Completed Event: Men's Heavyweight Rowing versus Georgetown on April 4, 2026 ,
Final
Men's Heavyweight Rowing
vs Georgetown
.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
Letter to High School Juniors
1/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Heavyweight Rowing
Prospective Members of Dartmouth's Class of 2012,
Over the next few months, the Dartmouth College admissions office will be admitting the class of 2011. When they do, you're next. We hope that this letter offers some guidance on the college search process in general and athletic recruiting in particular. Some of the topics below are specific to Dartmouth; others are not. Whether or not you end up in Hanover, we hope it's useful.
ROWING AND YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH
1. What to do Right Now, During your Junior Winter
When you've pulled your last 2k and/or 6k of winter training and received the results of your first round of SAT testing, contact the rowing coaches at every school in which you might be interested. Many programs have web sites with online recruiting forms asking for your name, address, grades, erg scores, and rowing highlights. Fill out all of the information, even if it means hunting down your social security number or your guidance counselor's phone number. If you end up coming to the school on an official visit, this will make setting that visit up a lot easier.
Make plans to tour colleges this summer—lots of them. Plan to tour the schools you know you're interested in, and definitely plan to visit a few schools you either know nothing about or think you might not like. Now's the time to learn—you know about your preferred schools, but you might not know about a school that could be your best fit. It seems counterintuitive, but visiting those schools might open up new options for you. While you're at it, notify the coaches at each school (after you've filled out their online recruiting form) to tell them that you'll be coming through campus this summer. You can set a specific date later.
2. What to Do This Spring and Summer:
At the end of your spring racing season, send the coaches at the schools on your list a short email updating them on any improvements to your 2k or SAT scores and a quick recap of your spring racing season.
When the school year ends, fax coaches a copy of your transcript with grades reported through your junior year, a complete SAT score report (including any SAT II's you've taken), and, if possible, your planned course schedule for the fall and future SAT I and II testing dates.
You'll also want to firm up plans to visit colleges. Make sure at least one coach from each school's rowing program will be on campus when you visit—coaches travel for camps and recruiting during the summer, but either the freshman coach or the varsity coach is usually available to meet with candidates who come through—and set a date for your visit so those coaches can plan accordingly.
3. Have an Open Mind.
Many students end up matriculating at a school they hadn't considered before they took their college visits.
4. Before You Visit Dartmouth
Learn as much as you can from home about the things that make Dartmouth and Dartmouth Heavyweight Crew unique: the College's undergraduate focus, the D-Plan, the LSAs and FSPs, the Dartmouth training calendar, and the program's history of turning young talent into Olympians and world champions. That way, when you get to the College, we can our spend time talking about all of the things—our 35 miles of flat water, the stunning Upper Connecticut River Valley, the values that guide the way we train and race—that are best discussed in person.
THE ATHLETIC RECRUITING PROCESS
1. What It Means to be Recruited
If you are offered a privilege—an official or unofficial visit, a meeting with a coach, telephone conversations or email correspondence with a coach—unavailable to your friends who don't row, you're being recruited.
There are rules that govern various parts of the on and off-campus recruiting process, and without getting bogged down in details, you should know this: while a coach is restricted in when and how often he can call you or invite you to campus at his program's expense, you can call him or visit campus at your expense any time you want.
We're busy, so we might be tough to reach, but most of us will return every email in time, and every call if we're allowed to do so.
2. Who Gets Recruited
We're looking for people who can help the program win championships. That's both simple and vague—some of those people will be studs on the erg and strokes of varsities; others will be leaders of less obvious athletic merit.
When we decide who we think can help the program, the basis for that decision has little to do with what you did in high school. It's entirely about what we think you can do at Dartmouth.
Being recruited is a privilege, and like any privilege, it comes with significant responsibility. We're looking for people who are committed to busting their tails for four years on the Connecticut River and also committed to being solid citizens on campus. We're looking for people who are comfortable with the idea that more will be expected from them than from their non-recruited classmates, that they'll have to sacrifice other parts of their lives for their team, and that they'll do all of this just for a shot at a boat. We're looking for people who are excited about making the commitment it takes to chase championships.
Rowing at a high level will be hard. Excelling in the classroom at the same time will occasionally be very difficult, but we expect you to do both. It's not our job to make it easier. It's your responsibility to handle the demands of studying and training at a high level. When you do, you'll be a stronger person for having done so.
No one is forcing you to be recruited. If you want to row but aren't comfortable with the responsibilities that come with athletic recruitment, let us know. We'll respect you for your honesty, and walk-ons are always welcome.
3. What Recruiting Means in the Admissions Process
Yes, we do “support” the applications of recruited athletes in the early decision process, and we also support recruited athletes who are committed to Dartmouth as their top choice in the regular decision process, Yes, you must apply early or commit to Dartmouth as your top choice to receive support. Yes, we do have an athletic liaison to the admissions office and yes, we do have some dialogue with them on our candidates.
No, we don't know how much or specifically how our influence helps—it varies case by case. No—in most cases—we can't influence the speed of the process. No, we do not have a set number of “slots” each year, although other schools might be different. No, there are no scholarships for rowing or for any other athletic or merit-based qualification in the Ivy League. There are no “super-secret” scholarships for rowing in the IVY League. If you know someone who's claiming to get one, he's either confused or lying.
And no, there are no guarantees, good or bad. Students with 4.0 GPAs, perfect SATs, and athletic support are occasionally (but rarely) denied, and students with GPAs as low as 3.0, SATs in the 1800's, and athletic support are occasionally admitted.
Rowing coaches cannot make guarantees about whether you will be admitted or not. We are not the admissions staff, and only the admissions are qualified to make guarantees. We have been looking at student's applications for a good number of years now and can tell you what we think, but if you're committing to a college based on your chances of admittance, you shouldn't do so unless those chances are expressed by the admissions office.
4. How Potential Support in the Admissions Process Should Play Into How You Pick Your Top Choice
It shouldn't. Potential for support in the admissions process shouldn't influence your decision on where you want to go. Let's say that Dartmouth is your first choice but you get the impression that your chances for admission at Harvard are better than they are at Dartmouth. So you decide to commit to Harvard because, well, it's an Ivy League university and it's your best shot at getting into an Ivy you like.
Let's say you get in. Now, let's say you're unhappy at Harvard. You want to hike, bike, climb, and ski when you're not rowing, and there's not much of that in Cambridge. You visit a friend in Hanover and realize that you're probably going to work in or near a city for much of your life, and Dartmouth represented your chance to get the best undergraduate education in the country while living in a setting you'll likely never enjoy again. You're going to regret not taking your shot at your top choice.
Take your college tours and go on your official visits to decide where you want to go to College. Apply early there, or commit to that school as your top choice for regular decision. If you're going to receive support, great. If not, that school might be a little harder to get into, but it shouldn't change your mind. Being more admissible doesn't make your second choice a better choice, it just makes it easier.
Touring schools, talking to coaches, taking official visits should all influence your thinking as your pick your top choices. Athletic support shouldn't—it should help make your top choice your alma mater.
Best of luck in your college search. We hope it brings you to Hanover.
Over the next few months, the Dartmouth College admissions office will be admitting the class of 2011. When they do, you're next. We hope that this letter offers some guidance on the college search process in general and athletic recruiting in particular. Some of the topics below are specific to Dartmouth; others are not. Whether or not you end up in Hanover, we hope it's useful.
ROWING AND YOUR COLLEGE SEARCH
1. What to do Right Now, During your Junior Winter
When you've pulled your last 2k and/or 6k of winter training and received the results of your first round of SAT testing, contact the rowing coaches at every school in which you might be interested. Many programs have web sites with online recruiting forms asking for your name, address, grades, erg scores, and rowing highlights. Fill out all of the information, even if it means hunting down your social security number or your guidance counselor's phone number. If you end up coming to the school on an official visit, this will make setting that visit up a lot easier.
Make plans to tour colleges this summer—lots of them. Plan to tour the schools you know you're interested in, and definitely plan to visit a few schools you either know nothing about or think you might not like. Now's the time to learn—you know about your preferred schools, but you might not know about a school that could be your best fit. It seems counterintuitive, but visiting those schools might open up new options for you. While you're at it, notify the coaches at each school (after you've filled out their online recruiting form) to tell them that you'll be coming through campus this summer. You can set a specific date later.
2. What to Do This Spring and Summer:
At the end of your spring racing season, send the coaches at the schools on your list a short email updating them on any improvements to your 2k or SAT scores and a quick recap of your spring racing season.
When the school year ends, fax coaches a copy of your transcript with grades reported through your junior year, a complete SAT score report (including any SAT II's you've taken), and, if possible, your planned course schedule for the fall and future SAT I and II testing dates.
You'll also want to firm up plans to visit colleges. Make sure at least one coach from each school's rowing program will be on campus when you visit—coaches travel for camps and recruiting during the summer, but either the freshman coach or the varsity coach is usually available to meet with candidates who come through—and set a date for your visit so those coaches can plan accordingly.
3. Have an Open Mind.
Many students end up matriculating at a school they hadn't considered before they took their college visits.
4. Before You Visit Dartmouth
Learn as much as you can from home about the things that make Dartmouth and Dartmouth Heavyweight Crew unique: the College's undergraduate focus, the D-Plan, the LSAs and FSPs, the Dartmouth training calendar, and the program's history of turning young talent into Olympians and world champions. That way, when you get to the College, we can our spend time talking about all of the things—our 35 miles of flat water, the stunning Upper Connecticut River Valley, the values that guide the way we train and race—that are best discussed in person.
THE ATHLETIC RECRUITING PROCESS
1. What It Means to be Recruited
If you are offered a privilege—an official or unofficial visit, a meeting with a coach, telephone conversations or email correspondence with a coach—unavailable to your friends who don't row, you're being recruited.
There are rules that govern various parts of the on and off-campus recruiting process, and without getting bogged down in details, you should know this: while a coach is restricted in when and how often he can call you or invite you to campus at his program's expense, you can call him or visit campus at your expense any time you want.
We're busy, so we might be tough to reach, but most of us will return every email in time, and every call if we're allowed to do so.
2. Who Gets Recruited
We're looking for people who can help the program win championships. That's both simple and vague—some of those people will be studs on the erg and strokes of varsities; others will be leaders of less obvious athletic merit.
When we decide who we think can help the program, the basis for that decision has little to do with what you did in high school. It's entirely about what we think you can do at Dartmouth.
Being recruited is a privilege, and like any privilege, it comes with significant responsibility. We're looking for people who are committed to busting their tails for four years on the Connecticut River and also committed to being solid citizens on campus. We're looking for people who are comfortable with the idea that more will be expected from them than from their non-recruited classmates, that they'll have to sacrifice other parts of their lives for their team, and that they'll do all of this just for a shot at a boat. We're looking for people who are excited about making the commitment it takes to chase championships.
Rowing at a high level will be hard. Excelling in the classroom at the same time will occasionally be very difficult, but we expect you to do both. It's not our job to make it easier. It's your responsibility to handle the demands of studying and training at a high level. When you do, you'll be a stronger person for having done so.
No one is forcing you to be recruited. If you want to row but aren't comfortable with the responsibilities that come with athletic recruitment, let us know. We'll respect you for your honesty, and walk-ons are always welcome.
3. What Recruiting Means in the Admissions Process
Yes, we do “support” the applications of recruited athletes in the early decision process, and we also support recruited athletes who are committed to Dartmouth as their top choice in the regular decision process, Yes, you must apply early or commit to Dartmouth as your top choice to receive support. Yes, we do have an athletic liaison to the admissions office and yes, we do have some dialogue with them on our candidates.
No, we don't know how much or specifically how our influence helps—it varies case by case. No—in most cases—we can't influence the speed of the process. No, we do not have a set number of “slots” each year, although other schools might be different. No, there are no scholarships for rowing or for any other athletic or merit-based qualification in the Ivy League. There are no “super-secret” scholarships for rowing in the IVY League. If you know someone who's claiming to get one, he's either confused or lying.
And no, there are no guarantees, good or bad. Students with 4.0 GPAs, perfect SATs, and athletic support are occasionally (but rarely) denied, and students with GPAs as low as 3.0, SATs in the 1800's, and athletic support are occasionally admitted.
Rowing coaches cannot make guarantees about whether you will be admitted or not. We are not the admissions staff, and only the admissions are qualified to make guarantees. We have been looking at student's applications for a good number of years now and can tell you what we think, but if you're committing to a college based on your chances of admittance, you shouldn't do so unless those chances are expressed by the admissions office.
4. How Potential Support in the Admissions Process Should Play Into How You Pick Your Top Choice
It shouldn't. Potential for support in the admissions process shouldn't influence your decision on where you want to go. Let's say that Dartmouth is your first choice but you get the impression that your chances for admission at Harvard are better than they are at Dartmouth. So you decide to commit to Harvard because, well, it's an Ivy League university and it's your best shot at getting into an Ivy you like.
Let's say you get in. Now, let's say you're unhappy at Harvard. You want to hike, bike, climb, and ski when you're not rowing, and there's not much of that in Cambridge. You visit a friend in Hanover and realize that you're probably going to work in or near a city for much of your life, and Dartmouth represented your chance to get the best undergraduate education in the country while living in a setting you'll likely never enjoy again. You're going to regret not taking your shot at your top choice.
Take your college tours and go on your official visits to decide where you want to go to College. Apply early there, or commit to that school as your top choice for regular decision. If you're going to receive support, great. If not, that school might be a little harder to get into, but it shouldn't change your mind. Being more admissible doesn't make your second choice a better choice, it just makes it easier.
Touring schools, talking to coaches, taking official visits should all influence your thinking as your pick your top choices. Athletic support shouldn't—it should help make your top choice your alma mater.
Best of luck in your college search. We hope it brings you to Hanover.
Dartmouth Men's Heavyweight Rowing: Conor Shahean Mic'd Up
Wednesday, June 04
Men's Heavyweight Rowing at Eastern Sprints Post Race 5-18-25
Wednesday, May 21
Men's Heavyweight Rowing Lake Morey Invitational Post Regatta Interviews 4-27-25
Sunday, April 27
Big Green to Paris: Billy Bender and Oliver Bub
Wednesday, July 24
