<p>I was born in California, so my Mom has always had a dream that I would go to Stanford. Since then, 17 years have past, and while she and I both prefer schools on the East Coast, part of her still wants me to look at/apply to Stanford. The thing is, I’m not sure if I’ll like it.</p>
<p>For one thing, I’m a rower. I started in September, and it’s definitely something I want to do in college, and get recruited for, if possible. The thing is, I’ve found out Stanford’s boathouse is (5 miles?) pretty far from campus. This is one thing that would worry my mother (and me, to some extent). The other schools I’m looking at have on-campus boathouses, or explicitly state that there are official rowing buses leaving every morning/afternoon for practice. I can’t find this anywhere on Stanford’s website. Are rowers expected to walk or get rides with each other?</p>
<p>Another thing is people. I haven’t visited Palo Alto/surrounding areas since I was 1, so I have no memories of it, but this summer I was at an academic program, and there were several kids from Palo Alto in attendance. Many had siblings at Stanford and expected to go there themselves. Long story short: I didn’t like them. They were obnoxious, stuck-up, and just … ugh. Granted, this was a small group of people, and I don’t want to judge an entire city by them, but the impression they left on me was not a positive one. </p>
<p>I’m also not sure if I’d be thrilled about being stuck in suburban Palo Alto. I don’t have a car, and my parents aren’t going to buy me one for college, so I’d be stuck getting rides from friends and using public transit (something I’m very comfortable with in my own city). Other schools I’m considering have central locations within their cities/towns, and advertise the abundance and safety of the buses/trains around them. What is public transit like in Palo Alto?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you are 17 and just started rowing in September, your chances of being recruited for crew on either coast are extremely, immeasurably tiny.</p></li>
<li><p>No one is going to try to sell Stanford or Palo Alto to you. Why don’t you just apply to places that appeal to you?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for replying, zenkoan.
And, actually, I’m applying as a LW rower, and after swimming since elementary school, my erg scores started out good enough that with enough training over the summer, I have a serious shot at being recruited as a LW.</p>
<p>Oh. You didn’t mention anything about being a “lightweight” in your original post. Hope it works out for you and that you end up somewhere you truly want to be.</p>
<p>Rowing program has vans that take athletes to and from the boathouse. You will have enough time to go the class, but it’s very tight.
What is your current ergtime?. You can start making contact with the coach, if You are a Jr. They will tell You if are within the ballpark athletically and academically.
I hope that helps</p>
<p>You might try a session of the Stanford Rowing Camp this summer. The overnight camps are aimed at experienced rowers and led by the Stanford coaches. Campers stay in the Stanford dorms, so you would get to see for yourself how you feel about the experience.</p>
<p>@cc1979: I just did a 2k today, and I got a 7:46.7.<br>
Yeah, I figured there had to be some sort of transportation to and from the boathouse, I just couldn’t find any evidence of it online. I am a junior, and I have a decent shot at getting into Stanford academically.</p>
<p>@silicon:
Thanks! Are the camps expensive? Money’s kind of tight when it comes to camps this summer, and I’d planned on spending most of it padding out my volunteer hours, but it’s definitely something I’ll look into.</p>
<p>The rowing day camp is $400 per 5 day session, the overnight camp is $750 for each session (August 2-5, 2011 or August 9-12, 2011). You can get more information at the Stanford Rowing Camps website.</p>
<p>Careful putting all your eggs in one, er… scull. Better make sure that you’ve rocked every other category of admit criteria - SAT, ACT, APs, perfect transcript, impressive and consistent ECs, beloved by your teachers, etc, - before YOU start choosing Stanford. You may get more mileage out of your swimming if you have a longer performance record in that sport. I believe Stanford values a committed athletic career in the admissions process but making a team, and on scholarship, is low likelihood.</p>
<p>Like Zen said, why not just apply to the schools that really interest you (your mom isn’t attending it’s you) and for which you have less reservations?</p>
<p>I’m guessing you’re a woman’s lightweight? I’m sorry but if you want to make Stanford’s women’s lightweight squad you’re going to need to slash that score pretty dramatically.</p>
<p>A decent 2k is 7:20. There are also summer “development camps” but you need to qualify for them. They are also held in different parts of the country, similar to the dev. camps. You should plan to contact college coaches summer of your junior year (coaches can’t talk to you by phone until July 1 but you can email. Check out NCAA website for specific rules) and have your coach put in a good word if you with colleges if want to be recruited.</p>
<p>For a LW, a 7:20 would mean a silver medal at the indoor rowing world championships for junior women (many of whom aren’t able to row LW in season). A low 7:40 is a score that makes a LW very recruitable. And as far as reality check is concerned: Top universities, including the ivies and Stanford, recruit women for rowing who’ve never been in a boat.</p>