Family Testimonials

Lori Payne proved to be worth far more than what was ever expected.  In a process that can be highly sensitive among a spectrum of personalities, expectations, and realities, Lori was excellent at helping navigate. Her depth of knowledge of the programs, coaches, and the pulse of what was going on in the swimming world provided a level of confidence that would have otherwise been impossible to have. While her position requires that she maintain a relationship on the school side of things along with the student/swimmer side of things, there was never any doubt that she was a steward and proponent of your swimmer, first.

Lori filled the valuable 3rd party that I believe every swim family needs at a certain point in the recruiting process – no matter what the circumstances are. Ultimately, she provided as much value to the parents in terms of having someone to talk to, as she did the swimmer himself. Lori was always highly responsive to any phone call, text, or email.

Perhaps most of all, not only did our swimmer gain a friend and ally through this process as he enters his collegiate career, but our family did too.

–Manning

Hi Rick

Trusting you are well and safe.  As I’m writing this email, Henju is flying into the USA to start his swimming scholarship at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  I think we started the process with you and American College Connection approximately 3 years ago and, as things go, we had our ups and downs.  Eventually, it is happening!

The one thing that remained consistent and stable over time was the excellent support and counsel we received from ACC.   I cannot imagine we could have done this without you especially given our own challenges and realities.  Thank you!!  I would like to share specific highlights:

–  ACC’s prompt responses – always!

–  ACC’s wide network of connections

–  Your council which was always honest and straightforward

–  Your patience when we were extremely slow in our own responses

– The quality of your support services, e.g., Video reworks, SAT guidance, etc

We can recommend the ACC wholeheartedly and we believe the investment with the ACC was absolutely worth it.  Thank you again!

We would like to thank Rick and his team at ACC for guiding us thru this process, especially under the difficult circumstances created this year by Covid 19.  And a special thank you to Melynda for her motherly approach.

Rick initially spoke to us in detail about our son, to find out what his College and Swimming needs were for the next four years. He was clearly genuinely interested in ensuring our son got the best ‘fit’ in all areas. Rick sent out our son’s credentials and we then sat back and watched the emails drop in! Within a matter of days we had Skype calls booked, telephone calls booked and email exchanges going back and forth with Colleges genuinely keen to recruit our son!

With Rick’s guidance, the Colleges were narrowed down and our son received just over $400,000 in scholarship offers! An incredible achievement. Rick then continued to work closely with our son – giving good, clear, unbiased advice and guidance at all times. He was also at the end of the phone every time our son called him – which was a huge advantage based on the fact we had a transatlantic time difference to contend with as well!

When our son made his final choice, Rick then continued to help him to ask the right last few questions, and then contact the other Coaches to thank them all for their interest.

Rick has been a strong partner in this period for our son choosing his next stage of swimming and education career – and will no doubt be on board for the rest of the ride over the next four years. Thank you Rick!

Hi Rick and Melynda,
Arthur is very happy and excited to continue his athletic and student endeavors at The University of Chicago!
We can’t thank you enough for looking after Arthur during this journey! College swimming recruiting has been all-new from Down Under, we learned a lot! You answered thousands of our questions, you opened for us so many doors, you supported us during some not-easy times and we finally made the best choice we could ever possibly make! Feel very grateful for all your help and hope your work will benefit many more student-athletes from Australia!
Thank you Rick & ACC team!

2020 was a difficult year for sports scholarships but Rick was committed to finding Eric an opportunity that meets his requirements.  He was very patient and persistent in pursuing appropriate contacts and his perseverance paid off in the end.  We are grateful to ACC for their efforts so far and take comfort in knowing that they will continue to provide valuable support and advice to Eric throughout his time in the USA.     

Cole and Chantel Slabbert

We had a terrific experience with ACC Recruits and Rick Paine.  According to my son Rick was like a second parent to him during the recruiting experience – an additional parent with knowledge of the college recruiting process!  Rick and his staff at ACC cared deeply about finding the right fit for my son not necessarily the quick fit, but a school where he could have success in the classroom and in the pool. They were confident about the process; Rick eased his concerns on several occasions with his thoughtful and insightful feedback.  My son went on his recruiting trips prepared with questions and ultimately chose a school that was not on our radar before engaging ACC.  Rick’s knowledge of the collegiate swimming world was invaluable during recruiting, but what we will always be most thankful for is the way Rick invested in our son’s future by helping him select a college that truly fit his goals. Thanks, ACC!

We can’t thank American College Connection enough for the tremendous support for both of our children during each of their own college recruiting processes.  Rick Paine and his associates helped our kids craft a college search strategy commensurate with their individual future goals both in the pool and the classroom.  ACC was an invaluable resource in educating the whole family about the regulations and timelines involved with college recruiting.  From the first conference call with our daughter, we could tell that Rick’s years of experience were going to enrich her ultimate decision.  We found Rick’s input so valuable that we re-enlisted his guidance with our son.  His insight and knowledge about the array of college programs and the questions he posed to both of our kids, made them take into consideration certain aspects of college swimming that only he, as a former coach, could offer.  This was a fantastic investment for us as parents and made us feel that we had provided our children with a specially trained counselor to aid in their decision-making of becoming future college student-athlete.   All along the way, we were very impressed with the quality of the advice, and the timeliness of all the communications, and to this day value, the continued relationship both of our children have maintained with Rick and American College Connection.

I can honestly say that without the help of Rick and ACC I would not be where I am now. When I met Rick, I was a raw athlete from out-state Nebraska who had only been swimming for two years and had no clue how to go to the next level. With Rick’s help, coaches from all divisions of the NCAA were in contact with me and I eventually found my way on deck to a small, liberal arts school. There I became an All-American with invitations from an elite sprint group to train for the 2008 Trials. During my collegiate career I fell in love with the sport. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D. at Indiana University as part of the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming and through the years have coached multiple Senior National and Olympic Trial qualifying swimmers. None of this would have been possible without Rick and ACC’s help taking that next step.

Ben Skutnik

PhD Candidate and Associate Instructor

The Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming

Indiana University – Bloomington

ACC connected us with Limestone U. where Dylan receive a substantial scholarship and signed with them in November. Limestone notified us in April that they were dropping their swim program. We are so thankful for ACC sticking with us and helping Dylan find another university and scholarship at such a late date. Thanks again for standing alongside us during this stressful period, I don’t think we would have achieved this outcome in such a short frame of time if we were on our own. ACC kept Dylan calm and motivated. We would recommend ACC to anyone looking to study in America as Rick and his team truly experts in their field.

Thanks again for all your help and support, Rick! I am extremely happy that I ended up at MU. I would not have been able to do this without your help.

Dylan.

Donny will put your college bound swimmer where the fit is right if you trust his many years of experience.
I would like to share our appreciation of American College Connection and especially Donny Brush. Donny was very helpful from the start. We knew that Donny was a former collegiate coach with IU and is a talented coach that loves the sport of swimming. Knowing that,my wife and I felt comfortable with Donny handling our daughter’s college recruiting process. Our daughter Lauren and Donny worked together very well. Our daughter had a lot of opportunities to swim at top colleges because she is a national swimmer. But that can create complex issues too. Distance from home, money, course choices , travel , campus safety, USA Swimming…. Donny knows personally every head coach at the colleges we were interested in and what they are good at coaching. Our daughter is an IMer so we were interested in coaches that would be good in IM. Donny will put your college bound swimmer where the fit is right if you trust his many years of experience. He has the best intentions. The price we paid for American College Connection was money well spent.

Doors were opened because of Rick and his expertise.
“Recruiting is complicated, ACC made it easy to navigate and helped usdetermine the best possible school for our daughter.  Doors were openedbecause of Rick and his expertise.  She’s absolutely loving everything aboutSouth Carolina, it’s a perfect fit.   We highly recommend ACC to find theright place for your family.”

ACC has been an invaluable service to our family during the recruiting process
ACC has been an invaluable service to our family during the recruiting process.  It’s their knowledge of the whole process that gave us confidence.  Their expertise, professional experience and contact within the college swimming world was invaluable.  Donny was open, honest and professional in all aspects of the recruiting process.  I can say with confidence that Rick, Donny and the entire staff at ACC have your families best interest at heart.  They strive to guide and assist you through every step, from choosing schools, narrowing that list, contacting coaches, guidance on how to talk to coaches and get the most for your student athlete.  We consider them family and look forward to working with them for the next 5 years.

I have found Rick and his team to be the consummate professionals always going the extra mile to ensure the swimmers are well looked after.

It is my personal belief that the American Collegiate System still remains the best tertiary educational option for any Student-Athlete from just about every country in the world. I say this because not only does it allow the Athlete to pursue Academic ambitions while still training and competing, it allows him/her to do so at the highest level.I first met Rick Paine in 1993 when I arrived in Lincoln, Nebraska to take up my swimming scholarship.  After his college coaching career Rick formed American College Connection (ACC), the premier College Recruitment agency in the USA.Since working with ACC from 2003 I have found Rick and his team to be the consummate professionals always going the extra mile to ensure the swimmers are well looked after both during the recruitment process right through until the day they graduate. Without a doubt ACC will be the best investment you can make for your child with a dream to swim and study in the USA. Close to a hundred South African swimmers have successfully worked through ACC with the last 10 South African swimmers who have signed or committed to Universities via ACC earning scholarships averaging nearly a quarter of a million dollars. I am proud to be associated with ACC and fully endorse their services with the highest recommendation.

The recruiting process is a nerve-wracking time for the kids.  And the parents.  Most of us know nothing about it, except maybe some bits and pieces that we’ve heard from others who have gone through it.  With no information or knowledge about this process, it can be extremely stressful.  We don’t know anything about college coaches, their coaching styles, or the team atmosphere.  Using ACC to help us navigate and weed through different schools took loads of that stress off of me, and my boys too.
I signed up with ACC when the boys were sophomores.  I was early in the game, but I would do it EXACTLY the same way.   Rick kept telling me it was a marathon, and he was right. With ACC, we had our timeline and knew what to expect.    But as the clock keeps ticking, if you aren’t prepared, it will become a sprint for you.
You have one chance to get it right.  As parents, we invest in expensive suits,  all our family time is devoted to weekend swim meets, traveling constantly, and spending money on hotels.  How can we NOT get the help we need in that last step, college commitment?
Two boys, two different levels of swimming.  Same dream of swimming at the collegiate level.  Rick Paine was able to successfully help each of them, in different ways, with the same outcome.  Both will be swimming at the collegiate level,  each on a team that is the perfect fit.  I highly recommend taking that last step, investing in your swimmer, by using ACC!  Thanks, Rick!

Lori helped us understand the very complex process of recruitment
We enjoyed working with Lori Payne and ACC Recruits.  She built a great relationship with our son and was always available to answer questions via text, email, and phone.  Lori helped us understand the very complex process of recruitment to swim at the college level.  She helped our son contact coaches and was always willing to call them on his behalf.  Lori was always up-to-date on his swim progress and even traveled to watch him swim live. Our son is thrilled with his plans to swim at Division 1 college in the fall.
The Patterson Family

ACC was instrumental in guiding our swimmer to find the perfect fit. Just can’t imagine how we could have done it without Rick Paine and American College Connection. As Canadians, the process is particularly overwhelming. At first, we attempted to take on the recruiting process by ourselves, but quickly realized that we were in way over our heads. Once we hit that wall, I called Rick, and immediately exhaled, knowing that ACC was the answer. Within a week, our daughter was flooded with a long list of interested colleges – which Rick helped her work through. From academic advice to communication tips with coaches, ACC was instrumental in guiding our swimmer to find the perfect fit. We are delighted with the results.

Rick,
I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for Deanna.  She is so happy, training better than ever, and very much looking forward to her future now.  I am sure you are aware of the impact that you have on your clients’ lives, I just want you to know that you have enriched Deanna’s life in a way that nobody else could have done for her.
I think of the next 4-5 years of her schooling, swimming, and life experience and again can’t quite come up with the words to express the importance of your role in her future.
Thank you very much, if there is anything I can do for you please don’t hesitate to ask!
Carl Simonson
Olympian Swim Club

Hello Mr. Paine,

I Georgi Tomov Shalamanov, wanted to thank you for all your assistance and enthusiasm that you gave me last year. Your constant support was invaluable and I can never thank you enough for it.
I’ve been at Goucher College for almost one full year now (it will be exactly 1 year on the 14th of August) and I can honestly say this 1 year was the best one of my life.
As a student-athlete I had a very succesful freshman year in terms of both academic and athletic aspects. The thing that makes me most happy is that I improved my swimming a lot and learn so many new things about swimming and life.
Thank you once again for everything good sir.
Best Regards!
—
Georgi

Hi Rick,

With all of your help, I’ve finally decided. I happily signed with Stanford this morning. It’s always been my dream to be a Cardinal and now it’s come true. However, it was hard choosing between there and Cal. I really liked the swim program at Cal. But I also realized that swimming is only one aspect of a well rounded college atmosphere. Thanks to you for getting me official visits to my top 5 schools: stanford, usc, berkeley, princeton, and harvard, I felt that stanford will be able to offer me the best combination of both academics and swimming.

So with that said, thanks so much for all that you’ve done for me. None of this would have been possible with you and ACC.

Take care Rick.

American College Connection offers programs that no one else does and that every high school athlete needs. As a former collegiate athlete, I know how frightening it can be to try to find a school by yourself. ACC’s co-founders played a vital role in helping me locate the right university.

Hey Rick,

Just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all that you have done. Without you I would have never visited Rice and fell in love with it. Thank you so much!!

Before I signed on with ACC, I tried to attract interest by doing it all myself. The response was minimal. Once I went with ACC, almost immediately the expressions of interest started pouring in by the dozen. I would estimate that we heard from a total of over 60 schools. Tim was being offered athletic scholarships with a total value over four years, which was 50 times greater than the amount we paid to ACC. Looking at it this way, how many investments are you aware of with the potential to return 50 times or more in comparison to your initial outlay?

Rick Paine & the ACC Team significantly increased the odds of a successful outcome for us. We definitely could not have achieved this on our own
Our decision to work with Rick Paine and his team at ACC Recruits was undoubtedly the best decision we made.
We started out with very little insight into the US College system and the opportunity set available to our son Michael (we live in South Africa)
We were overwhelmed. We did not even know where or how to start. Our very first conversation confirmed that ACC has the experience, depth and quality relationships to help us navigate the recruiting journey. We gained additional comfort from the idea that they were committed for the long-haul (all the way until the end of our son’s college career)
We have just completed the first part of that journey. We are delighted with the outcome.
Our son recently made a verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee. We could not have done it without the advice and educational support of ACC.
Our son was fortunate enough to have serious interest from numerous top Colleges. The interest and offers started virtually immediately and momentum increased significantly in 2017. A potentially arduous task of sifting through the various offers was made easy ….thanks to ACC!!!
We wanted to finalize the decision before the start of his senior year of high school (to enable him to focus on his academic year, without the looming uncertainty over College choices)
In 2017 and early 2018, Rick came alongside us and helped to reduce the number to 4 Colleges that best fit our son’s profile ACC offered
We subsequently reduced this to a short-list of 3 Colleges. ACC arranged for us to visit each College and Rick’s practical advice (and wisdom) made the eventual experience a very enjoyable one. The benefit of having ACC in our corner cannot be overstated – we were able to focus on the key inputs for decision-making and the College Coaches have such a high regard for Rick, that our interactions were free of negotiation games.
We look forward to the next stage – Rick and the team remain an integral part of our journey

ACC really helped Carly focus on what she wanted and needed in a college – both academically and athletically. Rick personally assisted her in making contacts with coaches throughout the country which provided her with a wide variety of recruiting visits. His attention to detail including a web-based personal profile and athletic results link, in addition to the vast network of contacts, opened many windows of opportunity. This resulted in Carly making a school selection that truly was a “best fit” for her.

Rick Paine of ACC provided clear & meaningful guidance as we maneuvered our way through the recruiting process  His guidance was instrumental in our daughter’s pursuit and ultimate decision to swim at a top D1 school
From the beginning, Rick provided valuable insight into the recruiting process, starting with tips on how to narrow the search and identify schools where our daughter would have the best college swimming experience.  Rick did not discourage any of our daughter’s choices, but instead provided reasonable feedback and advice, allowing her to script her recruiting steps in a positive manner, and focus her attention on a handful of D1 schools.   Our daughter recently made a verbal commitment to the University of Tennessee.  Our family felt supported by Rick and ACC from start to finish!

We are so fortunate that we found you.
Dear Rick,On behalf of our daughter and ourselves we want to thank you for all that you did to assist us in the recruiting process so our daughter can swim at agreat Division 1 school.  Your knowledge about swimming, the schools, theprograms and coaches was invaluable to us.  You also were able to open upher opportunities to schools that we had not considered.  She receivedemails from many coaches and schools within a very short time of being onthe ACC website.  The way you taught us all to approach the recruitingprocess and how to speak with coaches and other swimmers was truly helpful.The scholarships she was offered were as a direct result of your work.You also motivated and encouraged our daughter through the swimming season,making the process less stressful.  You focused on her strengths and helpedher to achieve her goals.  The links and supporting documents that you sentus were very helpful to her and opened her eyes to consider things we hadnot thought of before such as preparing for official visits, factors toconsider and also getting ready for first year.  You gave us differentperspectives and really made us think about what is important to ourdaughter and what was the best fit for her.  You also kept us updated andstayed with us throughout the process even after she had selected a school.We are so fortunate that we found you through a recommendation from our clubteam coach and we would highly recommend you and ACC to any swimmerinterested in swimming in the USA at any of the division levels.  We lookforward to keeping you updated on her progress and happiness which we aresure will continue throughout the next 4 years.Thanks again for everything!

Did ACC help guide them to their ultimate decisions for which college to choose?  The answer is yes!
We first heard about ACC at a swim meet a couple years back. Knowing we were at the beginning process of researching colleges for our son and trying to make a plan, I looked into ACC and what they could offer us. I also conferred with other parents I knew who used ACC and already had their student/athletes in college. Did it work for them? Were they happy with the decisions they made and did ACC help guide them to their ultimate decisions for which college to choose? …The answer is yes!
We knew our son was not a top 20 D1 recruit. So getting a full-ride athletic scholarship was not going to happen. We knew he could have great success in college with the right academics along with the right level of competition. The possibilities are vast. Where to start?
ACC helped us to choose a path to select a college that best suited our son both academically and athletically. The ACC staff assisted in pointing us in the right direction for testing into college, what forms to be sure to have, reaching out to potential coaches and making a connection for the athlete. Donny and his support staff gave us the guidance, confidence, and direction to know our student/athlete could make a decision with full confidence. To be sure, ACC does not hold the family by their hand and do all the work for them. A family has to do their homework. But they can call or email and ask questions that Donny and the ACC staff undoubtedly know the answers to that provides a reference for the families to better their decision making.
In the end, our son is attending an out of state private college, receiving a 4-year merit scholarship that exceeded our expectations and will be swimming in one of the top D3 college swim and dive conferences in the country. Ultimately it was our son’s decision to choose which school and which coach he wanted to learn from and ACC helped him to make the best decision.
Bryan Schultz

Rick has a high level of knowledge, acumen, and contacts
Rick has a high level of knowledge, acumen, and contacts that provided us a level of confidence as we navigated through the college-swimming recruitment process.  He helped us through every step of the way allowing for a comfortable pace and sense of calm.  Our daughter had choices of universities and ultimately signed with a program that was a perfect fit for her swimming and academic goals.

We are so grateful and we thank you and your team
Starting our research into American universities and their swim programmes was overwhelming, to say the least. With so many great universities, we didn’t know where to start! Rick Paine came highly recommended and signing with ACC changed that overnight….literally! The response was immediate and bountiful; we could surely never have made that happen on our own.
Rick’s years of experience and personal insight greatly informed us and his intimate knowledge of so many of the coaches and their swim programmes, really helped Jade to make an informed decision. Rick patiently navigated Jade through an exciting but often overwhelming process at a busy time in her matric year while always paying attention to her academic goals as well as her swimming goals.
This was one of the best investments we have ever made and the comfort that comes with knowing that Rick will walk the whole of this journey with Jade is immeasurable.
Jade gave her commitment to the University of Arizona and is beyond excited! Rick, you are the ultimate professional and you’ve helped Jade to fulfill a dream of swimming at a top division I university; this is a privilege of note! We are so grateful and we thank you and your team for your role in making that happen.

Rick knows the coaches and their styles
We got started late in the game.  We contacted Rick Paine in early-August going into our daughter’s senior year of high school.  We thought we had a handle on what to do.  After booking an expensive East Coast tour of campuses for mid-August, we called ACC.  In 15-minutes, Rick reviewed our route and gave us a run-down on which of the campuses were a good fit and why or why not.   Rick knows the coaches and their styles, the swim times each requires, which coaches will give your swimmer optimal attention and what campuses tend to provide relevant financial assistance or not.  In addition, Rick was helpful bringing us up to speed on the recruitment process. He helped us put together a very nice profile that he sent to many colleges on our daughter’s behalf, and guided her in the types of questions she should be asking of prospective coaches.  We appreciated being able to pick up the phone, talk to Rick directly, and get our newest round of questions answered and concerns alleviated.  His wealth of knowledge and database of information saved us a lot of time and energy. He’s a warm and friendly individual who seems to genuinely care about our daughter. We’re very happy that we’ve had a chance to work with him and would highly recommend him to others.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Rick and the ACC team. We couldn’t have done this alone. We are so grateful for the insight, guidance, support, and commitment he provided Gavin with over the past two years. With Gavin’s ACC profile complete emails poured in and he had a vast selection of suitable University and College options to explore. Rick helped tremendously in narrowing those opportunities and in finding a team that would not only suit his athletic ability but would also fit with his academic goals.
We are thrilled with Gavin’s verbal agreement to the University of Wyoming! Rick’s help all along the way has made our son’s college recruitment process successful and smooth.
We highly recommend Rick Paine and ACC!

Rick’s help all along the way has made our daughter’s college search process successful and smooth.
We are so grateful to have found Rick Paine and ACC! Over the past 2 years, Rick has been a great source of accurate information, sage advice and enthusiastic support.  He has taken the time to get to know our daughter and our family – what is important to us, her hopes and dreams, what motivates her in her academics and her swimming.  As a result of this relationship, he was able to help our daughter work through an unexpected coach and team transition last year.  His calm, wise words and his years of experience gave her confidence that she would be just fine.  Rick has been there to help all of us in whatever way we needed, even when it wasn’t directly related to the college recruiting process.
Our daughter had a great junior year and attracted interest from many top college programs.  Since Rick had already been working with us, she was well prepared to talk to coaches and to begin narrowing her focus so that she could manage the process instead of becoming stressed and overwhelmed by it.  We are glad that we began working with Rick early so that she was ready when the coaches started contacting her.  Because of his help, during her recruiting conversations she was able to present herself well to the coaches and gain valuable information about the colleges and teams.  After that, she was able to decide which colleges she was still interested in and which did not seem to be a good fit.  Rick advised her on how to convey that to the coaches in a sincere and positive way.
Our daughter is very happy with the way she managed the recruiting process.  She was offered excellent scholarships at several top colleges, and it came down to a difficult choice between her top 2 schools.  Again, Rick was there to talk her through the options to make the best decision for her.  She ended up making an early verbal commitment in the late spring of her junior year.  She is thrilled with her college choice and is enjoying a swim-focused summer without any recruiting distractions.
Rick’s help all along the way has made our daughter’s college search process successful and smooth.  We highly recommend Rick Paine and ACC!

We were grateful to have American College
We potentially could have figured out how to navigate the recruitingprocess, but it was one more thing we would have had to add to ouroverflowing to-do lists. We were grateful to have American CollegeConnection and Rick as a partner. His familiarity with the unspoken rules ofthe game and the college coaches and programs helped us de-risk ourrecruiting journey and gave us more confidence about our decision-makingprocess. Thanks Rick!

Finding Rick and ACC was an absolute godsend! We had initial contacts with some American Colleges but the choice out there was mind boggling for us!
Rick initially spoke to us in detail about our son, to find out what his College and Swimming needs were for the next four years. He was clearly genuinely interested in ensuring our son got the best ‘fit’ in all areas. Rick sent out our son’s credentials and we then sat back and watched the emails drop in! Within a matter of days we had Skype calls booked, telephone calls booked and email exchanges going back and forth with Colleges genuinely keen to recruit our son!
With Rick’s guidance, the Colleges were narrowed down and our son received just over $400,000 of scholarship offers! An incredible achievement. Rick then continued to work closely with our son – giving good, clear, unbiased advice and guidance at all times. He was also at the end of the phone every time our son called him – which was a huge advantage based on the fact we had a transatlantic time difference to contend with as well!
When our son made his final choice, Rick then continued to help him to ask the right last few questions, and to then contact the other Coaches to thank them all for their interest.
Rick has been a strong partner in this period for our son choosing his next stage of swimming and education career – and will no doubt be on board for the rest of the ride over the next four years. Thank you Rick!

American College Connection has taught us a lot about the recruiting process that we could have never learned on our own. They have opened doors for Sam that I never knew existed that have resulted in fantastic opportunities. ACC’s personal involvement with us shows that THEY CARE about the kids they work for. I would highly recommend American College Connection to any parent who has a child who dreams of playing college sports.

Since our initial contact in the summer of 2002 my son has received hundreds of personal letters from colleges all over the USA with a sincere interest in his athletic ability. We would never have had the time, resources or connections it takes to manage this task and make it happen without the help of your company. Without these tools, we would have been a lost ball in high weeds. Also appreciated, is your straight from the hip talk you gave my son on how important his grades needed to be, his presentation of himself, and all the tricks of the trade you passed our way. It was a huge help. The only regret I have is not having met you personally to thank you and shake your hand. Will look forward to that down the road and we’ll keep you informed on the career in school.

From the moment we contacted Rick, who was referred to us by friends who had used ACC, the ball started rolling.
We would like to thank Rick and his team at ACC for the effort and commitment shown, in helping our daughter Ashleigh achieve her dream of swimming for a college in the USA.
This has been a dream of her’s for a long time, and we were not fully equipped to help her with the daunting process of contacting and selecting potential colleges. We are from South Africa, and didn’t really know where or how to even start the process.
From the moment we contacted Rick, who was referred to us by friends who had used ACC, the ball started rolling.
Rick and his team did all of the groundwork, and next moment coaches were contacting Ash and the process was under way.
Rick spent time and effort getting to understand Ash and her interests. He and his team helped with academic advice and the SAT’s. This helped enormously and Ash has recently made a verbal commitment to join the UALR swim team.
Thanks Rick and everyone at ACC. Thanks to Melynda for her patience and constant support no matter how small the problem or question was. Without you all, this would not have happened. We would gladly recommend using you and your team, to anyone.

We started working with Rick and the ACC team during our son Donovan’s sophomore year in high school.  Our son had been competing at a high level for several years, and we were advised by our friends to get started early on the college search.  We got some piecemeal advice about the process, such as getting an NCAA clearinghouse number, and we were told about the standard websites for information, but still had no clear direction on how to get started.
Thankfully, we were referred to Rick and ACC, and we quickly got started down the correct path.  He was able to serve as an intermediary to contact coaches from schools that Donovan was interested in, and we could see their responses showing interest appear almost immediately.  This made us feel relieved more than anything because NCAA rules prohibited direct contact before junior year.   We uploaded a few videos to the ACC website, and they edited them nicely to show his strengths and how he races.
When the infamous September 1st date came (when coaches were allowed to contact Donovan directly by email), he was so excited to see his inbox fill up with emails from interested teams!  Rick guided us every step of the way from the initial correspondence, phone calls, and gave invaluable advice about “selling your potential.”  Donovan quickly became confident and proficient at communicating with coaches, and this is a life skill that will serve him well throughout his life.  Rick helped us to arrange visits to several schools, and very much paved the way to success on the visits, so that he would leave a great first impression.
Rick was honest and forthright about what schools were realistic and which ones were a bit of a reach for his times, and also helped to shape our vision of what might be a perfect fit.  I am happy to say that Donovan has accepted a scholarship to swim at his first choice, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  He committed in April of his junior year, and he is still so happy and excited about his future collegiate career.
We can’t thank Rick and the ACC team enough, and we absolutely recommend their services to anyone who wants to swim in college.  Regardless of times, academics, or their own goals, ACC will help find the right fit for your swimmer!

With ACC’s help Anna was able to talk with coaches from all over the United States!
“It has been an exciting and very informative 2 years working with Rick Paine and the ACC Team.  With their help Anna was able to talk with coaches from all over the United States.  At last count, she had talked with approximately 50 different coaches, and had the opportunity to explore many different schools and swim programs.  Without their help, she might of talked to 6 coaches.  In the end, she had several offers.  This would not of happened without the guidance of the ACC team.

From the very first phone call held with Rick Paine I knew that Cassandra was in good hands.
Without the assistance of Rick and America College Connection our daughter would not have received the $100,000.00 scholarship that she has received and likely not completed her swimming career in the USA. When Cassandra first advised us that her intention was to attend a USA College to swim (we reside in Canada) we were really unsure how to go about the process. My wife tried to complete the process on her own but never received any substantial contact from schools. It was very late in my daughters last year of high school when I made the decision to contact American College Connection. From the very first phone call held with Rick Paine I knew that Cassandra was in good hands and within days we had received phone calls and emails from schools across the US. Rick was very upfront and did not make any false promises regarding the recruiting process or amounts that our daughter could/would receive from the schools. Thanks to Rick Cassandra has just entered her third year at Canisus College which to date has been a very rewarding experience.

Thank you !!
We would’ve never known about the amazing opportunities that Ohiouniversity has to offer without the help of Rick Paine and American CollegeConnections, thank you!

You really are the best at what you do!
Dawn,
Lawrence is “deep in his bones” happy – He’s just on top of the moon.
We owe you so very much….this opportunity at Emory would have never been possible without your support – I sincerely mean this – you  made all the difference!
Lawrence will compose a formal thank you soon – but I want you to know – you are terrific at what you do – and you have been a terrific resource for our family.
We are sincerely grateful.
Lawrence is great at keeping in touch with former coaches – so I am sure he will keep you updated over the next four years.
Take care – and let’s stay in touch.
You really are the best at what you do!

Your service is great! We couldn’t have asked for you to anymore than you did. We couldn’t be happier and we’d recommend your service to anyone.

Thank you ACC for the continued support and success.
Becoming involved with ACC recruits was one of the best decisions my family has made over the course of these past few years. ACC provided my daughter with the resources and guidance needed to get the most out of the recruiting process. The repeated emails, support, check ins, emails, and college essay assistance were beyond helpful in the entire process. Rick Paine and his staff not only cared about Alexa as an athlete, but as a person as well. We can’t thank the ACC recruiting program enough and are so grateful that those involved have allowed our daughter’s dream of swimming at the D1 level to become a reality.

Your help has been immeasurable!
What a crazy process. I want to thank you for your guidance and patience.Your help has been immeasurable. The endless hours of emails, calls, andvisits were worth it. Without the framework of visits and knowledge, we builtover the past 18 months of active recruiting Ginger may never have foundWest Virginia. It was the process of entertaining and eliminating a widevariety of college options that led to a decision that she is happy andcontent with. It was often a bumpy road and sometimes a rocky road, but inthe end, Ginger is thrilled with her view of the mountains for the next fouryears! I hope we never have to go through it again, but I know you will bethere if we do.Please consider me a lifetime reference and supporter of America CollegeConnection. I will, of course, be recommending ACC.

ACC Recruits is very well connected to the college swim community.
6/1/2021
Lafayette commit
The coaches at ACC Recruits are very well connected to the college swim community; they know all of the coaches personally. As a result of ACC’s outreach, our son spoke with about a dozen different swim coaches from the Fall of his junior year through the Spring of his senior year. The ACC team also advised him on presenting himself and selling his potential. He ultimately decided to swim for Lafayette College’s D1 team.
Overall, we were pleased with the help that the ACC team provided our son over the course of his college search, and appreciated ACC’s emphasis on academics first.

Instead of giving you a fish, they teach you how to fish
Choosing a college is a momentous and stressful process for both students and parents. It’s a huge commitment that tries to balance cost, academics and campus life; without discipline it can easily lead to paralysis by analysis. For the student athlete the complexity only increases with the additional degrees of freedom and wide variety of collegiate athletic programs. While choosing a college needs to be a smart business decision, and a wise investment, in reality students and parents don’t go through this often enough to have the experience needed for making optimal decisions. In this respect American College Connection was truly a godsend for us. They are a unique recruiting education program: their expertise is second to none (all their specialists are former division I college coaches and Olympic coaches); they know all college coaches and all programs at all schools; they’ll give you timely, truly invaluable, advice on everything (including things you didn’t even know you needed to know); they even help with SAT/ACT preparation; they’ll guide your steps through the entire process and they’ll customize each step to your specific situation in ways you didn’t think was possible. But what makes them absolutely unique is that eventually they’ll educate YOU into making the decision that is best for you. Instead of giving you a fish, they teach you how to fish; and then, they continue to back you up throughout your collegiate career with any advice and assistance you may need.”

Thank you, Lori and ACC!
My daughter, Kara, only decided to continue to swim in college at the beginning of her junior year in high school.  We were not familiar with the collegiate athletic system at all and apprehensive about the process.  Lori Payne’s introduction seminar shed some light on the process and immediately solidified our path forward.  Lori was very patient and thorough in guiding Kara through the entire process.  She was able to build trust with Kara and she is very upfront about setting realistic goals in finding the right fit for academic and swim programs.  She was very responsive and encouraging.  Without her and American College Connection Recruiting, we wouldn’t know how we could help Kara through the ups and downs of the recruiting.  Best of all, she also enforced Kara’s work ethics of taking accountability for everything she does in the process.  We couldn’t be happier that Kara committed to swim for MIT.  Thank you, Lori and ACC!

Your service came highly recommended by another family of Hannah’s swim club and you didn’t disappoint!
Hi Rick and TeamWe just want to thank you for all your help in finding the perfect schoolfor our daughter Hannah  Your service came highly recommended by anotherfamily of Hannah’s swim club and you didn’t disappoint. You helped Hannahfind and secure a scholarship at her number one school. Without your help, wewould not have known where to start. With your guidance were able tonegotiate an offer that made swimming in the US affordable to us asCanadians.Hannah is so excited to have found the perfect place both academically andathletically for the next four years.
Thanks so much!

ACC guided our girls, and us as parents, every step of the way
Rick at ACC recruiting helped both of our daughters find the right collegesand swim programs for them.  Searching for a college is expansive andstressful, and can be even more so for an athlete.  ACC guided our girls,and us as parents, every step of the way and helped us to understand what toexpect.  Their guidance really helped our family narrow down what wasimportant to our family and how to proceed.  Their knowledge of the process,the schools, school programs and swim programs is so helpful in streamliningthe search for the right college.  Thank you ACC!

Lori filled the valuable 3rd party that I believe every swim family needs
Lori Payne proved to be worth far more than what was ever expected.  In a process that can be highly sensitive among a spectrum of personalities, expectations and realities, Lori was excellent at helping navigate. Her depth of knowledge of the programs, coaches, and the pulse of what was going on in the swimming world provided a level of confidence that would have otherwise been impossible to have. While her position requires that she maintain a relationship on the school side of things along with the student/swimmer side of things, there was never any doubt that she was a steward and proponent of your swimmer, first.
Lori filled the valuable 3rd party that I believe every swim family needs at a certain point in the recruiting process – no matter what the circumstances are. Ultimately, she provided as much value to the parents in terms of having someone to talk to, as she did the swimmer himself. Lori was always highly responsive to any phone call, text or email.
Perhaps most of all, not only did our swimmer gain a friend and ally through this process as he enters his collegiate career, but our family did too.

The moment I signed with American College Connection the emails started to pour in. The calls started.
Hi Folks. I’m a mom of a diver from Canada. I got a referral from a friendof mine who knew Rick. I called him and was a little skeptical about paying andhiring Rick.After I called him I was impressed and thrilled to hear about his expertise.The moment I signed with American College Connection the emails started topour in. The calls started.I couldn’t believe it. I heard other parents saying they use YouTube andother ideas. I’m so happy that I didn’t do that route.We heard from a lot of great schools. Tons of them. From that moment on Rickand his great team were there to help Tereza and I go down this crazyadventure.  He guided us and gave us wonderful advice.
Tereza received over 4.2 million dollars in scholarships.
She chose a wonderful university. Ifyou are asking as I did: is ACC’s fee really worth it?Well after that amount I just stated, after guiding her and helping her onher act tests, helping Tereza ask great questions to coaches.  Tereza’s nextchapter in her life is PRICELESS!! Did I mention A full ride? One more thingthat was great for me as a mom was that Rick insisted on manners go a longway. Rick was totally accurate on that. The coaches were thrilled thatTereza used great manners.Pick up the phone and call Rick and his great team. It’s 100% worth it foryr child’s future!Thank you.

The money we spent on recruiting with ACC was well worth it and ended up paying for itself in scholarship money.
I want to thank you for all you have done to help my daughter, Anna.  Lori and Rick were invaluable in the work they did to help Anna secure a spot on Colorado School of Mines swim team.  I must admit that I came to the table a little late at the end of her junior year of high school.  I was very unaware of the time and effort it takes to find not only the right college but also the right team for my daughter.  By the time I found ACC, I was completely overwhelmed and needless to say, in over my head.  The money we spent on recruiting with ACC was well worth it and ended up paying for itself in scholarship money.  By the time Anna finished her profile on their site, she had a little over 80 coaches from around the country contacting her.  Lori helped tremendously in narrowing those opportunities and in finding a team that would not only suit her athletic ability but would also fit with her academic goals.  Unfortunately, Anna sustained an injury during her senior year.  Lori kept in contact with us through the recovery process and helped with advice and encouragement.  I am not sure what the outcome would have been without ACC.  If I had to do it over again, I would do the exact same thing (just sooner).
Thank you, Rick and Lori!

“We went through the recruiting process by ourselves with our first daughter and used American College Connection with our second. We were not able to secure a scholarship with our first swimmer, but ACC helped our second swimmer get most of her education paid for. We are living proof that ACC is a great investment and I am reminded of that every time I write the tuition check for daughter #1.”

Offered scholarships from over 40 universities
“The services of ACC helped our family find the perfect fit for Jillian’s athletic and academic wishes. We trusted Rick to help us find the best choices and we succeeded. Jillian was offered scholarships from over 40 universities and was recently voted Top Freshman athlete at the Division I university she eventually enrolled with. Matching the “right” swimming and academic program was not easy but ACC and Rick guided us through the whole process in a totally professional manner.”

The one thing that remained consistent and stable over time was the excellent support and council we received from the ACC
Hi Rick,
Trusting you are well and safe.  As I’m writing this email, Henju is flying into the USA to start his swimming scholarship at the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  I think we started the process with yourself and American College Connection approximately 3 years ago and, as things go, we had our ups and downs.  Eventually it is happening!
The one thing that remained consistent and stable over time was the excellent support and council we received from the ACC.   I cannot imagine we could have done this without you especially given our own challenges and realities.  Thank you!!  I would like to share specific highlights:
–  ACC’s prompt responses – always!
–  ACC’s wide network of connections
–  Your council which was always honest and straightforward
–  Your patience when we were extremely slow in our own responses
– The quality of your support services, e.g., Video reworks, SAT guidance, etcWe can recommend the ACC wholeheartedly and we believe the investment with the ACC was absolutely worth it.  Thank you again!

ACC is interested in the athlete and the person!
Within hours of signing up with Rick Paine and ACC Recruits, our swimmer received phone calls, emails, and texts from all over the country (because we were wide open!) expressing interest. The personal touch that Rick and his team provided was absolutely invaluable. It was obvious that he had a real relationship with these coaches and focused on those schools that would most closely fit with our daughter’s goals. The confidence she gained from those contacts grew and she literally negotiated with coaches on her own, armed with the information provided by Rick and his team. Five stars! ACC is interested in the athlete and the person!

Our son gained confidence.
Swarthmore commit
ACC played a crucial role in helping our son find the right school. He educated us about the process, made contacts with coaches, and coached our son about how to be successful in his conversations with schools. We didn’t know where to begin, and we ended the process not only with the right school, but our son gained confidence from his interviews that will benefit him in the classroom and in his career.

Their connections are what make ACC special
It seems like these guys know every college coach in the country. Their connections are what make ACC special. They are the experts when it comes to collegiate athletics and they offer a huge recruiting advantage for anyone utilizing their program.

ACC team also helps kids to fine tune their communication skills
Navigating college search is not easy especially from far away as India. Rick Paine not only helped us navigate this maze but also find a perfect fit college for our daughter. As a former swimming coach himself, Rick has unique and deep insight into how coaches think and expect. He brings decades of rich experience and relentlessly offers a choice of options. He and his team are extremely passionate, caring and enthusiastic to work with young men and women. Besides college fitment, ACC team also helps kids to fine tune their communication skills, to prepare for college, and to align themselves towards their goals. We could not have done this without Rick and his team at ACC. Thank you!

Natasha’s dream has always been to play college volleyball at a warm weather school. As a result of ACC’s efforts, Natasha will be attending college and playing volleyball on a scholarship in Florida. The college coach admits that he would have never found a player in Nebraska without ACC. Because of ACC’s recruiting program and their director’s reputation, Tasha was recruited by 33 colleges from 20 different states. If anyone would like to find out how much American College Connection cared and what they did for us please call.

Their knowledge of the swimming world, especially at the college level, was a tremendous help!
We loved working with ACC Recruits. Their knowledge of the swimming world, especially at the college level, was a tremendous help to getting our whole family to the right place for Stephen.

Because of the guidance we had from Rick, Stephen had more phone calls, more emails, and more opportunity for choices than we would have had without ACC. The process of setting up the profile itself helped him know how to present himself (both live and on the phone), what questions to ask, and what times he needed to shoot for to get where he wanted to go.

Finally, with ACC it’s not just about swimming. The practical advice and tips for leaving home and heading off were the frosting on the cake. We’re still not ready for Stephen to leave home, but we know he’s better prepared for a swimming and academic community where he will be welcomed in the fall

Richard and Carol Hain- Parents
We sent out Karen’s profile and video to numerous colleges and did not receive any responses. With the help of ACC, Karen was contacted by more colleges than we knew what to do with, in all 55 schools from 28 states. It was a definite benefit having ACC put her profile and video in front of INTERESTED coaches, as none of this would have happened without their expertise.

They really focus on helping you find the perfect fit for your student-athlete.
We are so grateful to ACC for their guidance during this recruiting process.  My son had so many opportunities available to him from across the US!!  They really focus on helping you find the perfect fit for your student-athlete.  We learned Division I is not always the best fit for everyone and the opportunities were endless for my son when we really looked into what Division II schools have to offer.  It all comes down to choosing a school for academic success first then finding that coach and team that will keep your swimmer motivated all four years.  The ACC staff really knows the ins and out of college swimming, which is a whole different level we knew nothing about.  We are grateful for their guidance and could not be happier with our son’s choice.