Shiplake College has seen an increase in pupils attending universities in the US for rowing in recent years, many achieving significant scholarships to be part of the elite sports programmes offered. In The Week's Independent Schools Guide 2024 there is an article on How to get a US Sports Scholarship, quoting Shiplake's Director of Rowing Mr David Currie, and Assistant Director of Rowing, Mr Dan Safdari. The article is available to read here (pages 7-8) and talks about how the competitive nature and sheer size of college sports in the US can be a huge attraction for UK rowers.
This September has seen Jack Duggan (24E) take a place at Harvard, Callan Wallis (24B) go to Boston University, Freddie Middleton (23B) heading to Princeton University after doing a gap year, and Sophia Foreman (24W) and A Merritt (24B) join the University of Iowa. Emily Downing (24S) has been offered a full scholarship to Washington University for September 2025. Meanwhile, Jess Wier (23B) is in her second year at Washington University, whilst Scarlett Maleham (22W) and Nicole Dunn (21B) are further into their courses at Iowa and Princeton respectively. We caught up with some of these Old Vikings to hear how they are getting on.
Sophia Foreman updates us on how she has settled in her first term: “I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to continue rowing at The University of Iowa. My experience so far has been a whirlwind journey, balancing the demands of rowing, academics, and immersing myself in life in the United States. The overall experience has been so much fun, particularly as I am able to share this experience with other British athletes on the team. My time at Shiplake has undoubtedly played a significant role in facilitating a smooth transition to university life, largely due to the exceptional coaching and facilities I had access to. Studying and competing in the US is an extraordinary experience, and I would highly encourage anyone with the opportunity to pursue it.”
Jess Weir, who achieved a gold medal in the Women's Doubles at the U19 World Championships in 2023, updates us on her experience now she’s in her second year at Washington and talks about the rowing programme she’s part of: “The academic school system is very different in the sense that you don't have to decide your major/degree until your second year, and for an undergraduate degree you have 4 years to complete it. As someone who was not sure of what I wanted to do, this gave me more confidence that I would pick the right course for my future career path. By testing out different classes, it meant that I have been able to enrol in some really fun and weird classes, like yoga or career exploration. The one big downside is that the grading system is significantly less lenient with a 98% being a 4.0 (highest grade) and a 65% being a fail.
“The rowing is a lot more voluminous with us participating in two sessions a day, 6 days a week, and we have do around 20 hours a week of training. The funding towards the programme and the athletic facilities is insane and our equipment is better than what you would find on national teams. Luckily, I’m at a programme which supports me well with trialling for the national team, so this year I will be continuing to trial for the U23 GB team, with the hopes and intentions to make worlds in the summer.
“My advice to those looking at coming to the US for college, whether that’s for sports or just for the degree, would be to make sure you pick a school which offers a similar major to your future career path, as I wanted to do sports science in the UK, but UW doesn’t offer that so I’m having to alter my major.”
Emily Downing, who achieved a silver medal in the Women's Eight at the U19 World Championships in the summer, reflects on her application and decision-making process: “The best way to make connections with universities and work out where suits you best is to reach out to coaches and go on visits. Every place is very different and it’s important to work out what your priorities are and where you can see yourself enjoying. It’s also important to take your time and not rush into any decisions, if they really want you, they will give you the time, you’re in control.”
Members of the 75-strong University of Iowa’s Women’s Rowing team – known as Hawkeyes – currently include eight British rowers, three from Shiplake College (Scarlett Maleham, Sophia Foreman and A Merritt). Iowa is part of the ‘Big Ten’ Intercollegiate Conference, and recently published an article about its UK international talent, including the following extract from Scarlett:
“I chose Iowa because it’s an amazing opportunity to study alongside so many people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, while also being able to continue my passion of rowing. My advice for those looking at coming to the US from the UK would be don’t fear what is unknown, you must take the leap to fully emerge yourself in life here. It might seem daunting, but you will never get an opportunity like this again or meet the people and maybe your best friends.”
