<p>I would first like to take the time to thank you for even reading this in advance, It means a great deal. I am a senior who is considering doing a PG year at a boarding school. The suggestion was originally brought up by my swim coach, who said doing an extra year would increase my chances of getting into a better school academically and improve my swim times. I struggled my first year in high school (Public School). I ended up failing my English class. Throughout my high school career my grades and attitude has improved dramatically. From a 2.0 GPA to a 3.8 this current semester. I would like any feedback or suggestions that you could offer me. I have looked into Hotchkiss/Andover/AOF. Are these schools out of my league? Would they look past my freshman year failure? </p>
<p>@ChillWill7 - Everyone struggles from time to time so don’t beat yourself up. As long as you can show an upward swing (and it looks like you can) you’re totally fine! Take a look at Canterbury (New Milford, CT). They have Water Polo in Fall and Varsity Swimming in Winter. It’s a great school and worth a glance. They also offer excellent college placement. I have a brother who’s a Canterbury alum and he’s still very active in that community. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me and I’ll ask him. Good luck! </p>
<p>@PhotographerMom Thank you very much for your information and knowledge. Just a quick question in regards to applying for a PG year… How much of an impact would being an athlete have on my application. I’ve been told by others that prep schools, for a lack of a better word, “favor” an applicant applying for a PG year that is an athlete. More so for a PG than a regular applicant applying for a lower grade. What do you know about this?</p>
<p>@ChillWill7 - I think a PG bringing athletic talent to a school is huge but I think you’d be surprised at the talent kids in lower Forms are bringing, too. Forget about that for a minute: The most important thing (in my mind) is the reasoning behind taking a PG year and what you want to get out of it. That’s something you must articulate well to admissions and a BS Swim Coach. Your bumpy freshman year and upward swing is actually a compelling narrative. Focus on your desire to continue that academic swing and let your talent in the pool speak for itself. </p>
<p>Set up your interview/ tours with admissions ASAP and tell them you’d like to meet with the Swim Coach when you’re on campus. After you’ve completed this task submit the Athlete Inquiry (on the Athletic page) and mention when you’ll be on campus. If the school doesn’t have an Athletic Inquiry form you should introduce yourself to the Coach via email and tell them the date/time for your interview. </p>
<p>FYI- I called my brother this morning and he said Canterbury has 15 PGs according to the 2015 class profile. </p>
<p>I’m around if you have further questions. Good luck! 
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