College rowing scholarship

Question
QUESTION: I'm a junior in high school, I'm 6 feet and two inches tall, and average 190 pounds. I have a wingspan of 77 inches and row port. I have never sculled. My best 2k erg time is 6:46 and I'm aiming for sub 6:30. I have rowed one fall season, one spring season, and am currently in the beginning of my first spring season on varsity. I also swim in the winter and am considering football this coming fall but would row instead if I could get a scholarship. I have a 3.5 GPA and am in line to graduate with an honors diploma. I live in Columbus Ohio. Would I be able to get a college rowing scholarship? If there's anything else I should add please let me know. Please be detailed. Thanks.

ANSWER: Hi Matthew: You seem to have a lot going in your favor.  Your grades, physical size, swimming experience, excellent erg time, and on-water experience make you highly recruitable.  What I don't know is your SAT score and the level of on-water success (i.e., have you won regattas).

What might work against you is that Columbus, Ohio is not a traditional crew hot-bed compared to Boston or Philadelphia.  A schoolboy rowing out of these cities will get more looks from college coaches.

The first thing you need to do is pick 3-4 schools with crews that meet your academic goals.  Once you determine that, write to the rowing coach and introduce yourself, your athletic background, resume of on-water results, and 2K and 6K erg times.

I recommend you skip football and row in the fall.  If you can, you should try to join a summer rowing program.  It's a good way to meet prospective coaches.

You need to also understand rowing scholarships are not that plentiful compared to football scholarships.  The odds are you may not get a scholarship.   But you will certainly be asked by the coach to join as a walk-on with an excellent chance of making a good boat.

Good Luck/AP

Good Luck/AP

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: First off, thank you very much. You were very helpful. But I've taken the SAT once and got a 1680 with writing and I recently achieved a 28 on my ACT. Thanks again.

Answer
Hi Again: While your SAT score isn't going to get you into Harvard and Princeton, who wants to go there anyway.  In your state, Marrietta has a good rowing program.  Ohio State also has a program.

When choosing a college, academic goals should be 95% of your concern and rowing a distant second.  There are no professional rowers (except in Venice maybe).

Regards/AP