Advice from a Collegiate Archer

By Elizabeth Litwin

For archers passionate about the sport, college is an opportunity to continue doing what they love while still trying to find the right fit for academics and lifestyle. I get it, I’ve been there. My name is Elizabeth Litwin, and I am a fisheries and wildlife major at Michigan State University. I’m also a competitive barebow archer on the MSU Archery Team. Throughout high school, I competed at the state and national level in USA Archery and NFAA tournaments and fell in love with it. I knew I had to continue competing in college. Michigan State was the first school I visited, and it ended up being the perfect fit for me. Here are my best tips for going through the steps of the collegiate admissions and selection process as an archer.

1. Do Your Research

There are a variety of opportunities from small private schools to major universities. Look HERE (https://www.usarchery.org/find-aclub) for a list of all schools that have an archery program registered who you are beyond your grades and test with USA Archery (filter by "collegiate" programs). Some schools with archery programs programs are more competitive than others. At MSU, we have offer scholarships for talented archers, and both a "club" that is open to any MSU student regardless of there are outside opportunities offered by archery experience, and a "team" of archers that represent us at organizations such as the Easton Foundation regional and national events. Remember that you can start your and the NFAA. own archery organization if your dream school does not have one established.

Reach out to someone on the team! Don’t be shy to ask questions about their college experience. The first place to start is the team’s website, Facebook page, or Instagram and find an email. Introduce yourself and fire away with questions! Get an idea of the team chemistry and meet the coach if you can! See if you can meet a team member at a tournament so you can see how the team interacts.

Be sure to find a school that is a good fit for your athletic, academic, and professional goals. Researching the academic programs that are available at prospective colleges and universities can assist in narrowing your options, especially if you are looking for a niche program. Look at graduation rates, employment rates of graduates, and the kinds of classes different programs offer. If you’re a strong student looking for challenging classes, see which schools have an honors program. List the pros and cons of each school.

2. Applying for Admittance and Scholarships

Use archery in your general application! If the sport is a defining part of your life, it can be a great starting point for a topic. However, be sure to use a specific archery event or moment to say something meaningful about yourself. Show the admissions counselors the qualities that make you a good candidate for the school.

Read the school's mission statement to see what schools are looking for in applicants and be sure to highlight those in your essay. Most importantly, this is a chance to show who you are beyond your grades and test scores. Some schools with archery programs offer scholarships for talented archers, and there are outside opportunities offered by organizations such as the Easton Foundation and the NFAA.

Keep those grades up and look for opportunities provided by the university, specific departments, and alumni organizations. Call the school's Financial Aid Office and check their website. There are scholarships for minorities, women, students involved in community service, and those who have served in the military and even children of those who have served. Always be searching for independent scholarships that fit you in other ways outside of archery. Look for scholarships that relate to passions you have outside of archery. Ask your high school academic advisor for scholarship resources. They are also a great resource to review your essays before you send them in!

3. Maximize Your College Archery Experience

Time management skills are crucial! College classes are a beautiful thing because you have more choices with your schedule, but some classes can meet early or late in the day. Your schedule can be vastly different on a Tuesday compared to a Friday. For a lot of students this is liberating, but it can be a difficult adjustment from high school and can impact your practice schedule.

You may need to change your training habits! It's okay to practice for several hours only a few days a week if that works better than practicing every day for only an hour. Pro-tip: If you can do so without hindering your academic progress, see if it is possible to schedule your classes so you have none on Fridays. I found it worthwhile to take earlier classes and have Friday's free for archery travel or catching up on schoolwork.

Get involved in leadership roles. Most university organizations which provides a great way to be involved and learn real-life skills. In my first semester, there was an opening on the archery club e-board for a public relations manager. I jumped on it and ever since I've been keeping in touch with our community, planning events with other MSU organizations, updating social media, and talking to interested students. It's been really rewarding to help shape the future of MSU Archery.

Volunteer! Help organize tournaments and get involved with local youth programs. MSU Archery hosts several tournaments throughout the year. It's been really fun to put on great events and spending all that time with my teammates has been a great bonding experience. Fundraising opportunities make it feasible for you to pay less out of pocket to attend tournaments.

Most collegiate archers would probably say that while it is a challenge to pursue archery while balancing classes, internships, other student organizations, a social life, and part-time jobs, it is incredibly rewarding. For me, transitioning to college life was tough. Archery was the one part of my life that didn’t change, and that brought me a lot of comfort and new opportunities. Applying to college and starting your first semester is a lot of hard work, but it pays off!