I am a senior thinking of applying to Post-Graduate programs in prep schools as a back up plan if I can’t get into a good college, but I am still not clear whether this would be a good idea. I have some concerns about attending PG in a prep school:
- I have repeated 10th grade in a BS already. Will attending a PG year be considered repeating another year of high school? Would I be considered a double repeat when I apply to colleges during the PG year?
- Is going to PG the same as taking a gap year? If I go for a PG year, I would be older by the time I attend college. Would that be a problem that will affect my social and academic life?
- Lastly, do selective universities like the Ivy League view applicants who are doing a PG year in a positive way or negative way?
Thanks for checking this thread out!
Post-grad years are good for two types of students:
- Recruited athletes who need some more time to mature physically and to get their grades and standardized scores up.
- Non-athletes who didn’t do so well in high school, and are looking for a way to show upward progression.
A PG year would be very structured, unlike a gap year. The problem with it that I see is that you’ll be applying for colleges within the first couple of months of entering the PG year. So you’ll have to find teachers willing to write you letters when they’ve only known you for a few weeks.
Are you interested in doing a PG year at your current boarding school, or a different school?
@sgopal2 I am neither of these types. I have pretty good grades, but not enough to get me into a top college. My concerns are I am not sure whether colleges will view PG year as a year of repeated high school and whether this would help me get into a better college instead of lowering my acceptance rates. As for recommendation letters, I believe I can just get my current councilor to write one for me. I also know a lot of teachers in my school.
You didn’t answer my question. I wanted to know if you were planning on doing PG year at your current boarding school or a different one?
@sgopal2 I am planning on doing PG at a different school. My current school does not offer a PG year.
Ok in that case then it probably would be viewed as a ‘pre-college’ year. As long as you don’t repeat some of the courses you took during HS then it would be fine. Just give a good explanation of why you chose to do PG instead of just taking a gap year.
Do colleges usually view PG year in a positive way? And also would age be a problem when I attend colleges?
Thanks!
I don’t think it will hurt much. It probably won’t help a lot either. They will just be curious on why you chose PG when there are many other academic options. Age won’t be a problem, its only a year difference.
Is the main objective to apply to a different set of colleges if you don’t like your choices this year? A gap year serves the same purpose. Or just apply more widely this year. I don’t see how the extra year of high school would enhance your application academically.
@CheddarcheeseMN I am just worried that I may not be able to get into the colleges that I want to go. Don’t you have to be enrolled in a college already before you can take a gap year? How would a gap year help?
@sgopal2 I use PG mainly as a backup if I can’t get into many of the colleges in my list. I was never really much involved in the extracurricular activities in my school. I am thinking of using the PG year to explore my interests and make myself more clear on what I would like to do in the future. I also want to try out a few sports and focus less on academics if I do attend PG.
You should start doing that this year. For top colleges - any college with a 30% acceptances - reaching a regional or national level in an area takes a long time and many years. Getting involved during pg year only won’t help.
I agree that waiting until your 6th year of high school to try a new sport or EC won’t enhance your application. If the problem you are trying to solve is not getting into a school you want to go to, the solution seems to be to apply carefully and spend some time figuring out what good schools you could get in to.
If you’re using PG as a backup then the colleges will see through it. PG are filled with rich kids whose parents can afford an extra year of high school. Im afraid it might not be received well to selective colleges.
I agree with others. Figure out what is the deficit in your application and find a way to address it. Going to PG won’t necessarily help anything much.
Many colleges welcome students who have a bit more life experience and maturity so if you use the time well an extra year is not a bad thing. That said, if you end up in a college that isn’t a good fit, you can always transfer and transfer students sometimes face less competition than those seeking regular admission to the very selective colleges.
What advantage does a PG year have over a traditional gap year (working, travel maybe, etc.)?
@CheddarcheeseMN You talked about gap year earlier. Do you have to be enrolled in a college already in order to take a gap year?
@axlethetraveller what is your intended major? As far as I know a gap year just means you’ll take a year off and apply later. Do you have any ec’s? I think the persons advice to apply and transfer is good.
@Ducky312 International relations, ECs I have some, but they are not incredibly bright. They are just average stuff.
I think you’re confusing deferred matriculation with a gap year. Deferred matriculation occurs after you have already been accepted at a college, and the admissions office agrees to defer your attendance for a year (or even longer). This delay is usually linked with a gap year, but not always.
You can always take some time off before entering college, even in an informal manner. Just plan out something meaningful.