RowCollege

Does Your #1 Choice Know They Are #1?

You have a favorite school—one that you really want to attend. You've filled out applications, gone on visits, completed questionnaires, and submitted forms. And now you wait.

But have you done one very important item?

If the school is your number one choice—really your number one choice—have you told them? Do they know that the moment you get their acceptance notification you will jump about three-miles-high?

They don't? You need to.

Here is why you would want to tell them . . . during the decision-making process many different attributes are reviewed. If you express a strong level of interest in the school, that is a positive attribute. And everything positive may help.

Tell them by words. Make a call to the Admissions Office, or one to the Director of Admissions. Send an email or note to the coach. However, actions speak much louder than words.

Visits to the school, meeting with an alumni off campus, going to a regatta to watch their team row (and seeing the coach). All of those actions show a sincere interest in the school. And actions like those say to the school that it is at the top of your list.

And that might help the school put you at the top of their's.

       

A Must Read (And Listen To) If You Are Looking For Financial Aid

Counting on financial aid for your college year(s)?

Then you should really visit the FinancialAidPodcast.

Great site, get tips, very helpful information.

3 Critical Steps for a Successful College-Coach Contact at Your Race Site

This is the time of year when high-school regatta sites are filled with rowers, parents, fans—and usually a good number of college-rowing coaches. Those coaches are there to recruit.

There is nothing wrong with that. In fact it can be quite exciting to be someone who is recruited and to have a coach there to watch you race. However, there are a few steps you should take, important ones, to make a possible contact with a college-coach at a race site successful.

Step 1: Know these rules.

The NCAA, which governs all DI, DII, and DIII institutions has set some very specific recruiting rules that college-coaches must follow. And this holds especially true whenever you might contact a college-coach off-campus. Although recruiting rules vary somewhat in the different divisions, there are a few basic ones that you need to know that apply to all divisions:

• If you are a senior, a college-coach cannot have any contact with you at a site where you are racing until your coach has released you. Meaning—no contact until your racing is over and your coach has given you permission to connect with the college-coach.
• If you are not yet a senior you may not have in-person contact with a college-coach except on the campus of the coach's school.
• These rules apply also to your parents/guardians.

Step 2: Tell your coach.

Let your coach know that a college program is interested in you, and tell coach that they may be there to observe and contact you. This helps your coach prepare for a possible contact, and also brings your coach into the process which is usually very helpful.

Step 3: Stay focused.

Don't get distracted by the college coach either observing you, or connecting with your after your racing. You are there to race, being distracted will only take away from your performance and not work in your favor.

It can be exciting to be recruited. These simple steps can help a contact at your race site work better. If you would like more information about recruiting and the NCAA rules, this site should help.

image by zanaca

Decision Time-Lots of Acceptances

Chances are that by now (for seniors) you are hearing back from many of the colleges that you have applied to. And let's suppose that many of those letters, or calls, or emails, are positive, and you now have been accepted at several institutes.

What should you do? You are going to have to make a decision.

At this stage in the game, with the new college year starting in about 8 months I'll submit three suggestions that might help you.

First—what a great problem to have. Numerous acceptances mean that you are a person that is desired. Good job! Feel good about where you are (and who you are).

Second—gather your information again. Take the schools where you have been accepted and begin the process anew. Are the criteria that you originally used to pare down your list of schools still applicable? If so use it/them again. If you are looking at five, or 10, even 20 schools put together the information that is important (school size, cost, location, etc). And at this point a return visit to the campus (for your top few schools at least) is probably called for.

Visiting a school when you have been accepted is much different than visiting earlier in the process. The pressure is off and you should be able to focus on specific things and gather more information that is of importance to you, and your family.

Third—I am going to suggest you try the most important step in selecting a college (cost aside) that very few recruits use. . . listen to your gut instinct. There are numerous studies, articles, and papers that suggest, and show evidence that when confronted with a significant decision a strategy using gut instinct is often as good or even better of a decision-maker than struggling.

In a recent article in the Boston Globe, Thoughts for Thinkers, the author wrote about using gut instinct:

In a series of studies with shoppers and students, researchers found that people who face a decision with many considerations, such as what house to buy, often do not choose wisely if they spend a lot of time consciously weighing the pros and cons. Instead, the scientists conclude, the best strategy is to gather all of the relevant information -- such as the price, the number of bathrooms, the age of the roof -- and then put the decision out of mind for a while.

I hope you do have a lot of acceptances to shift through. And with some thought and effort (and gut instinct) you might just land the right place for you to go to college.

 

Are You Coachable?

. . .  a simple question.

Being coachable means that you can form a relationship with a coach that is beneficial to both you, the coach, and the team (if you are rowing on one as compared to a single sculler). It does not mean that you  just listen to what a coach says and then do what you want.

College coaches want people who are coachable—pure and simple.

The coach is building a team and coachability is a critical component. One reason is that many incoming rowers will not row like a college coach wants them to. The coach and team will have a certain style and often rowers are asked to change their technique, or style, or even sides to help them develop, and to fit in with the current team.

To make that happen you need to be c-o-a-c-h-a-b-l-e.

James Lavin, in his book Management Secrets of the New England Patriots: From Patsies to Triple Super Bowl Champs discusses one of the keys to the Pats success is having coachable athletes. Coachable athletes make all the difference.

So what about it, are you coachable?

Here are a few questions that might give you an insight into the answer:

1. Do you think you have a lot to learn about rowing?
2. Do you have a difficult time making changes when asked to?
3. Are you willing to do the work it takes to make changes to improve your style/technique?
4. Can you speak honestly with a coach?

And probably one of the best sources that can tell you if you are coachable is your current coach. Ask him or her, and then listen to the response.

The answer is something you need to know and could help you excel, and find the right collegiate rowing program.

The New Hampshire Primary Can Help You Get Into College

. . . that is if you look critically at why Mitt Romney came in second.

As Tim O'Brien explains in his blog, Mitt Romney has many great character traits that would make him appealing. However, he was not able to sell his brand to the New Hampshire voters. They saw and listened, but did not feel that Mitt Romney was right.

Carry that over to your college search.

When you interview, talk, or write to college employees, rowers, and especially coaches do you come across as someone that they want to associate with? Do they feel that you would be an asset to the school and team?

Much of this comes down to this thing called branding. Very simply, how you make people feel is incredibly important.

Often—as we see in politics—this power of feel/branding is more important than talent.

                                                                                                      Image: Boston Globe

Interviewing? Be Prepared.

Have an upcoming Admission's interview? Be prepared to get—and to ask—questions.

Often recruits think that the interview process is designed specifically for the college to ask questions of applicants—to help screen them. Well, that is part of what happens. The other part is the applicant getting info about the school.

This is where it pays to be prepared.

Certainly brochures, videos, class visits, and tours help you get information. But don't miss out on the best way to get info that can really help with your decision—ask questions. Many of them. To everyone. The answers are important, and possibly just as important are the way your questions are received.

And one place where you should expect to get good answers (to good questions) is from the interviewer. To be an interviewer he or she should know a great deal about the school. So find out. Ask about the social environment, job placement, retention rate, graduation rate, the safety on campus . . . the list is long. [Here is an article that might prompt some questions to ask.]

Questions and answers are best when they are relevant—so do some studying. Brush up on the specifics of the school where you are interviewing. Trade notes with your parent/s about questions they need answers to. Make a list, and bring it out when the time is right.

Questions are a great way to learn, but don't be dismayed by an "I don't know," response. When followed by, "but I will find out," an "I don't know" might just mean that you are dealing with an honest person.

And that is a great trait to have at an institution of higher learning.

Related posts:

• YOU need to get your name out there.
• Preparing for an interview? Try this.

Seniors—Give Yourself a Present for 2008

If you are like most college seniors, this can be a very stressful time. You're most likely sending off college applications, waiting to hear if someone far away thinks you are good enough to come join them. And you've got grades to worry about.

Not to mention all those New Year's resolutions and promises for the coming year.

Here is a little something that might help relieve some of that stress—give yourself a present. That's right a present just for you. You can do it right now, and it won't cost you one penny. Honest. And it might just well be a present that you like quite a bit, especially during the stress of the college search.

And the present is?—answer this question: What did you accomplish in 2007?

Simple enough, what good stuff did you get done in the 365 days of the year 2007?

Grab writing stuff and start scribbling down all of the things, small or large, that you did that were cool, fun, helpful, or insightful this past year.

Did you help around the house? Take out the trash, feed the pet(s), wash a car? Write it down.

And school, did you do well there? Improve your grades, help a fellow student, stay awake in the world's most boring class? Write it down.

How about rowing? Win a race, make a boat, improve your skills, be nice to a coxswain/rower/sculler? Put it/them on the paper.

Two things. First, it doesn't matter how small the action or achievement was—if you accomplished something, down it goes. Second, don't be shy, and certainly don't edit. This is your list—your eyes only, okay to brag.

When you're done, look it over. Accomplishments, even a few small things are something to take pride in, and build on for next year.

And if you don't have much on your list? A new year is coming!

Image: My Office Online

Surviving a College Rejection—But It Is Not You

Last post I discussed handling a rejection from a college you've applied to.

What if the rejection comes, and it is not for you? What if it is a teammate who is rejected, but you got into the school—then what? And what if that person is a good friend?

You are happy for you, and sad for the friend. What do you say? How do you act?

This is the type of situation that happens so often in life—an unexpected glitch. And so often we think (at least I know I do) that we are not prepared for it. Don't know what to do.

But you do know what to do . . . and most likely you've learned what to do way back in kindergarten. Treat the person as you would like to be treated. Be nice, supportive, honest, mad—be you, and treat your friend as you would want him/her to treat you.

And it is also time for open conversation with:

your parents, who might have insights to share that can help, and

your coach, who might be able to help within the team setting, and

yourself, talk it through, and try to get your feelings and thoughts straight.

And yes, I know, I suggested this in my last post but here it is again—try laughing. Read, Students give prizes for worst college rejection letters. It might help.

Images: My Office Online

Surviving a College Rejection

You've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting . . . and finally the letter comes.

But it doesn't look and feel like you expect. And it certainly doesn't read that way either.

Rejection!

You didn't get in. "Thanks for applying, but sorry—no go!" What to do?

I tell my rowers that how they handle themselves directly after they lose a race is an indication of not only their character, but their passion. Pretty much the same with a college rejection letter, how you handle the next steps can tell you a lot.

The following articles offer several views of what to do next. Good articles with good advice.

Dealing with Rejection

A College Rejection Letter Might Be Disappointing, but It's Not the End of the World

Rejected: Now What? What to Do When Colleges Say No

Getting Rejected and Moving on

And I will chime in with one piece of advice, try laughing. It might seem like there is nothing funny at all in rejection but that greatest humorist Groucho Marx has an insight that might help. He was credited with saying, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." You might also find this letter a help.

A Great Rejection Letter

Keep smiling, it will work out.

photo by desi.italy