 average for a crew (of more than one).

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Some universities in the US can be around USD $95,000 or so per year now.

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yeah, i make some really wise decision about technique companies like buying nividia at freshmen year , so it should cover 3 years of my educational fee right now, i might also find some internship in the future

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that’s true, but when recruiting, they are more flexible, also this weight also change when it is race season or not. Most of college’s highest limit for recruit is 170, but you need to have a better 2k erg for that

Just a thought.

Not a competitive rower, but as a competitive athlete who has to make weight, one can cut weight for the race day weigh-in.

A temporary weight loss of 5-10 lbs isn’t too difficult, but should probably be done under supervision of a doctor, licensed nutritionist and/or experienced and trusted training staff.

And then post-weigh-in, add back the weight by hydrating and eating. Thus a coach may want to see a recruit at 165-170 lbs for the 159.8 lb lightweight class rowing class.

In April you said this… which is it?

i want to head for penn and Harvard. right now my erg is 6:35 as a sophomore student. my weight is around 165. however i am not sure can i make it as i am doing really bad this semester only reaching a 3.0 even low ever GPA cause i was transfer to a new school mid term. but before this i reach 3.8 for my first 3 semester(unweighted). but i have a high SAT right now, around 1490, probably 1530 after head of Charles when i will contact the coaches. Can i still make it to penn and hardvard. for my erging time i have the confident to drop to 6:25 at October, as i have drop 20s this month

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Temporarily closing

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Reopening thread after some clarification from the OP -

Original post had predicted test scores and GPA.

Per the OP regarding the erg discrepency: " 6:35 is because i hit a 28 by 1 min on 1 min off practice, which could definitely be an diciator of 2k erg. i was holding a 1:38.4 pace for the whole time. which i believe means that my 2k erg is around 6:35, but without an official test"

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I realize this is the internet and the OP is an international student, but I find it ironic that he wants to get recruited to an extremely competitive Ivy League school for rowing and yet the spelling and grammar in his post and replies are so awful.

I would argue if this post is consistent with his application materials (incl essays), and correspondences with coaches that he would be immediately crossed off the list for consideration.

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OK, so straight talk. You’re a very unlikely LW recruit right now for 2025, and if you want to have any chance for that to change, you need to buckle down.

—You’re at least 9 seconds too slow for Penn (maybe some flexibility if you were taller). What it might be based on predictions or whatever does not matter. All that matters at this point is what the C2 actually says. You’re too slow for any Ivy right now. The distance isn’t impossible to make up but it’s on you to do it.

—All of these programs would like you to already have a test score, and that is likely a 1400/33 at least. Again, prediction doesn’t cut it. So since you don’t have one, you need to be signed up asap and you need to get it.

—Your size isn’t a blocker but it’s also not helping you (especially since your 2k isn’t fast enough), and telling a coach that “my body fat % is 18 right now but I can get it down” is all just predictive. Can you drop 15+ lbs of fat and gain 5+ lbs of muscle? Maybe but there are many athletes competing with you who’ve already done it. (Not sure if you have any LW results since you are/were non-US.)

—You should have been talking to coaches for months, and hopefully with emails that are clear, concise, and with correct spelling and grammar. They would also be telling you all of this (some this directly) or not responding.

(I’m not even getting into money or grades.)

I’m not trying to be mean - I’m just saying what other folks who know this sport would say (and some are saying above), and so either you need to move on the above right now, you need to plan to delay a year, or you need to plan for other options.

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