FAQ - (Frequently Asked Questions)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Question: I don't like dealing over the internet. How can I be sure I will receive the product?

Answer: Check our E-Bay feedback rating (user name: sharkbait6033). So far, everyone who has left feedback has left a positive report, and no one has left a negative report.

Question: What if I decide that the book isn't worth the price?

Answer: Just send it back within 30 days and we will refund the purchase price - no questions asked. But I am sure you will find it is worth the price - so far, no one has requested a refund, and some have requested multiple books to distribute to their clubs.

Question: Is this book written by an NCAA official, college coach, or recruiter?

Answer: No, it is written by parents and rowers who have been through the recruiting process and received Division I NCAA scholarships. The authors have not advertised their names in the book itself because some of the rowers are still competing in college rowing, and would rather not have too much attention brought to them (by teammates and coaches) due to their participation in this book. By not being a coach or official, however, we are free to highlight the differences between the "official policies" and what we have seen to be the actual practice.

Question: What makes you as parents and rowers better qualified to write this book than other rowers and their parents?

Answer: We don't claim to have special knowledge or expertise beyond that of the average recipient of a college rowing scholarship and their parents. After spending hours at regattas giving the same information to dozens of other parents, we just took the trouble to write it down so others could benefit from our experience.

Question: Shouldn't I buy a book written by an NCAA official or College Rowing Coach?

Answer: If you can find one, go ahead. Personally, I would read several books on the subject - there is enough money at stake in these scholarships to make it worthwhile to get several opinions. However, as of the last time we checked (6 months ago) this was the only book available which was devoted specifically to rowing scholarships. Most books written by coaches or recruiters are aimed at football or basketball players, a larger market for their books. They may be helpful for general NCAA rule information, but they don't deal with the unique aspects of the sport of rowing, or the special environment in women's college rowing caused by Title IX in the U.S.

Question: Should I use a recruiting service instead?

Answer: Recruiting services have been around for quite some time, mostly concentrating on football and basketball high school prospects. Recently a few have also turned their attention to rowing. Their fees and services vary considerably. Some merely enter the rower's name and information in a database which sends an e-mail to every coach in their database. Others provide more personalized attention, for a considerably higher price. Our own opinion is that a recruiting service cannot do anything for you that you could not do yourself with the proper information.

Question: Is this book devoted only to women rowers, or can men rowers get scholarships too?

Answer: At the moment only a few Universities offer a limited number of scholarships to men rowers. For most colleges and Universities, the men's programs are still club sports. However, there are advantages to rowing in a university even if you don't get a scholarship - for example, the rowing coach may be able to exert some influence on the enrollment process to ensure your admittance to the college. The advice in the book will help you get noticed by the coach so that he or she is inclined to make a special effort to have you in their program.

Question: Can this book help a non-rower get a rowing scholarship?

Answer: Yes - some new women's rowing programs in areas where there is not already a "rowing tradition" have trouble recruiting enough students with previous junior rowing experience. Those programs are actively recruiting former basketball and volleyball players as rowers. Some are offered scholarships, while others are invited to join the team and "earn" a scholarship after their freshman year. This book tells you what those rowing coaches are looking for, and how you can get noticed by those coaches.

Question: Why is this a "Privately Published Book?" What does that mean?

Answer: This book appeals to a relatively small market - those who are interested in receiving college rowing scholarships. The market is too small to interest most book publishers, as publishers expect to sell thousands of copies in retail stores. Therefore we printed this book ourselves in relatively small quantities which can be updated quickly as circumstances change.

Question: Does your book list every college rowing program in the U.S.?

Answer: Probably not. We started this list two years ago and at the time we were relatively satisfied that it was fairly complete. Since then we have updated the list as new information becomes available. However, the number of rowing programs - especially women's - is increasing so rapidly we can only say that we are making our best efforts to keep up with the programs as we become aware of them. We appreciate the input from readers across the country who alert us to new programs as they arise. Also, coaching names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers have proven to be very difficult to keep updated.

Question: Why did you write this book?

Answer: Rowing has traditionally been somewhat of an elitist sport, restricted to the Ivy League private schools and colleges of England and the Northeastern U.S. In the Western U.S. it has had a broader appeal, and lately rowing has spread generally to the middle-class. But admittance to the sport is often by "invitation" or word-of-mouth, which serves to restrict access to the sport.

We learned about rowing by word-of-mouth from the mother of one of our son's friends. Our rowing club takes junior rowers from a wide variety of backgrounds., and we are very proud of that fact. Our whole family has benefited from the rowing experience - even before we begin to count the value of a college rowing scholarship. Since we became a "rowing family" we have tried to make as much information available about the sport to as many people as possible, so that they may benefit also. That is one of the reasons we started our website NorthwestRowing.com - to help make information widely available about the sport of rowing, particularly in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Click Here to Order

		College Rowing Scholarship Information >> More Information FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: Question: I don't like dealing over the internet. How can I be sure I will receive the product? Answer: Check our E-Bay feedback rating (user name: sharkbait6033). So far, everyone who has left feedback has left a positive report, and no one has left a negative report. Question: What if I decide that the book isn't worth the price? Answer: Just send it back within 30 days and we will refund the purchase price - no questions asked. But I am sure you will find it is worth the price - so far, no one has requested a refund, and some have requested multiple books to distribute to their clubs. Question: Is this book written by an NCAA official, college coach, or recruiter? Answer: No, it is written by parents and rowers who have been through the recruiting process and received Division I NCAA scholarships. The authors have not advertised their names in the book itself because some of the rowers are still competing in college rowing, and would rather not have too much attention brought to them (by teammates and coaches) due to their participation in this book. By not being a coach or official, however, we are free to highlight the differences between the "official policies" and what we have seen to be the actual practice. Question: What makes you as parents and rowers better qualified to write this book than other rowers and their parents? Answer: We don't claim to have special knowledge or expertise beyond that of the average recipient of a college rowing scholarship and their parents. After spending hours at regattas giving the same information to dozens of other parents, we just took the trouble to write it down so others could benefit from our experience. Question: Shouldn't I buy a book written by an NCAA official or College Rowing Coach? Answer: If you can find one, go ahead. Personally, I would read several books on the subject - there is enough money at stake in these scholarships to make it worthwhile to get several opinions. However, as of the last time we checked (6 months ago) this was the only book available which was devoted specifically to rowing scholarships. Most books written by coaches or recruiters are aimed at football or basketball players, a larger market for their books. They may be helpful for general NCAA rule information, but they don't deal with the unique aspects of the sport of rowing, or the special environment in women's college rowing caused by Title IX in the U.S. Question: Should I use a recruiting service instead? Answer: Recruiting services have been around for quite some time, mostly concentrating on football and basketball high school prospects. Recently a few have also turned their attention to rowing. Their fees and services vary considerably. Some merely enter the rower's name and information in a database which sends an e-mail to every coach in their database. Others provide more personalized attention, for a considerably higher price. Our own opinion is that a recruiting service cannot do anything for you that you could not do yourself with the proper information. Question: Is this book devoted only to women rowers, or can men rowers get scholarships too? Answer: At the moment only a few Universities offer a limited number of scholarships to men rowers. For most colleges and Universities, the men's programs are still club sports. However, there are advantages to rowing in a university even if you don't get a scholarship - for example, the rowing coach may be able to exert some influence on the enrollment process to ensure your admittance to the college. The advice in the book will help you get noticed by the coach so that he or she is inclined to make a special effort to have you in their program. Question: Can this book help a non-rower get a rowing scholarship? Answer: Yes - some new women's rowing programs in areas where there is not already a "rowing tradition" have trouble recruiting enough students with previous junior rowing experience. Those programs are actively recruiting former basketball and volleyball players as rowers. Some are offered scholarships, while others are invited to join the team and "earn" a scholarship after their freshman year. This book tells you what those rowing coaches are looking for, and how you can get noticed by those coaches. Question: Why is this a "Privately Published Book?" What does that mean? Answer: This book appeals to a relatively small market - those who are interested in receiving college rowing scholarships. The market is too small to interest most book publishers, as publishers expect to sell thousands of copies in retail stores. Therefore we printed this book ourselves in relatively small quantities which can be updated quickly as circumstances change. Question: Does your book list every college rowing program in the U.S.? Answer: Probably not. We started this list two years ago and at the time we were relatively satisfied that it was fairly complete. Since then we have updated the list as new information becomes available. However, the number of rowing programs - especially women's - is increasing so rapidly we can only say that we are making our best efforts to keep up with the programs as we become aware of them. We appreciate the input from readers across the country who alert us to new programs as they arise. Also, coaching names, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers have proven to be very difficult to keep updated. Question: Why did you write this book? Answer: Rowing has traditionally been somewhat of an elitist sport, restricted to the Ivy League private schools and colleges of England and the Northeastern U.S. In the Western U.S. it has had a broader appeal, and lately rowing has spread generally to the middle-class. But admittance to the sport is often by "invitation" or word-of-mouth, which serves to restrict access to the sport. We learned about rowing by word-of-mouth from the mother of one of our son's friends. Our rowing club takes junior rowers from a wide variety of backgrounds., and we are very proud of that fact. Our whole family has benefited from the rowing experience - even before we begin to count the value of a college rowing scholarship. Since we became a "rowing family" we have tried to make as much information available about the sport to as many people as possible, so that they may benefit also. That is one of the reasons we started our website NorthwestRowing.com - to help make information widely available about the sport of rowing, particularly in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Click Here to Order