Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Amelia Gipson has verbally committed to the application process* at Harvard University for the fall of 2027. She confirmed the decision on SwimCloud, writing:
I am thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to the admissions process at Harvard University!! I want to thank my family, coaches, and teammates that have always supported me!! I am extremely excited to continue my academic and athletic career with such an amazing team!! A huge thanks to Coach Amanda and Coach Geordie for this incredible opportunity!! GO CRIMSON!
Top SCY Times:
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.76
- 500 Freestyle: 4:49.75
- 1650 Freestyle: 16:50.04
- 200 Butterfly: 2:00.27
- 200 Backstroke: 2:00.97
- 200 IM: 2:03.43
- 400 IM: 4:19.68
Gipson hails from North Wales, Pennsylvania, where she attends Germantown Academy and trains year-round with the Germantown Academy Aquatic Club. She’s a distance-freestyle specialist who is also strong in the IMs and the 200s of every stroke except breaststroke.
The now high school junior found the most success in freestyle and IM during the 2024-25 season, dropping from 2:04.92 to 2:03.43 in the 200 IM, 1:50.51 to 1:49.76 in the 200 free, and 4:51.73 to 4:49.75 in the 500 free. She also had some marginal drops in the 400 IM and 1650 free, going from 4:19.71 to 4:19.68 and 16:51.95 to 16:50.04. Her best times in the 200 fly (2:00.27) and 200 back (2:00.97) date back to the end of the 2023-24 season.
At the high school level, Gipson competes at the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming Championship, essentially a state meet for Eastern prep schools and independent schools, primarily from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. As a freshman in 2024, she was the runner-up in the 500 free (4:51.89) and took seventh in the 100 fly (56.57). Last year, she repeated as runner-up in the 500 free and switched to the 200 IM, where she also finished second.
Gipson swam at the Middle Atlantic Senior Championships for the first time last season after aging up from the junior division. The competition serves as the region’s equivalent to a state meet for eastern and central Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware. She won the 500 free (4:50.34), took silver in the 1650 free (16:50.04), 200 fly (2:00.83), and 400 IM (4:19.68), placed third in the 200 back (2:01.77), and finished sixth in the 200 free (1:50.20).
In Amanda Kulik’s second season as head coach, the Harvard women finished as runners-up to Princeton for the third straight year at the 2025 Women’s Ivy League Championships.
On the team’s 2024-25 depth chart, Gipson would have ranked second in the 500 free, 1650 free, and 200 fly, fourth in the 400 IM, fifth in the 200 IM and 200 back, and sixth in the 200 free.
At the conference meet, her personal bests would have put her into the ‘A’ final of the 500 free, ‘B’ finals of the 200 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM, and ‘C’ final of the 200 back. Her best time of 16:50.04 would have placed her 11th in the timed final of the 1650 free. The 500 free seems like an obvious event pick on paper, but it will be a tough decision choosing between the 200 free/400 IM for day three and 200 fly/1650 free for day four.
Joining Gipson in the Crimson Tide’s Class of 2031 are 55.6/2:01.0 backstroker Alexia Brockmann, 4:54.8/16:46.2 distance freestyler Charlotte Duijser, 23.1/50.7 sprint freestyler Grace McCarthy, and fly/back specialist Serene Jourdy, who holds bests of 54.9/2:02.1 in fly and 55.5/2:01.7 in back.
*Note: A verbal commitment between an Ivy League coach and a prospective student-athlete is not an offer of admission, as only the Admission Office has that authority. The coach can only commit his or her support in the admission process. Ivy League Admission Offices do not issue “Likely Letters” before October 1 of the prospective student-athlete’s senior year of high school. The Likely Letter, while issued after an initial read of the student’s application, is not an offer of admission to the university.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
FFT SOCIAL
Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster
FFT is a SwimSwam partner.
Trying to understand how Ivy recruiting works in practice – Harvard women’s commits in the class of 2027 with current times around 55.6 / 2:01.0 in backstroke (Power Index ~21, national rank ~400).