good college teams

Question
I was just wondering, with regards to other crews in the EARC like Cornell and Harvard, how good is MIT?  i know they're amazing with regards to academics, which is the main reason i'm looking at them, but just out of curiosity, how do their Heavyweight and Lightweight teams stack up to other colleges in the EARC?  thanks!

Answer
Dear Kurt,

In regards to rowing, MIT is somewhere in the middle of pack. While they are a world renowned academic school, they are just fair at rowing in the EARC. This year the heavyweight crew had a pretty good season. They managed to beat the Princeton crew for the first time since 1975, and finished well in both the Royal Henley Regatta, and at Easter Sprints (12th place, earning a bid to nationals). The heavyweight crew also received the Russell S. Callow Memorial Award, which is presented each year by the EARC to the crew that, in the previous racing season, best personified the virtues of 搒pirit", courage and unity.

The lightweights had a decent season this year, and are focused on getting a good spring racing crew together this year. They sent 3 boats to the Head of the Charles Regatta, and competed in Princeton's Three-Mile Chase. It is unsure how these guys will do in the spring, but they might have the potential to do well.

If you were to go to college solely for rowing, MIT might not be your best choice. However unless you are an Olympic quality athlete, you will be going for the academics, and there is no better place for a career in engineering. If you are considering MIT, having a strong rowing career will definitively help you get accepted (because for these schools even a 4.0 GPA can be rejected). Honestly, it depends on what you wish to become, Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, and MIT are all amazing schools with good rowing programs. If you want to continue your rowing career, you can do it at any of these schools, and plenty others as well. All it depends on is what career you are thinking about pursuing, and where you believe you would do best in. Do NOT let athletics decide which school you go to, because talent will be recognized wherever you do, and the sport of rowing is the same no-matter where you are!

Good Luck,
Richard Izzo