Men's Swimming & Diving Frequently Asked Questions
Academic Benchmarks
What grade point average, rank in class and SAT scores do I need
to be considered for admission to Harvard?
The answer is complex as the above-mentioned components of an
applicant's academic performance are only a part of a broad picture
that is considered when the admissions department reviews
applications. For more information on Harvard admissions
requirements, visit the
Harvard website.
Harvard is one of the most respected and selective universities in
the world. Accordingly, Harvard maintains the highest standards for
admission. The Harvard Admissions office has the expertise and
experience to look at candidates on the whole. When performing
preliminary, basic evaluations of prospects, we look for students
who have taken a challenging curriculum and have been successful;
who have performed well on standardized tests (although there is a
wide range); and who are in the top 15% of their graduating class.
Can a prospect's candidacy for the swim team increase his
chances of gaining admission?
We will support applications for admission by candidates for the
swim team on an individual basis. Support from a trusted and
reliable source (including coaches, interviewers, alumni, faculty,
etc.) will often make a significant impact on admissions decisions.
However, since we are not admissions officers and do not make
admissions decisions, we cannot guarantee admission to anyone.
The amount of support we can provide and the number of candidates we are able to actively support is limited. Our support is generally based upon the following four criteria:
- The ability of a prospect to help our team achieve the mission, vision and goals we have established;
- The likelihood of the individual's gaining admission based upon academic and extra-curricular factors;
- The likelihood that the prospective
student-athlete will attend Harvard if admitted; and
- The likelihood of committing to the team for four years of college.
How do students manage their time between
school work and swim team commitments?
Athletics is a primary component of the educational experience at
Harvard. The ability to prioritize and manage time is an important
part of the learning process for Harvard students, especially
Harvard student-athletes. The amount of time team members commit to
the swimming and diving team is significant and requires discipline
on the part of the student athlete.
A significant percentage of Harvard students are involved in extracurricular activities and must plan their schedules accordingly. This planning and discipline is an integral part of the Harvard experience. Approximately 1,000 of the nearly 7,000 undergraduate students at Harvard compete in intercollegiate athletics, proving every day that it is realistic for Harvard students to be successful student-athletes. A great example of this success was displayed as recently in the spring of 2008, when senior swimmer Geoff Rathgeber was awarded the William J. Bingham Award for the Most Outstanding Male Student-Athlete at Harvard as well as the John P. Reardon Award in recognition of his scholarship, leadership, character, and athletic ability.
Do the swimmers and divers train and compete
together?
Harvard is fortunate to have ample space at Blodgett Pool so that
our swimmers and divers can all train together every day. While the
divers are training on the boards, we have two 25-yard courses (a
6-lane and an 8-lane), which gives us 14 swimming lanes and
additional water for drills and weight training. Also, there is
ample deck area for dryland work for all groups. This allows the
swimmers and divers to arrive and leave together, and promotes a
very strong team bond.
Athletic Benchmarks
How fast do I need to be to become of member of the Harvard
Men’s Swimming team?
Harvard Men’s Swimming and Diving has been consistently
ranked among the best men’s swimming programs in the country
(most recently 22nd in 2007-2008). Accordingly, most athletes that
we actively recruit are at or approaching the senior national level
or have achieved multiple junior national time standards. However,
we are looking for the best possible athletes who want to be
challenged, achieve great things, and have potential to get faster.
Therefore, we stay in close contact with other prospective athletes
who are excited about the opportunity to compete at Harvard who may
not have achieved national time standards as of yet.
Our Recruiting Approach
How does the Harvard Men’s Swimming and Diving Team
establish and maintain contact with potential team members?
HMSD is looking for candidates who are excited about the
opportunity and challenge of a Harvard education. We seek out
athletes who desire a comprehensive and supportive program that
allows them to reach their highest aspirations in the sport. If we
believe a candidate is a person who has the potential to help our
program and has a good chance of gaining admission, we will invite
them on campus for one of our two recruiting weekends in the fall.
If a candidate has agreed to an official visit, we like them to
submit their completed application either before they arrive on
campus or shortly after. Additionally, we feel that getting to know
the athlete’s club and high school coach is paramount in this
process and we will call or contact them to gain a broader
prospective on the athlete. It is our goal to disseminate all the
pertinent information to the recruit, his coach, and his parents as
early as possible so that they can make an informed decision before
the early signing period.
Competition, Practice and Schedule
What is the practice schedule?
NCAA rules allow a total of 20 hours per week during the regular
season. The schedule will differ for the needs of individual
athletes based on their best events, training history, and time of
year. A total of 10 two hour training sessions will be offered each
week. Additionally, we also utilize our strength and conditioning
coach between 2-3 times per week with a heavy emphasis on core
strengthening, injury prevention, and race specific power and speed
development.
With what other colleges do you regularly compete?
The Harvard Men’s
Swimming and Diving Team competes in the Ivy League and EISL and
will swim all members during the dual meet season. All team members
will have the opportunity to compete and travel during the season.
Additionally we actively seek out the best competition available to
us and have competed against teams from the SEC, ACC, Big East, Big
10, and others.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
I would really like to attend Harvard, but I have several
scholarships from other schools. Can you provide any information
that will help me with this decision?
Harvard has an outstanding financial aid program that allows
people from all financial backgrounds to attend. Since Harvard
applicants are the "best and the brightest," they frequently have
other opportunities available to them. Yet we feel that the
opportunity to compete at Harvard in the pool and the classroom can
often rival these other offers. The goal of the Office of Financial
Aid is to work with each family to ensure access to the Harvard
education students have worked so hard to secure. All of our
financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated financial
need—there are no academic, athletic or merit-based awards.
Harvard meets the full need of every student, including
international students, for all four years.
Building on the success of the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative
(HFAI), which eliminated the parental contribution from families
earning $60,000 or less, Harvard recently announced major financial
aid enhancements to ensure greater affordability for middle- and
upper-middle income families. Beginning in the 2008–09
academic year, parents with incomes of $180,000 or less will be
asked to contribute significantly less to the cost of a Harvard
education. Additionally, home equity will no longer be considered
in determining a family’s ability to contribute and students
will not be expected to take out loans, which will be replaced by
need-based Harvard scholarship. To learn more about the details of
this initiative, (click
here: FAQs about the new initiative)
NEWS AND HIGHLIGHTS:
December
2007: Harvard announces sweeping middle-income initiative
March
2006: Harvard expands financial aid for low- and middle-income
families
Additional information regarding all matters of financial aid can
be found on the Office
of Financial Aid website.
Athletic Questions:
A top athlete and student should be sure he is choosing a school
that will foster his personal growth in all areas. Ivy League
schools have a unique view of athletics that allows its member
schools to provide this balance and development. Visit the Ivy
League's official website for more information about the
league.
Part of the reason for Harvard's success is the ability of
Harvard teams to compete with the best programs in the country -
including winning national championships and being ranked in the
top 20 in several sports each year. Our roster of 41 varsity sports
means that Harvard not only has a fantastic athletic department; it
is the largest Division I program in the nation both in terms of
sports offered and student-athletes served.
The mission statement of Harvard Athletics states, “Harvard
values the lessons that have long been taught by athletic
participation: the pursuit of excellence through personal
development and teamwork; ethical and responsible behavior on the
field and off; adherence to the spirit of rules as well as to their
letter; leadership and strength of character; and sportsmanship --
including respect for one's opponents, acceptance of victory with
humility, acknowledgment of defeat with grace, and respect for the
value of cross-cultural understanding and acceptance. In teaching
these lessons to its students, Harvard instills habits that will
lead students to better and healthier lives. While winning is not
an end in itself, we believe that the efforts by our
intercollegiate teams to be their best will lead them to
succeed.” We invite you to visit our website at www.gocrimson.com to
learn more about our department as a whole.
