Post Grad Year
There are many good reasons to take a Post Graduate year after highschool.
A post-graduate year is a year beyond high school graduation, spent at an independent school completing an “extra” year of high school to better prepare yourself for college.
Many schools offer specialized “PG” programs: a year long academic curriculum designed for students who hold a high school diploma but want to make specific academic or athletic inroads to boost their application chances when applying to college. If students have their heart set on getting into certain colleges, often attending a PG program and delaying admission for a year can enhance their profile, making their application more attractive. College & Prep can help you cement this opportunity and the recognition it brings by finding best fit programs which support your goals and shepherding your admissions process from beginning to end.
Post Graduate Years Can Provide:
An academic boost: PG programs can help students conquer the classes their high school schedule could not accommodate or for which they did not have the appropriate prerequisites. Those AP classes add more impressive credits to your transcript and make you a more appealing candidate for the more competitive colleges and programs.
Athletic opportunities: A PG year can give athletes a chance to increase their visibility, work with elite high school coaches, and train in state-of-the-art facilities. Many top schools with PG programs have strong connections with college coaches and recruiters, and the reputation of these programs can help student-athletes get noticed by colleges that might not have noticed them otherwise.
Foreign language training: Some of the best boarding schools in the U.S. offer programs for English language learners. A PG year is a perfect solution for students looking to improve their mastery of English in order to study at American universities. Furthermore, students looking to study in a foreign country for college can attend PG programs at international schools or at a domestic school, immersing themselves in advanced foreign language classes.
Preparation for College Life: A PG year in a boarding school environment is a preview of college, benefitted by more structure, guidance and support. Students learn to adjust to dorm life, improve their self-regulated organizational skills and time management, and get a head start on developing and understanding the balance between academics, activities, sports, and social life.
Colleges look very favorably at students who opt to take a PG year. Working to improve their academics in an environment of "structured independence" makes them more capable and mature. They know how to be active participants on campus and are more invested in their classes. Every year, PG graduates are accepted at Ivy League universities, supportive liberal arts colleges, and everything in between.