Those are all great schools to look at, but I guess I’d just give a small “warning” about Deerfield. That was the school I was giving you anecdotal advice from, and the PGs really seem to be heavy on the side of athletes, specifically top Lacrosse players who were placed there by the college they are committed to. In my last year there, I can’t remember a single non-athlete domestic student who was a PG. You don’t seem to have a specific desire for DA though, so this might not even matter anyway. Just keep it in mind if it is a place you think you consider for your list–might not exactly be worth your time to apply to.
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ME TOO! I found out about Hill because my TAs trash talked it! LOL it’s really funny because I’m going to Hill in September as a new 10th grader 
Lville was my first choice too at first, and ended up not being even close because I don’t think it was the best fit (I would’ve been fine though)
Would you be open to sharing a bit more about your experience as a PG? I’m mostly looking to become a PG to explore my personal interests, but I’m guessing that you also went to Deerfield as a serious athlete. If not that’s okay, but I find it kinda funny that quite a lot of PGs go to certain schools because the colleges they’re committing to advise them to take an extra year just to improve on their athletic ability.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear or misspoke, but I wasn’t a PG at Deerfield–I entered as an underclassman. I was friends with some PGs though, so most of my knowledge is second-hand and what I observed while I was there.
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I was looking at the times on athletic net for the recent Hill vs Lville track meet and I’ve gotta admit that the track team at Hill is scary. I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun like I did in track, and my only regret is that I didn’t try harder to start my soph season in varsity like my coach wanted me to : )
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yea hill destroyed lville in track
Have you considered applying as a repeat Junior for this fall? As a Jr. boarder you might find that some schools have rolling admissions for later grades, particularly if you are planning on boarding and not looking for financial aid. You could look at Hill, Peddie, Blair and George if the Lawrenceville area makes sense for you. All are excellent schools. From what you said, being a repeat Jr. may be a better fit for you.
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I briefly glanced over the waitlist thread and it was a pretty brutal year for applicants. Most places (even ones considered to be “second-tier”) are all fully enrolled for the fall. I’d be very surprised if any of those places are going into their waitlist, let alone looking at late applicants.
I wouldn’t trust the WL threads for you particularly scenario/grade. Particularly if you look outside the top 10.
I would not be surprised if a 10-25 school invites you to apply. Pick up the phone and call the admissions office for the schools I mentioned and others. That is the only way you will know for sure.
I second @TonyGrace thought - repeating 11 and doing your last 2 years at a BS makes a lot more sense than a PG year. It would also give you times from spring junior year for T&F recruiting.
11th can be a hard year to apply for but I suspect that with your story (online school and sport), you could find a spot, especially if you don’t need FA.
But now is the time to find out who might create space for you.
I am most familiar with Hotchkiss. In my experience, their PGs brought something to the school that benefitted the school. So, an athlete that would elevate a varsity team. Or an international kid that was already accepted by Yale.
If your case is a little less clear cut (and I don’t know that it is) with regards to the benefit to the school, my advice would be to drop down a few levels for some of the schools you apply to. I also second the advice to apply as a repeat junior. Finally, i just want to raise the idea that your reasons for doing a PG year, to me, sound like you actually are starting to be ready for college. College is a place where you can explore many interests, you don’t need to know what you will major in freshman year, you’ll meet many people from different backgrounds etc etc. It sounds to me that as much as a PG year seems appealing to you, starting college may well be what you are looking for.
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I agree with this ^^ a lot. No school is going to take you as a PG because you “don’t know what you want to study in college” - that just isn’t a valid reason to boarding schools. This might be a reason to take a gap year though and you might be able to find a gap program that would meet your needs and be less expensive than a PG year.
All the PG’s I have known over the years were athletes. I realize that is not the rule but I think it makes it hard for kids who want to PG kind of “just because.” Remember MOST kids lost a year because of covid so how are you going to stand out in PG applications?
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I think it would be better for the OP to repeat their junior year, but it seems like they don’t have any official test scores on file. Was the boarding school application process test-optional this year?
I don’t think I know of a single school that was not test optional.
Hill required standardized test scores unless you had a valid reason like intl.
I wish I could apply for a repeat junior year, but there would be a few issues : (.
I still have to talk to my parents about taking a PG year at a boarding school, and it’s already so late in the year (plus with covid) that im not really sure if I could talk to them and apply so late.
I’ve got some decent ecs under my belt, but not anything I think is t10 college/bs worthy rn. I’ve done a few programs, currently an intern, started in nov but left in march a mental health student org because it wasn’t something for me (also conflict with the direction of the org and what I wanted), and the idea for a long term project that I haven’t fleshed out entirely yet.
I’ve gotten close with teachers and my counselor, but decent/good recs wouldn’t be enough to make up for my lack of long term commitments (or any ecs except from track in 9th/10th) since I am aiming kinda high.
I want to go to lville/a bs because of the unique community and perspective they provide. I met so many different people during lvss which helped change my perspective of the whole world really, which is why I want to spend an extra year after my current school in a PG year.
I’m also set to be a big part of leadership at my school next year which is pretty nice because I actually care about my school haha. I’m should be able to start volunteering at a nearby pretty big hospital over the summer and hopefully at my local library (was supposed to start last spring but covid ;-; )
I could also email schools and ask about if they would still accept repeat junior apps at this time of year, but then again I really do enjoy my school even though it’s online and half the students don’t really care haha.
If doing a PG year is what you are really looking to do, it shouldn’t just be based on the fact of wanting to go to Lawrenceville. Many other BS communities can be unique in the way they change your perspective, and since you state that you might not be material for a T10 college, then you might be setting yourself up for disappointment by falling in love only with Lawrenceville. It is one of the most selective schools in the country, and you’d be shocked at the level of applicants they turn down.
I’d try to reach out ASAP to places like Hill, Peddie, WNS, and NMH to see if they have any spots for juniors. There could also be some ISL schools here in New England (a group of BS that don’t offer PG years) that have some spots. I think for someone who isn’t an athlete or international student, doing two years would be far more beneficial to your college application prospects rather than just a single PG year, and frankly would be a better financial investment as well.
I definitely still have to bring it up to my parents though because I’m not sure whether I would be applying in need for aid or FP for either a repeat junior/PG year. You’ve definitely given me a lot to think about though, so thank you. Also not to bother you some more, but would you suggest getting into contact with the coaches at the schools I would consider contacting about a repeat junior year at as well? Track isn’t my main focus but it’s probably my second focus with choosing a bs.
I’ve seen Juniors apply and be accepted as late as August, I wouldn’t be concerned about that. Regardless, you won’t know for sure unless you pursue it.