Eric Lee, an 11th-grade swimmer, has recently committed to Harvard University. Eric has had an extensive history with swimming for most of his life and has been ranked in competitions nationally, such as the Toyota US open, and Speedo’s junior nationals.

Eric Lee is ranked first in New Jersey and 27th in the US for the class of 2024. Eric began swimming when he was 9 years old and has a long history with the sport. He is currently on a local team called Scarlet Aquatics, where he practices a total of 23 hours a week, excluding injury prevention and lift sessions. One of his best events includes IM, which stands for ‘individual medley’, a race consisting of all four strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. Another best event for him is backstroke, which he has swum numerous times in a variety of competitions. 

Harvard’s swim coach reached out to Eric at the end of his sophomore year. On June 15th, he got an email, letting him know that the university was interested in having him attend the school and participate in the swim team. The process all seemed pretty straightforward and simple for Eric.

 “After emailing back and forth, we set up multiple calls just to get to know the school and their program. We then set up an official visit date, so I could see the campus and meet the team,” Lee said. 

After spending a day at Harvard, experiencing its campus life, and meeting the swimmers, Eric decided that Harvard was a good fit for him. Interested in Pre-med and Bio-med, Eric is planning on choosing between the two to major in during his first year of college.

“I chose Harvard for the prestigious academics and fast swim team,” Lee said.

As of 2022, Harvard is ranked in the top three schools in the US. Its swim team came 13th in team standings in the NCAA championships last season.

“I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to furthering my swim journey in college, and studying the things I’m passionate about,” Lee said.