Burlingame High senior Alexa Chang has verbally committed to swim at Cornell University starting in the 2027–28 season.

Chang, a Junior National qualifier who swims year-round with the Burlingame Aquatic Club (BAC), specializes in backstroke and butterfly. Her top times in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly would have ranked fourth on Cornell's roster last season, according to Swimming World Magazine.

She will join Anita Qian as part of the Big Red's Class of 2031.

Chang's summer results backed up the commitment. She won gold in the 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter butterfly at Western Zone Seniors in July. Two weeks earlier, she posted six top-eight finishes at Pacific Seniors. In February, she placed fourth in the 50 backstroke at Oceanside Speedo Sectionals, then reached finals in four events at Far Westerns in April.

The commitment caps a breakout stretch that began during Burlingame High's spring season. At the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships on May 7 at Independence High School, Chang placed fifth in both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly. She set a personal record of 55.99 in the 100 fly. She went on to place 16th in the 100 backstroke at the CIF State Championships on May 15 at Clovis West High School, making the finals for the first time after narrowly missing the previous year.

Chang, along with teammates Ben Gilbert and Justin Chiang, represented the most Burlingame High swimmers ever to compete at the CIF State meet, The Burlingame B reported in May.

"At this meet it's really fun because everyone's just so fast, and it's really cool to see some of the most intense races," Chang told The Burlingame B in May, describing the CIF State meet.

BHS swim coach Traci Kreppel praised Chang's trajectory after the May CIF State meet. Chang "just keeps continuing to improve and get faster and faster, so it's really exciting for everybody," Kreppel told The Burlingame B in May.

In her commitment announcement, Chang thanked her family, friends and BAC coaches, naming Coach Pat and Coach Noah. Because Cornell is an Ivy League school, a verbal commitment signals a coach's support in the admissions process rather than a binding agreement, Swimming World noted.

Cornell finished sixth at the 2026 Ivy League Championships. Chang has qualified for CIF Championships every year since her freshman season at Burlingame High.

Chang's senior season with the Panthers is next up. She will swim her final Peninsula Athletic League campaign before heading to Ithaca, N.Y.