<p>If we can really get the gears turning and pump out applications within the week, is there any chance of getting looked at by any solid (say top-30 per prepreview.com) boarding schools? We are capable of hiring a consultant of some sort if that is a necessity.</p>
<p>To answer the obligatory "Why so late?!", don't worry about it.</p>
<p>I'm enrolled at a top-20 (again, per prep-review) private day school and plan to pursue a basketball career at a D1 school.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help guys, this site has been invaluable in my untimely attempt at boarding school.</p>
<p>EDIT: Yes, I'm aware this is far past the deadline application of most every school, spare those with rolling admission. Even then, it's very late.</p>
<p>If you are able to pay the full tuition and are really exceptional at basketball, you should be able to find a place. Don’t write off the top schools. Stranger things have been known to happen.</p>
<p>For purposes of this discussion, I’m going to assume that you are not talking about Ivy League D1 schools as your target, just a good D1 program at a top quality university.</p>
<p>Next I am going to assume that you have the talent to play D1 basketball but perhaps were looked over because your day school is not exactly attracting a lot of scouts.</p>
<p>Finally, I am going to assume that you are doing a PG year primarily as a recruiting exercise (more than an opportunity to pad your academic resume) and just need a school where you can take a few AP classes and work on your game, as you’ve taken all the classes you need for admission to whatever level of school you seek to attend.</p>
<p>You are asking if a top-30 type school is still taking applications. They may be for a genuine D1 basketball recruit, but you’ll need to have your coaches network with the prep school coaches. </p>
<p>My only suggestion is that if your purpose for the PG year is to improve your basketball skill and recruiting, then I’d look first at the schools known for placing D1 players. Not as many as you might think.</p>
<p>You might also want to consider lower ranked schools like New Hampton or Brewster where they will often place most of their players in D1. If you are full pay and they haven’t filled their team, your admission is certain and the likelyhood of better recruiting is achieved.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I was far too vague. I’m an 8th grader loo</p>
<p>It may seem odd to some that an 8th grader is already thinking about college ball, but that is not so. Those of you that have pursued college athletics know this.</p>
<p>If you’re a full pay applicant, I’d say yes. Hire a consultant to call those 30 schools and help you with application (it’s fine if you can do it all by yourself, but you may have many questions/confusion about filling out applications that may take some weeks to figure out). </p>
<p>You/your consultant needs to call those schools and ask (frankly it takes only 1 or few mins to ask "hey guys you still have space available?) Oh definitely don’t forget The Hill School. They have great sports program. </p>
<p>If you need FA, forget about it, wait til next year.</p>
<p>Yes, clearly you did not provide adequate information in your first post.</p>
<p>Tossing the basketball hook (pun intended) aside as no schools recruit 8th graders (who are not in the video link above), your odds of finding a school where you will pop to the top of the waitlist at a top-30 school is slim and none, unless you have something besides going to a great middle school to offer. Doesn’t matter if it is a feeder school either. Top schools are inundated with quality applicants who have been thoroughly vetted and have lots of hooks. In fact, the waitlist is often comprised of hooked individuals who are backups for the hooked admittees (star pitchers, oboe players, etc.) who are necessary, but not easy to come by if the admittee backs out.</p>
<p>If you want a good boarding school education, I’d start planning for next year’s application (visit a few schools now!) and enter as a 10th grader (or a repeat 9th if you are really set on a 4-year experience). You’ll get a better chance to evaluate more schools to find a better fit.</p>
<p>And as for the hoop dreams, keep on dreaming, but realize that you won’t likely play varsity until at least your Junior year (and then you’ll be warming the bench). Physical maturity is a critical component to most varsity sports and young men keep growing and filling out until they are in their mid-20’s.</p>
<p>And heck, unless you come from a family where the shortest male is 6 ft. 2 in, there is no guarantee that you will have the size necessary to play D1 basketball. What I’m saying here is that you have a lot of time until you will know whether or not you hoop dreams are achievable.</p>
<p>Study hard and start researching schools that fit your personality and temperament.</p>
<p>Thank you for the advice. We’ll talk to a consultant and see what we can make of the current situation. </p>
<p>As for the post above, I appreciate the advice, but I’m pretty confident in my knowledge of athletics. Ironically, I’m in 8th grade, 6’2", have a vertical leap around 30", and am the smallest male in my family. My brother, 6’5", runs track at a D1 school, my sister plays soccer at a D1 school, and my mother played professional tennis after playing at a D1 school. I likely would have (or maybe will) played varsity basketball at my current school. Just a little background for the sports inclined.</p>
<p>However, I realize it’s extremely uncommon, if not unheard of, for schools to recruit players as young as me. I was simply mentioning it because I know well-roundedness is important to schools, and perhaps one is looking to improve its basketball team. </p>
<p>Regardless of my “hooks” I’m certain the chances are slim-none, but I am going to do the best I can. I’m not interested in elaborating, but it’s either 9th grade for boarding school or never. </p>
<p>Again, thanks so much for all the information. Not sure what I would do without this place.</p>
<p>Good luck with consultant. I’ll tell you this much, they do have connections to find out where you might find openings, but don’t necessarily get people admitted. Worth asking, though.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of a 9th grade or never situation. I don’t care what day school you get admitted to, it does not exclude moving to a boarding school in future years.</p>
<p>Yes, being 6’ 2" put you in the game to play basketball. Have a neighbor kid who is in the same boat (he is 6’ 3" in 9th grade). He’s a volleyball and swim type. His particular build (very lean) is a much better fit to these sports than to basketball where tall thin guys are pushed all over the court.</p>
<p>Some coach may see potential in you, and if your academic profile fits the school, you may get lucky (especially if you are academically endowed enough to make it at a top-10 school as it is tougher to find quality athletes who can make it in those schools - however note that those schools are not as competitive at hoops as a group and you may find yourself outgrowing the varsity program by your senior year and not developing your talent enough to play D1).</p>
<p>Bottom line is that very few male prep students (females are a totally different story as they physically mature younger) play 4 years of varsity sport and go on to play D1 at college. I know the male athletes who have gone onto D1 from my daughter’s school have played no more than 2 years at the school. They usually come in as an 11-repeat or play only 1 PG year. And I can’t think of a single kid who has played JV at prep (even as a 9th grader) and gone on to play D1 in college. JV sports are not going to get you the development that you can get in a non-prep environment.</p>
<p>I sincerely appreciate your objectivity goliedad. </p>
<p>The 9th grade or never is more of a personal/home thing.</p>
<p>As far as athletics go…</p>
<p>At the school I go to, which is considered the conference power-house, almost every athlete that goes on to play D1 athletics (we typically send 3-10 a year) played JV at some point, as do many in the conference.</p>
<p>This may be unique to my area, I don’t know for sure. The last three D1 ball players from our school played at least a year of JV. But I certainly agree with you, playing D1 ball is an extremely difficult feat and it IS to early to know what’s going to happen. That said, I may get lucky.</p>
<p>Strength of basketball program is certainly something my family and I have taken into account -one of the main attractions of NMH-. </p>
<p>I suppose at this point it’s seeing if there are any unfilled beds via consultant. </p>