<p>My son is a senior in hs and interested in doing a PG year. He is a little young for his class, grades are on the upswing so we think another year might be good. He plays football and basketball and would like to play in college, but isn't really recruited as of now.</p>
<p>Any advice on how to go about researching PG programs? I'm reviewing school websites and not seeing any admission credentials or anything that lets me know if he is a good candidate.</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Contact the coaches at the BS your son may be interested in attending; if possible, have the high school coach attest to his abilities via phone to the BS coach. Send a brief athletic resume, academic record, references, etc. to the BS coach…Blair Academy, Gunnery, Kent, Mt. Hermon are all good choices for positive PG years, especially for an athlete. Inquire, visit now, apply early, contact coaches - your son will know the right fit for him after his visits, talking to other students and the rapport with the BS coach. Good luck - PG is a gift of time and a fantastic experience for personal, academic and athletic growth!</p>
<p>P.S. Blair Academy, Blairstown, NJ has an excellent football program (undefeated last year) and an excellent basketball program - both coaches are outstanding as well; the facilities are stellar and the academics are impressive.</p>
<p>I am taking this as you are trying to improve your son’s academic profile so he can play football/basketball at an academically competitive D3 school, perhaps using his sports at the tip to get admission?</p>
<p>With regards to school choice, I would advise you not to use the sport to get into the most competitive (academically) school, but a good match where he won’t be overwhelmed trying to achieve his objective (polishing the academic resume) while playing competitive sports (and physically maturing). </p>
<p>With regards to prep football recruiting, you are way behind the 8-ball here. If you are in the region of your target school(s), it would be advisable to be contacting coaches this weekend, so if they have a chance they can actually see him play this season.</p>
<p>You should also start to talk to BB coaches soon as well. You didn’t mention that he played in any non-school leagues/tournaments. These are the best mechanisms for BB recruiting into prep.</p>
<p>You also didn’t mention whether financial aid was an issue. That would also play into the calculus of which school.</p>
<p>Lots of questions…</p>
<p>I have a nephew who is now playing his senior year of football. (Last year, his team won the State Championship in its division.) He hopes to play football in college, but he knows that another year of high school ball would give him a better chance of getting into a number of good schools. Right now, he is planning to apply to college and to prep school for a PG year. To date, he has received permission to walk-on at an ACC school and an SEC school, although he doesn’t plan to play at either school for various reasons.</p>
<p>Is it a good idea for my nephew to share with prep schools info about the interest colleges have shown him as a potential football player? I can think of no reason why not. My brother, who is the father of the football player, thinks that sharing info with prep schools about the interest colleges have evidenced will lead the prep schools to think that his boy will attend college and, therefore, the preps will not accept him as a PG. I disagree. I think such info would only enhance his son’s standing with the preps. </p>
<p>Any comments from parents, PG’s, prep admission officers or former preps who have faced this issue before would be helpful. I hope to pass all insights on to my brother and his boy. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Spring – why do you pick those four as “good” choices for a PG year (well, I get Blair as you and the 'burb are its biggest cheeleaders). Do you have any direct knowledge of these schools? Why would you mention them over the dozens of other schools that offer the PG year, including Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Taft, Avon Old Farms, Lawrenceville, Peddie, Trinity-Pawling, Holderness, Choate, Pomfret, Salisbury, Tilton, New Hampton, etc., etc.</p>
<p>toombs,</p>
<p>I think that the best way to get the interest of the prep schools for a PG year is to have objectives consistent with attending. Prep schools are in the business of making kids more ready for college (including college sports). That being said, if your nephew feels that the walk-on opportunities are not the best option for him, let the prep schools know why he thinks so (needs more development, etc.). Honestly, they really don’t care if he is being recruited for college or not. They are not competing with colleges for students.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. It made me realize that we have to move more quickly on the PG year idea, contacting coaches,etc.</p>
<p>I got a book that has a good listing of PG programs. It is called The Complete Guide to the Gap year, and it has a section on the PG year, which gave me some good information, also a section on PG year sports. It has a listing of PG schools and their SAT averages which gives me a good idea of where my son would fit in.</p>
<p>I’ll find the author name and post it if anyone is interested, I just don’t have the book in front of me right now.</p>
<p>Thanks, goaliedad!</p>
<p>Yes, coachingdad, please post name of author of book. Thanks.</p>
<p>The book is “The Complete Guide to the Gap Year: The BEst Things to Do Between High School and College” by Kristin M White. It looks like it was just released last month. I got it on AMazon after my son’t guidance counselor recommended it. very helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks, coachingdad.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info on the book. I didn’t know there was a book with info on PG programs—I’m going to check that out too.</p>