It can be done, however, and most major American university programs place priority on the long course season during Olympic and World Championship years. If the swimmer and the coach don't see eye to eye, or at least agree to cooperate, the college years can be fraught with frustration and disappointment for both parties. Coaches like this do exist, but they are the exception to the rule. For many swimmers the departure for university signals a new level of freedom in their swimming lives, and provides them with an opportunity to choose their coach, which they may not have enjoyed during their high school years. This may be a positive step for the swimmer, but it can also be a detrimental one.
Many swimmers require a specific type of coach to perform well, ie.
The single most important reason to choose one school over another does not relate to the pool at all. The certainty that for bringing Generic University untold glory with your swimming exploits, you are compensated with an education. Just like any smart business person, you must make sure that the education received is commensurate with the effort put into swimming. The idea is to maximize both one's intellectual and swimming achievement at the same time. Although the geographic difference between Canada and the United States is small, the cultural difference may be much larger.