RECRUITING PROCESS
General Guidelines and Guidance
Recruiting for men's rowing will be different from other sports. The information below hopefully helps you better understand the timeline, terms, and to-dos in the recruiting process.
June 15
After the conclusion of your sophomore year of high school. This is when coaches can begin having recruiting conversations with you (email, phone call, etc.) For Southern Hemisphere athletes, this date applies during your second-to-last year of high school.
August 1
Prior to your junior year of high school. This is when coaches can begin having in-person meetings with you (chat at a regatta, unofficial visits). For Southern Hemisphere athletes, this date applies during your second-to-last year of high school.
Unofficial Visit
This is when an interested student-athlete makes a visit to campus and can meet with coaches. These can begin August 1 prior to the start of your junior year. Expenses are paid for by the prospect and their family.
Official Visit
This is when a recruited student-athlete makes a multi-day visit at the invitation of the coaching staff. It usually occurs in an advanced stage of the recruiting process and can take place during a prospect's senior year. Expenses are paid for by the university.
Academic Pre-Read
A pre-read is when you provide your academic transcript (and SAT/ACT test scores, if you choose), and these materials are assessed for admissibility to a university and/or a specific college or academic program. At Syracuse, we typically do these after a student's junior year. Students for whom English is not their first language will need to submit a TOEFL or DuoLingo score report to have a pre-read completed.
General Year-by-Year Recruiting Guidance
Although recruiting activities do not really begin until after a student's sophomore year of high school, you are free to begin exploring different universities and researching teams before you even have conversations with coaches. Everyone's recruiting process can look different, but here's a simple year-by-year guide for how you might approach it all.
Note: Sometimes people start rowing later or consider college rowing later on and so begin recruiting later--that's OK! You should still reach out once you think you want to row in college. Recruiting is always ongoing, so don't worry if you think you're late to the game. Just get started!
Freshman Year
Honestly, don't worry yet about recruiting. Just focus on doing well in school and learning about rowing. If you still play other sports, keep doing them, unless you decide you only want to row. Focus on developing as an athlete and learning about training, technique, recovery, and racing. If you're particularly eager to get started on recruiting, you can do most of the tasks in the Sophomore section below.
Sophomore Year
Become a student of the sport and challenge yourself academically. You can begin researching college rowing programs by following them on social media, visiting their websites, and consuming rowing media and news. Primarily, you should be growing as a student and athlete. Begin conversations with your family about college. Plan for some summer rowing training, like a camp. June 15 after sophomore year coaches can begin talking with you. Fill out the recruiting questionnaire on team websites to get started.
Junior Year
An important year for school and rowing; make sure you're taking a strong course load and working to maximize your athletic development. Understand the academic and athletic targets of schools you're interested in and actively work toward them. That might include extra erging on your own. Have conversations with coaches to get to know each team, and keep them updated on your progress. Make some unofficial campus visits. Prepare for a strong summer of training and development. By late summer/early fall, have a short list of schools prepared. Think about why they are the right fit for you, and why you are a good fit for them.
Senior Year
Keep challenging yourself in school and rowing. Schedule official visits and determine a timeline for making your commitment. Determine the most important factors in your college decision: academic, athletic, financial, cultural, etc. Weigh the offers and invitations you receive, and be transparent with coaches about your process. Once you make a commitment, congratulations! Submit your application materials, and strive for high achievement to complete your high school career. Make sure summer training is in your plan to set you up for a strong start to your college rowing journey.
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