Introduction

Impact Rating is a framework that assigns an objective numeric rating to a college swimming recruit. The methodology used to compute a recruit’s Impact Rating directly reflects that recruit’s ability to make an athletic impact at the collegiate level.

The foundational components of the Impact Rating system are:

• Open-source – All mathematical computations used are publicly documented.
• Intuitive – Impact Rating scale is 0 to 100+, just like a grading system in school.
• Balanced – Events are weighted equally.
• Linear – Impact Rating math utilizes linear slopes for even point distribution across all skill levels.
• Short Course Yards – College swimming is SCY and only SCY events factor into the computation.
• Calibrated to Recruiting – Ratings are benchmarked against college conference scoring times.

Impact Rating Calculator

Visualizing Impact Rating with Time Drops

Impact Rankings for High School Recruits

A list of Impact Rankings and student-athlete profiles for swimmers ages 14 to 18+ can be found at https://app.swimintel.ai/.

Find Your Impact Rating/Ranking and Claim Your Profile

Go to https://app.swimintel.ai/ and search for your name in the "Recruit Name" search box. Click on your name from the search results list to open up your profile. Your Impact Rating will be displayed in the main header of your profile. Clicking on your Impact Rating will bring up a summary of how it is computed.

To claim a profile:

• Register for any SwimIntel account (free or paid) at SwimIntel.com.
• Login to the app with your credentials.
• Click the "Claim profile" button while logged in.

Only the student-athlete or a legal guardian is allowed to claim an sathlete's SwimIntel profile. You will need to provide a mobile number to complete the profile claiming process. Only one account can be claimed per account.

How to Interpret a Recruit's Impact Rating

The Impact Rating scale is 0 to 100+ with higher numbers reflecting a better rating (and a faster swimmer). Much like a grading scale where 90 to 100+ is an A, Impact Ratings of 90 to 100+ reflect the upper end of high school swimming recruits.

• 75% of current female D1 swimmers had an Impact Rating of 90+ in high school.
• 61% of current male D1 swimmers had an Impact Rating of 90+ in high school.

The percentile distribution of high school ratings for female D1 swimmers is as follows:

• 10%: 88.06
• 25%: 90.02
• 50%: 92.14
• 75%: 94.35
• 90%: 96.25

The percentile distribution of high school ratings for male D1 swimmers is as follows:

• 10%: 86.96
• 25%: 88.75
• 50%: 91.81
• 75%: 93.68
• 90%: 94.94

In other words,
The average female D1 swimmer had a high school rating of 92.14.
90% of female D1 swimmers had a rating greater than 88.06.
The average male D1 swimmer had a high school rating of 91.81.
90% of male D1 swimmers had a rating greater than 86.96.

Distribution by conference:

*Note: While these distributions show Impact Ratings from NCAA Division I swimmers for calibration purposes, several NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA conferences/schools have average recruit Impact Ratings that greatly exceed many Division I conference/school average recruit ratings. Fast swimming is in no way limited to NCAA Division I.

Recruiting Standards

You can see how a college team has historically recruited by viewing their average recruit Impact Rating on their SwimIntel college profile page. This is the average Impact Rating of their current team when they were in high school. How a team has historically recruited is a good indication of how they will continue to recruit. Comparing your Impact Rating to a team's historical average can be useful tool in understanding your own recruitment.

SwimIntel's Five-Star Ranking System

Recruits are automatically assigned a star rank based on their Impact Rating. The cutoffs are as follows (*note the cutoffs are different between male and female recruits):

• 5⭐️ Female: 99.0
• 5⭐️ Male: 98.0
• 4⭐️ Female: 95.0
• 4⭐️ Male: 94.0
• 3⭐️ Female: 90.0
• 3⭐️ Male: 88.5
• 2⭐️ Female: 86.0
• 2⭐️ Male: 84.5

What do the stars mean?

• 5⭐️: Can't miss, blue-chip recruit. Very likely to be a point scorer at NCAA D1 championships.
• 4⭐️: A clear Power 4 level recruit. Very likely to be a point scorer at any conference championship.
• 3⭐️: Mid-major D1, high-end D2/D3/NAIA, or stretch Power 4 recruit.
• 2⭐️: D2/D3/NAIA or stretch D1 recruit.

Am I locked into one of the classifications above because of my star ranking?
No! How coaches view your potential makes a HUGE difference in how you will be perceived as a recruit. You will see many 3⭐️ athletes commit to Power 4 schools. You will see several 4⭐️ athletes commiting to D2/D3/NAIA schools. What matters the most is finding a college, coach, and team that fits you regardless of your ranking.

When does my ⭐️ ranking update?
Whenever your Impact Rating changes, your ⭐️ ranking will automatically update if your rating crosses one of the thresholds above. You can udpate your times in the middle of a meet and your ⭐️ ranking will instantly update.

How Impact Ratings Are Calculated

The mathematical computations used for Impact Ratings are derived from the MeenaMethod framework developed and published by former University of Florida swimmer, Elliot Meena. The basics of the math are as follows:

• The equation used for computation is (1 - ((T - B) / B)) * 100, where T is a swimmer's time and B is the benchmark time.
• Benchmark times are set as the fastest A-final cut time for each event (8th place in prelims) across all conference championships and published below.
• The overall Impact Rating of a swimmer is calculated by averaging the Impact Rating calculation of that swimmer's top three events.

Example:

• Female Swimmer has a best time in the 100Y BK of 56.50.
• The benchmark time for 100Y BK is 52.45 (prelims 8th place at 2024 ACC championships).
• Swimmer's 100Y BK Impact Rating = (1 - ((T - B) / B)) * 100 = (1 - ((56.50 - 52.45) / 52.45)) * 100 = 92.28.
• Swimmer's 200Y BK Impact Rating (2:03.50) = 91.62.
• Swimmer's 200Y IM Impact Rating (2:06.50) = 91.99.
• Swimmer's overall Impact Rating = (92.28 + 91.62 + 91.99) / 3 = 91.96.

Benchmark times are as follows (set from 2024-25 conference championship times):

For women:

• 50Y FR - 0:21.90
• 100Y FR - 0:48.54
• 200Y FR - 1:45.02
• 500Y FR - 4:41.97
• 1650Y FR - 16:04.88
• 100Y BK - 0:52.45
• 200Y BK - 1:53.95
• 100Y BR - 0:59.36
• 200Y BR - 2:09.34
• 100Y FL - 0:52.13
• 200Y FL - 1:55.56
• 200Y IM - 1:57.12
• 400Y IM - 4:10.90

For men:

• 50Y FR - 0:19.16
• 100Y FR - 0:42.16
• 200Y FR - 1:32.80
• 500Y FR - 4:14.84
• 1650Y FR - 14:53.68
• 100Y BK - 0:45.56
• 200Y BK - 1:40.32
• 100Y BR - 0:52.25
• 200Y BR - 1:54.30
• 100Y FL - 0:45.50
• 200Y FL - 1:42.49
• 200Y IM - 1:43.77
• 400Y IM - 3:43.31

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why create another swimming ratings system when there exist several others?
Each existing rating system has its own unique benefits and utility. There was not an existing rating system that had the foundational components listed in the Introduction section above. Impact Rating fills this gap.

Why publicly document the math behind the ratings calculations?
The methodology and mathematics behind rating/ranking systems should be openly documented to build trust between those who are rated/ranked and those who use those ratings/rankings. Concealing the math behind "proprietary" veils allows bias and errors to be hidden.

If the math/methodology is publicly documented, can the ratings system be manipulated?
The only way to get a better Impact Rating is to swim a faster time. There is no other mechanism to improve your Impact Rating outside of forging a false time, which is an inherent risk with all existing ratings systems.

Why does Impact Rating average the top three events for a swimmer and not two or four events?
Swimmers are allowed to swim up to three individual events at conference championships. Most college coaches want recruits who can contribute individual points in three events and prioritize as such.

Why doesn't Impact Rating utilize long course meters?
College swimming competitions are only short course yards. Conversions between LCM and SCY are not reliable.

Do some college coaches care about long course meters?
Yes, but not because of college competitions. College is short course yards. An article on the role long course plays in college recruiting can be found at https://swimintel.com/long-course-recruiting/.

Why are 1000Y FR, 50Y BK, 50Y BR, 50Y FL, and 100Y IM not included?
Only individual events that are common between NCAA Division I, II, and III championship events are utilized by Impact Rating. While the 1000Y FR is swam at Division II championships, it is not swam at Division I or III championships and is thus not included. An article on how much the 50s matter in college recruiting can be found at https://swimintel.com/recruiting-50s/.

Can a recruit have an Impact Rating above 100?
Yes. Having a time that is faster than the benchmark time will produce a score greater than 100. A swimmer who has times that are faster than what would have made an A final at the fastest conference championships for those events last season will have an Impact Rating above 100.

Why doesn't Impact Rating weight individual events that are also swam for relays higher than non-relay events?
While several individual events are also part of conference championship relays (50Y FR, 100Y FR, 200Y FR, 100Y BK, 100Y BR, 100Y FL), Impact Rating treats those events as equals to the other events (500Y FR, 1650Y FR, 200Y BK, 200Y BR, 200Y FL, 200Y IM, 400Y IM). Roster construction + event specialty balance is unique to every coaching staff. There are no arbitrary weightings that could be added to some events and not others that all college coaches would agree on.

Why are benchmark times set to the fastest conference A-final cut time (prelims 8th place)?
The athletic component of college swimming recruiting centers around a recruit's ability to score points at conference championships. A recruit that has a 100.0 Impact Rating would have times that exactly match the A-final cut times (prelims 8th place) at the fastest conference for those events. This calibrates Impact Rating to how a typical college coach recruits athletically.

If I have a great Impact Rating, will I be recruited by X college?
Maybe. Maybe not. There are many variables that go into college swimming recruiting. Every coach has his/her own criteria and specific event needs year-to-year. The only way to know if you fit on a specific team is to talk to that team's coaching staff.